Fast lane: Steve Assil left Afghanistan at 18 to make his way in the U.S. Nearly 30 years later, he lives off his love of cars and movies.

TOM Cruise and Jamie Foxx spent hours in Steve Assil's cab.

Assil, owner of Hollywood Motor Corp. in Canoga Park, wasn't anywhere near the cab while the actors were shooting the L.A.-set drama "Collateral," but that doesn't matter.

Born in Afghanistan, Assil came to the United States in 1975 with only $200 and over the next 30 years leveraged a love of Southern California into a used car dealership and repair shop that generated $1.5 million in sales last year.

In addition, Hollywood Motor has developed a lucrative side business leasing cars and motorcycles to film studios that has allowed Assil to bring his favorite hobbies into his workday. "Cars, movies and motorcycles," Assil said. "The three things I'm doing are the three things I loved as a kid."

Assil said nearly three-fourths of his revenues are generated by used car sales and the balance from providing cars and motorcycles for use in feature films.

His involvement with the movie industry takes several forms. He said he has supplied motorcycles to "Biker Boyz," the 2003 film starring Laurence Fishburne, and this year's Ice Cube vehicle, "Torque." He also takes used vehicles off the hands of production companies when the shoots are finished.

That's how he got his hands on the three cabs used in "Collateral" that sit on his lot and are scheduled to go up for sale this week.

While the cabs will likely end up in the hands of a movie fan, not every buyer is a movie buff. "It all depends on who's out there and what they want to buy," he said.

Assil is a frequent visitor to auto auctions, where he buys cars and motorcycles prepared for filming. "He's one of our V.I.P. customers," said Craig Alford, vice president of operations at North Hollywood-based Ken Porter Auctions. (Ken Porter is a subsidiary of CHP Enterprises, Inc., the North Hollywood company that owns and operates Cinema Vehicles, one of the pre-eminent suppliers of automobiles for filming.)

"He's bought probably hundreds (of motorcycles) over the span of time he's dealt with us," said Barbara Riley, who handles Department of Motor Vehicles paperwork at the auction house.

Riley said Assil told her that he "had the largest inventory of police motorcycles" and is confident his business is secure. "There are other people doing what I do," he said. But, at the same time, he added, "I don't really have any serious competition around me."

Up from nothing

When he landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1975, Assil had nothing but a little cash and a brother-in-law in Queens who owned a restaurant called Valentino's. After he settled in to the country a bit, he took a vacation to Southern California--and later decided to come back for good. "We sold everything and just came back," he said.

He and his wife wound up buying a condo on Sherman Way in Reseda. Across the street was an empty store, which Assil bought and turned into a West Coast version of his brother-in-law's place called Valentino's New York Pizza. Later, he operated several video stores.

All the while, Assil was collecting motorcycles, and one day he was approached by a producer who wanted to rent a bike from him. The offer of $250 per day was too good to pass up. "That's how I started working with movie studios and selling to the public," Assil said.

He eventually sold the video stores, recognizing they were no longer the hot businesses they used to be, and devoted himself to the auto business.

Assil is a self-described workaholic. "I put all the pressure on myself," Assil said. "I'm throwing the garbage out, I do everything. The only way to success is to not be ashamed of doing menial work.

Assil is at Hollywood Motor seven days a week, doing as much as he can himself and hiring help only "to wash cars twice a week." He will occasionally hire six or seven subcontractors to handle high-quantity orders for customized vehicles.

That model has not been lost on his 24-year-old son Aimal, who recently dropped his theater and film studies at Moorpark College to join his father's company.

The move was his choice, said Aimal, one he made because he saw the potential in the business. "I could've (done) a lot of different things," he said. "(My dad) worked extremely hard to get where he is. It's only beneficial for me and my family (to) continue his legacy. The best thing I can do is help him and try to prevail higher."

Aimal's presence in the business makes Assil's plan to retire shortly a more realistic expectation, he said.

The son is ready. "When you have a good mentor, you know you're going in the right direction," Aimal said. "I see my dad turn water into wine."

PROFILE

Hollywood Motor Corp.

Year Founded: 1998

Employees in 1998: 3

Employees in 2004: 3 (full-time)

Revenues in 1998: $500,000

Revenues in 2004: $1.5 million

Goal: To be a successful car dealership and provider of motorcycles and cars to feature film, TV and other studios

Driving Force: An interest in movies, cars and motorcycles since childhood