Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/28575
regulated then and he had what’s called a “grandfa- ther” certificate to operate between Hollywood and the movie stars homes. Only he had the right to do a limo tour on a certain route through Beverly Hills – just him and one other competitor.” Even though it was the time of the Depression and the famous Walk of Fame hadn’t even laid its first star, Bud was soon busy enough that he needed more limousines. He was also fighting some per- sonal problems though, and Vahid became a friend: “I helped him out. He was sick – he suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure – and he asked if I wanted to buy the tours business from him. I had graduated though, and he was very upset when I started a job as an engineer. But then the doctors said he hadn’t long to live, so I bought half of it from him in cash. Bud lost the money in a few months and I said “We can’t go on like this. Give me the rest of the business and I’ll look after you.” I paid him a salary every month until he died a couple of years later.” Vahid took out a $50,000 bank loan to buy Bud’s limousines and re-named the service Star- line Tours. He knew that movie fans would always be thrilled at the chance to catch a glimpse of their idols at home, so he looked into expanding Star- line from day one: “But I had no idea it would grow into what it is today. I was dedicated, had ideas, and had just the right location in Hollywood. Because I had worked hard at Grauman’s they were happy to rent me the location outside so I made a kiosk, bought some limo mortuary cars, hired the right people, and it just grew and grew.” Te rest is literally a part of Hollywood History. Over 75 years later the “Homes” tours still leave Grauman’s throughout the day, and over time Vahid has recruited other family members includ- ing his vice-president brother Fred, wife and CFO Noonoosh, his nephew, brother-in-law and other nephews who “come in and out”. It hasn’t all been plain sailing though. Starline mous California sunshine, and most recently they were behind the introduction of the iconic red London buses. Tey had been seen in L.A. before of course – three buses visited here as part of a tourism Good- will Tour way back in May 1952 – but the Sapirs tracked down some out-of-service British “double- deckers” and after having the passenger doors switched and seats repaired, they cut off the roofs to let the sun shine in. Tere was also Starline’s long-time competitor: “Grayline Tours were my rivals from the begin- ning, and around 1970s the tour bus industry was de-regulated. I was trying to grow, but Grayline was may be the best-known tour operator, but today there are plenty of competitors looking to attract some of the estimated 10,000,000 visitors that come to Hollywood every year. For a time the buses got bigger and heavier until the city of Beverly Hills imposed a maximum weight limit in the 1980s, though for the Sapir brothers this was a chance to change the game. Tey bought a fleet of air-conditioned mini-buses fitted with jumbo windows for the best view and these quickly became a more common sight, so much so that they’ve even been seen in television programs like “American Idol” and “Te Apprentice”. A few years ago Starline also introduced “top- less” mini-buses so passengers could enjoy the fa- 36 DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD / SPRING 2011