Hampton Car Club Shows The Mechanical Talent Of Chelsea Sweeney

For Chelsea Sweeney — the first person ever to get a perfect score on the Jaguar Land Rover practical exam — creating a car club in Southampton is about more than a place for an oil change or new brakes. It’s about creating a space to foster a community that loves cars.

For Sweeney, creating this community was worth selling her own Land Rover to fund the creation of Hampton Car Club on County Road 39 in Southampton. It’s an auto repair shop that also offers a monthly membership providing perks for regular customers.

“This is us,” she said. “We are putting our heart and soul in this business.”

Sweeney, from Baiting Hollow, has been working on cars since she was 17, when she got her first job at a garage. She laughed, remembering that she applied for every job possible.

She said as soon as her older sister, Raquel Dispenziere, got her driver’s license, Sweeney knew she wanted a cool car.

“I couldn’t be more proud of her,” said Dispenziere. “She’s had to work harder than everyone else in her industry, and she’s proven to be the best.”

At 19, Sweeney got a job working at a dealership. A few years later, she started working for Land Rover.

In 2019, while she was six months pregnant, Sweeney got a perfect score on the Jaguar Land Rover Level 3 practical assessment, something no one else in the United States or the United Kingdom had accomplished before.

This score caught the eye of someone at the Land Rover headquarters in the United Kingdom, who called her boss at Southampton Jaguar and Land Rover, earning her a promotion.

“I’ve been doing it for a long time ,so it’s just so normal for me,” she said, modestly.

Her husband’s family has owned the building that’s home to Hampton Car Club on County Road 39 since 1974. It used to be home to Southampton Auto and Marine Upholstery, a business owned by her father-in-law, Michael Sweeney Sr. “It feels very family oriented,” she added.

Sweeney’s husband, Michael Sweeney Jr., does body and paint work at the new business, while she does mechanical work.

“I really like communicating with the customers about their cars,” Sweeney said. “So when I work on it, I want to be able to explain it to them and answer any questions they have.”

She calls herself a “perfectionist” when she is working and is hopeful that the new car club will allow her to be more hands on with customers. “It’s super cool because it’s a place you can hang out, too,” she added.

The car club will feature a members-only lounge and a lounge for the general public. Additionally, the car club has the ability to host events.

“The doors are open — you see what I am doing,” Sweeney said. “Sit down, have something to drink. We are very transparent.”

The lounges will feature a cafe with sandwiches from Schmidt’s Deli, coffee and snacks. “I even have juice for people’s kids,” Sweeney said, laughing.

Sweeney said she hopes members will “come hang out” and create friendships and a community based on mutual love of cars.

Membership is currently available for $199 per month.

She added that members won’t get charged for check engine light diagnosis, flat tire fixes or having fluids topped off.

“I’m not just trying to sell you something — I am trying to keep you on the road,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney went to fix a 1969 Mustang in the parking lot of the Southampton Youth Services recreation center, something else she noted that sets Hampton Car Club apart: delivery service, including pick-up and drop-off.

The garage is currently open, and the lounges will open mid-August. Currently Hampton Car Club is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Additionally, members will have 24-hour access to the private lounge.

For more information, visit hamptoncarclub.com.