Advantage Rent a Car
| Advantage Rent A Car logo | |
| Formerly | $3.99 Car Rentals |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Car rental |
| Founded | 1963 in San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Founders | Kenneth and Helen Walker |
| Headquarters | United States |
Number of locations | 3 (2025) |
Area served | United States |
| Parent | Orlando Rentco LLC |
| Website | {{URL|example.com|optional display text}}Lua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Advantage Rent a Car is a privately owned car rental enterprise based in Orlando, Florida, United States.
Established in 1963 by Kenneth and Helen Walker under the name "$3.99 Car Rentals," the business experienced rapid growth through acquisitions. In 1984, the various brands were consolidated into Advantage Rent a Car. The Walker family divested the company in 2006; however, by 2008 it filed for bankruptcy protection. Acquired by The Hertz Corporation in 2009, it was later sold off in 2012 to comply with regulatory conditions related to Hertz’s takeover of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. After undergoing several transfers of ownership among private equity investors, Advantage entered bankruptcy again in May 2020. Since July 2020, the brand has been under Orlando Rentco LLC and currently maintains operations at only three locations.
Operations
Advantage maintains three airport-based branches located in Atlanta, Miami, and Nashville, operating a fleet of approximately 2,000 vehicles that include economy models as well as SUVs. The company primarily serves customers within the leisure travel segment.
History
The company originated in 1963 when Kenneth and Helen Walker founded “$3.99 Car Rentals” in San Antonio, Texas, initially providing rental cars mainly to government travelers with a modest fleet of five vehicles. Over the next twenty years, it expanded its presence into leisure and airport markets throughout the Western United States by acquiring franchises. In 1984, all operations were unified under the Advantage Rent a Car brand. The 1990s brought further growth into Sunbelt states and prominent leisure airports nationwide. By 2001, Advantage had developed an international affiliate network covering over 33 countries. Following the passing of Kenneth Walker in 2005, the family sold the company to Venture Holding Inc. in 2006.
Bankruptcy and acquisition by Hertz
In December 2008, Advantage filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, resulting in the closure of roughly 40% of its U.S. retail outlets due to declining leisure travel demand, increasing operational expenses, and restricted credit availability amid the financial crisis of that year. Approximately 440 employees—nearly half its workforce—were laid off during this period. At that time, Advantage was owned privately by Minnesota auto dealer Denny Hecker, who was later sentenced to ten years in prison.
On March 31, 2009, The Hertz Corporation purchased Advantage’s assets for $33 million after outbidding Enterprise Rent-a-Car in bankruptcy proceedings. This acquisition included ownership of the Advantage logo and website, which Hertz subsequently incorporated into its own brand portfolio. By late 2009, Hertz had rebranded its economy sub-brand "Simply Wheelz" using the Advantage trademark but eventually discontinued this service.
Hertz intended to utilize Advantage as a means to penetrate price-sensitive travel markets by providing a secondary brand option for corporate clients and key travel partners while optimizing vehicle usage within Hertz’s overall rental fleet.
On November 5, 2013, Advantage filed for bankruptcy once more. As of October that year, "Simply Wheelz" had conducted auctions on 5,295 vehicles resulting in an average loss of $1,633 per unit—accumulating approximately $8.6 million in total losses.
Sale and bankruptcy
On August 26, 2012, Hertz revealed its plan to divest the US operations of Advantage to Franchise Services of North America and Macquarie Capital as a condition for regulatory approval of Hertz's acquisition of Dollar Thrifty. At the same time, Advantage's international locations underwent rebranding and adopted the Firefly Car Rental name. Later that year, on December 12, 2012, a Macquarie Capital subsidiary completed the purchase of Advantage Rent A Car, which then combined with Franchise Services of North America following shareholder consent in early 2013. The merger secured final approval from the TSX regulators on May 3, 2013.
In April 2014, Advantage was purchased by Catalyst Capital Group Inc., a Toronto-based investment firm.
Advantage filed for bankruptcy protection for the third time since 2008 on May 26, 2020. Shortly thereafter, in June 2020, Orlando Rentco LLC acquired intellectual property rights and operating licenses in several major markets including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Nashville, and Tampa. Additionally, Sixt took over ten other former airport locations on July 1, 2020.
By July 2025, four out of seven remaining Advantage branches had permanently ceased operations in Las Vegas, Orlando, Dallas, and Denver. The corporate headquarters located in Orlando also closed soon after, amid reports suggesting the company is gradually shutting down due to unfavorable customer feedback.