Colette Brooks with a biodiesel-powered Ford Tahoe.
What's biodiesel without a little bling? by Becky Brun - 10.18.07
LOS ANGELES
Colette Brooks, chief imagination officer of Culver City ad agency Big Imagination Group, has a passion for souped-up, vintage rides. Owner of a biodiesel-converted 1979 Cadillac Eldorado, Brooks launched Biobling, which not only matches wannabe biodiesel drivers with cars that have diesel engines, but also pimps out the cars with fuzzy dice, fancy rims and other details.
“It’s for people that want to go green but can’t afford a Prius,” Brooks says, adding, “While a Prius is a step in the right direction, it still uses petrol.”
Biobling pockets 10 percent of each deal, which can include the purchase price of the car, shipping costs and added “bling” accents. There’s a $500 minimum fee, so most customers tend to look for cars valued at $5,000 or more, Brooks says. She and her husband have found and outfitted cars for about 25 people since the service launched in 2004.
Brooks, who also co-founded the Los Angeles Biodiesel Co-op in 2006, says part of Biobling’s role is to help customers find biodiesel in their area. She says biodiesel was not offered at any East LA fueling stations just last year, but the co-op helped demonstrate market demand. Now, three East LA fueling stations offer the alternative fuel.
“The inspiration for creating the co-op was so that we could make it more affordable and more available for more people,” she says. “One of our goals was to get put out of business.”
Through Big Imagination Group, Brooks convinced Hollywood celebrities to arrive at the 2003 Academy Awards in Priuses. Now, by helping open a biodiesel facility in East LA, she says she’s hoping to turn them onto petro-free biodiesel.
After all, that’s how she rolls.
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