OUR JOURNEY
What happens when you mix two engineers, rock and roll, a love of retro and a lust for life?
To the reader that question may seem a bit of a silly question… clearly, the answer is an on-the-road, globally recognised rock band! However, we think the reality in this case is even better.
Rewind back to 2008, Surj, a computer science graduate and entrepreneur and James an engineer with a master’s and a love for music, met in Italy whilst on respective business trips, albeit at a live music event on a Thursday evening. It was evident that the two had very different backgrounds but found common ground in their views of the world, creative endeavours and a compelling need to thrive. It didn’t take long for the appreciation of Italian culture, crafts and of course, vintage scooters to be topics of conversation.
In the following year, the two became best of friends and it wasn’t long before large-scale monolithic business endeavours for others tested the patience of the two and discussions ran into the “what if…” “What if we developed a new…” “What if we designed a disruptive…” “What if we went out on our own?”
Many conversations followed - one such discussion raised the potential for a vintage scooter and motorcycle business that could be a bridge between Italy the UK and the rest of Europe by proxy. Being an avid biker James liked this idea but for him, it would need to be unique and all the products should be masterpieces in their own right. And more importantly… It was Surj who interjected at this point and the following statement set the scene:
“We sell original cool”
From this moment in early 2010 Vintage Metals was born.
Since that moment the two have made various trips around the world and solidified the business model. One of sustainability, breathing new life into each vintage scooter, that becomes a part of the Vintage Metals family. After all, the future should be sustainable and it’s an ethos we very much believe in.
The production of unconventional furniture designs that fuse a vintage scooter aesthetic with function is another part of the business. We call this ‘Functional Art’, it’s hand-crafted to the highest of standards and offers style and a unique focal point for any room.
Along our journey Vintage Metals Ltd is supported by some excellent partners. We rely heavily on our supply chain, designers, mechanical engineers, logistic teams etc to function. The list is broad and varied but there are some notable entities that are highly pertinent. Delivery partners BST Industries Ltd, EMA Engineering, Essential GFX Ltd and of special note is our key strategic partner Kaulson Motorcycles & Scooters Pvt Ltd. The Vintage Metals team salute you all.