A car vending machine? How buyers can use a new gimmicky landmark off I-95 in Hollywood

You buy a candy bar this way. So why not a car?

Auto seller Carvana opened a car vending machine Wednesday near Interstate 95 in Hollywood and Stirling Road.

Yes, it’s a bit of a gimmick. But it’s a working gimmick.

Much taller than your typical snack machine, the steel and glass structure stands eight stories tall and holds 27 vehicles. This is Carvana’s second used car vending machine in South Florida.

The new location, 3950 N. 28th Ter., is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. The car retailer’s other South Florida vending machineopened in 2020 at 2150 NW 117th Pl. in Doral. The other locations are in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville.

“We’re excited to be opening our fifth, most technologically advanced, tower in the state, and look forward to bringing even more memorable car-buying experiences to Florida residents,” Jacari Green, Carvana Market Operations Manager, said in a statement.

Ryan Keeton, co-founder of the Phoenix company, acknowledged to the Miami Herald in 2020 that the vending machine is a gimmick — but an effective one.

“You’re driving along the highway and all of a sudden you see this giant stack of cars encased in glass,” he said. “That tends to stay with people.”

And the company needs that.

In July, the New York Times reported that Carvana, once a fast-growing company, reached a debt restructuring agreement with most of its bondholders “in an effort to lower interest payments over at least the next two years and put its business on more solid financial footing.”

How the car vending machine works

You can either pick up their vehicle at the new Hollywood car vending machine or have the vehicle delivered to your home.

When you opt for a car vending machine pickup, here’s the process:

▪ Select your car at carvana.com/cars.

▪ Open an account with Carvana and fill out several online forms where you can add a trade-in vehicle.

▪ Insert the commemorative, oversized Carvana coin given by staff to activate the automated vending process.

▪ Wait for the vehicle to descend from the vending machine tower into the delivery bay.

▪ Take the car for a spin.

▪ Complete your purchase with the staff’s help.

READ MORE: ‘Car vending machine’ rises in Doral