VeloceSpace is operated by Patrick Hung (yours truly) and two employees, a true startup with an entrepreneurial spirit. My passion for sports cars took root during high school when the Countach was all the rage and Ferrari had just released its stunning 288 GTO. Alfa Romeos became an affordable and persistent hobby after college, and this interest kept growing; I now own two Giuliettas and one Sprint GT, with hopefully more to come.
I had always felt that the ownership experience involved more than just possessing the cars themselves; people and community were equally important facets of the equation. Aside from taking part in Alfa club activities, I began organizing day-drives for Alfa Giuliettas, namely the annual "Giulietta Jaunt", in the Bay Area. The next goal would have been to immerse myself in these cars on a daily basis; when an opportunity presented itself in early 2009 to start a business serving my fellow enthusiasts, I moved quickly and here we are.
There were some considerations prior to establishing this new venture, the most important being the ability to answer the question: "what is the company's raison d'ętre - what makes us better than the next supplier?" What was indeed our comparative advantage? Passion was certainly insufficient. The answer laid in "quality". Having restored a '63 Alfa Spider myself, I am all too aware of the often-dubious quality of reproduction parts in the marketplace; very few of these parts fit our cars well. These cause trunk lids to not close and doors to require a firm push to latch, in addition to a myriad of other problems, none of which makes for a happy restorer. We don't sell such parts. We source from the original factory that produced the parts for the cars, using the original dies and molds; the only things "new" in this manufacturing process are people (presumably) and modern, more sophisticated materials. The same goes with upholstery.
I work closely with an Alfa mechanic and good friend in Berkeley, CA on my cars, and often envied him for being able to spend all his time with these cars, when he chooses. I seem to have arrived in a similar position now, and will certainly do my best to hang on by delivering what has been promised to you: quality, in a timely manner, with the best customer service that we can muster. Please let me know how we do in the coming years.
