TEN OUT OF TEN FOR SPECIALIST CAR RETAILER CARRERA CARS

However, Hillington Park’s automotive sector is not just about major brand showrooms and service centres. For many years, Hillington Park has supported a thriving ecosystem of smaller, independent businesses offering specialist services ranging from high-end vehicle retail and garage services to detailing, alloy wheel refurbishment, and tyre fitting.

One such success story is Carrera Specialist Cars, located on Carlyle Avenue. We caught up with founder Atif Ali to reflect on the company’s first decade at Hillington Park, explore its impressive growth, and hear how the estate has played an important role in its journey.

So when did Carrera Specialist Cars first move onto Hillington Park?

We’re celebrating our tenth anniversary on the estate this year. We moved into the unit we’re in now in 2017 which is larger than our first and it’s in a much more prominent corner position.

How would you describe what your business does?

Ultimately, we sell high-end cars and work with customers from all over the UK. We source vehicles nationwide too, and over time we’ve built a strong reputation for delivering customer service that really goes above and beyond which is something you don’t always find in the higher-volume end of the car industry.

We work strictly by appointment, which allows us to give every customer our full attention. And here’s something we’re genuinely proud of – around 95% of people who come to see us end up buying. That kind of trust means a lot to us.

We’ve also expanded into other areas. A couple of years ago, we launched a specialist wheel repair business called Scuffed which is also on the estate and it uses some of the most advanced repair technology in the industry. On top of that, my brother runs an associate company offering executive chauffeur services, with a fleet that includes Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Mercedes vehicles.

Would you say the business has changed since you started back in 2015?

Not really! The way we started out, and the way we still do business, has always been about offering top-level service to the retail motor sector. We’re not a high-volume dealership, which means we can take the time to get every car looking and running its best before our customers even lay eyes on it. We also include extended warranties on all our cars, way beyond what you’ll usually find elsewhere.

We’ve always made good use of the internet to showcase our vehicles, and we’ve set the bar high from the start. Instead of just a few photos and the basics, like a lot of dealers do, we give buyers everything they need to know upfront plus 100 images of each car. That way, people can get a really good feel for the vehicle before they even visit.

Over the years, we’ve had customers travel from all over to see us and we’ve gone to them too. Plenty have bought from us more than once, and some have even become good friends. That kind of loyalty tells me we’re doing something right.

Do you specialise in any particular brand?

We’re not limited to any brand but BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Volvo are four names that we are well known for.  Porsche and Lexus are other famous marks we supply and it’s also not been unknown for Aston Martins to pass through our doors!

What did you do before you started Carrera Specialist Cars

My family’s been in the hotel and leisure industry for fifty years, so I grew up around that world and got involved in it when I was younger. Later on, I went to university, earned a degree in IT and Business and then I did Masters in Finance and ended up working for a big international tech company. But to be honest, it just wasn’t the right fit for me for a bunch of reasons, so I made the decision to come back into the family business.

I’ve always had a bit of a passion for cars, and in my spare time I started helping out one of my dad’s customers who was in the motor trade sourcing vehicles for him here and there. That’s really where the idea for Carrera Specialist Cars started. And when he decided to retire, it felt like the perfect moment to take the leap and start something of my own.

How many staff do you employ and what do they do?

It’s just me at Carrera Specialist Cars but there are a number of trusted suppliers who provide specialist skills like detailing. We do employ a team of highly trained engineers at our other business, Scuffed, at 8 Queensberry Avenue.

With the types of cars you’re dealing in you must have some famous customers?

We do but I can’t say their names specifically but we have had clients who are well known in the sports industry and others who would certainly be described as celebrities!

You said that your customers are based all over the country so how do they find out about you?

You’re right, we have customers located all over the UK as far south as Southampton. Because we are not a typical car business that has a forecourt full of vehicles that someone who happens to be passing by might see most people find us online or from personal recommendations.

We know lots of businesses base themselves at Hillington because of its location and its links to transport networks. Is that true for you too and was that the reason you originally moved onto the estate originally?

Yes, that’s true for us. Because of the way our business operates we could be based anywhere but Hillington Park’s location near the airport, next to two stations and minutes from the motorway network is really important for us. I often pick up clients who have flown in to collect a car and I’ll also collect customers from the station when they’ve travelled by train. For anyone making their own way to us by car it’s an easy journey along the motorway network too.

The security on the estate is also important to us. We have a secure unit where our cars are stored out of sight and because we are an appointment only business that works really well for us.