Vintage Speedsters Ownership Change

Troy Sloan posted:

I did that last week Alan.  That was when he told me he had already moved Vintage.  I told him there would be all kinds of speculation if he didn't post an announcement.

I understand there is some confusion about the names, but it isn't really that complicated.  Greg Leach's company (formerly Vintage Spyders) is still where it always has been in Stanton, California and Kirk's former company (Vintage Speedsters) is now in Arizona.  They have no connection.  Nor is there a connection with Seduction.  They are all different companies.

I have to explain this daily to inquiring clients. Its very frustrating. lol

550 Phil posted:

Troy.  Both companies make replicas of 50's Porsches.  Greg Leach also makes a 356 Coupe and told me he may also offer a speedster.  Vintage Motorcars and Vintage Motorcar?  Why the heck couldn't Justin come up with a different name?  Its not that hard.  It IS stupid and it IS confusing. 

I concur. What the heck?

Buying a business, telling everybody you aren't moving it, then moving it and renaming it so that it's almost exactly the same (missing "s") as a competitor (and they are competitors) seems like a series of poor decisions. Not communicating anything on the forum is odd in the extreme.

My memory may be faulty, but when I first visited Kirk in Hawaiian Gardens in the late 90's, Vintage Spyders was located at the same address, either in the same building or right next door, unlike what Troy says about Greg always being in Stanton, CA.  Just another twist in the already confusing road?

Point of clarification Stan.  Justin didn't just rename his company.  He's been calling his company Vintage-Motorcar and had his website up since at late 2014 when the sale was first mentioned on the SOC.

I'm not justifying anything that has happened one way or another, but it's important to keep the facts correct.   

Jim Kelly posted:

My memory may be faulty, but when I first visited Kirk in Hawaiian Gardens in the late 90's, Vintage Spyders was located at the same address, either in the same building or right next door, unlike what Troy says about Greg always being in Stanton, CA.  Just another twist in the already confusing road?

You are correct Jim, I should not have said "always," I should have said it is where it has been for at least the last 10 years, in Stanton, California.  It was originally located in the same building as Vintage Speedsters. 

Stan Galat posted:

550 Phil posted:

Troy.  Both companies make replicas of 50's Porsches.  Greg Leach also makes a 356 Coupe and told me he may also offer a speedster.  Vintage Motorcars and Vintage Motorcar?  Why the heck couldn't Justin come up with a different name?  Its not that hard.  It IS stupid and it IS confusing. 

I concur. What the heck?

Buying a business, telling everybody you aren't moving it, then moving it and renaming it so that it's almost exactly the same (missing "s") as a competitor (and they are competitors) seems like a series of poor decisions. Not communicating anything on the forum is odd in the extreme.

^This

550 Phil posted:

Troy.  Both companies make replicas of 50's Porsches.  Greg Leach also makes a 356 Coupe and told me he may also offer a speedster.  Vintage Motorcars and Vintage Motorcar?  Why the heck couldn't Justin come up with a different name?  Its not that hard.  It IS stupid and it IS confusing. 

He didn't Phil.  He came up with that name in late 2014.

Typically when buying a business you're also buying the name recognition and the goodwill that comes with the name. Of course you're also buying any negativity that comes with the name as well. Changing the name and saying nothing is going to and has confused many people.

I’m gonna’ start a business building pedal car speedsters and spyders. I think I’ll call it “Vintage Motorcarz” and locate it in Hawaiian Gardens, just so there’s no confusion for prospective clients. 

Branding is important in such a niche specialty car market - shame to lose the favorable reputation that "Vintage Speedsters" had developed over the years. I need to order interior parts - door cards, dash, rear seat, carpets (to match older VS front seats) - hopefully they still use the same trusted source or have equal/better local source.  I'll delay putting my order in for a few months.

I am sure Justin will clear things up when time permits. All my interactions with him have been above and beyond my expectations. I learned from him that he actually had my car built and he personally sold it to the PO. And the PO mentioned that he bought it in AZ, which now makes sense. 

I did notice, it is still for sale on his site, so I am sure he will be updating his site as well. 

http://vintage-motorcar.com/portfolio/royal-blue/

Attention Justin from Vintage whatever Speedster Cars in CA  or AZ.  At first opportunity please, light a fire releasing the correct smoke color of choice announcing true details as the speedster world awaits and perhaps the Pope too.  

Vintage MotorKarz

WOLFGANG posted:

Branding is important in such a niche specialty car market - shame to lose the favorable reputation that "Vintage Speedsters" had developed over the years. I need to order interior parts - door cards, dash, rear seat, carpets (to match older VS front seats) - hopefully they still use the same trusted source or have equal/better local source.  I'll delay putting my order in for a few mon

 

Stan Galat posted:

I’m gonna’ start a business building pedal car speedsters and spyders. I think I’ll call it “Vintage Motorcarz” and locate it in Hawaiian Gardens, just so there’s no confusion for prospective clients. 

Smart. I want in on this business venture. 

Panhandle Bob posted:

Vintage MotorKarz

Another non-confusing name! You could make electric Speedsters and coupes... but not Spyders, that'd be a job for another company (Vintage Motorkars) in SoCal.

We could share the space in Hawaiian Gardens to keep the rent down. Everybody would figure it out, don't you think?

... now what would Vintage Motorkar (no "s'" or "z") make?

Yeah.....   How much space can pedal cars possibly take up?  

If you two guys have some space left over, I might need some for my “Vintage Speedstahs” bicycle shop.

Once again, he didn't just come up with that name. He has had it for over three years since 2014.

Call it Stark Motorcarz! Wait for it... 

Maybe we can do a Vintäge Motercär and sell bespoke pedal cars for adults who want more out of their pedal cars? 

(too soon?)

Gordon Nichols posted:

Yeah.....   How much space can pedal cars possibly take up?  

If you two guys have some space left over, I might need some for my “Vintage Speedstahs” bicycle shop.

Do you know how many bikes and pedal cars I could fit in this shop!?!? haha, ALL OF THEM! Forget cars, I'm switching to bikes and pedal cars. 

Gentlemen, Just to echo what James had said previously; Justin is a true professional and you may rest assured that the new shop in Scottsdale will be a vast improvement over HI Gardens.  Justin is used to dealing with "high end autos" so his attention to detail and customer service is outstanding.  He was there in the build of my car from beginning to delivery, even helping secure and tracking the delivery truck.  

A move from CA to AZ is no small task and it takes time, especially for a small shop.  As for a business decision, in my opinion, it's a no brainer; CA regulates and taxes you to death, AZ is still reasonable and pro-business.

I am sure Justin will communicate with all of the Vintage Speedster Forum people shortly, after all we just exited the holiday season.

Troy Sloan posted:

Once again, he didn't just come up with that name. He has had it for over three years since 2014.

I'm not sure how that clears it up. Two guys who had thier own businesses with similar names now have businesses with names that are virtually identical (for all practical purposes).

I'm pretty far from the epicenter of West Coast happinin's, but it seems like Greg Leach staked out his claim to the name long before 2014, but I could be wrong.

If you're saying that Justin had it first, I guess making a distinction whether Vintage Motorcar (no "s") changed the name now or then might make some sense... but probably not much difference. If he didn't, then picking that particular name really does add to the confusion. 

Losing core employees is going to hurt for quite awhile.  Suspect CA living style to be quite different from AZ?  Let's hope that $43.5k is not the new norm.  They seem to offer right bang for the buck right now.

https://classics.autotrader.co...orsche/356/100853964

The assumption with many of these posts is that he knowingly created a name that was similar to  Greg's company name, but without anyone fact checking it.  I don't know how long ago Greg changed his name, but I don't think it was more than a couple of years ago.

Again, I'm not taking sides one way or the other, but I like to see comments based on facts, not assumptions.  So until the facts are known, it's not appropriate to call him "stupid" or accuse him of creating confusion. 

I think the intent is "fun", but what do I know?

( I don't think anyone was being mean or malicious, we were just goofin around )

Troy you are taking my statement out of context.  I did not say that Justin is stupid.  I said that its incredibly STUPID and CONFUSING for both of these companies to have the same name.  It's crazy STUPID.  I've texted Greg Leach to get his comment.  Obviously Greg has had a viable functioning company producing Vintage Motorcars for years.

Just to clarify I received my First letter from Porsche's attorney in August of 2012, 60 days later I changed my name from Vintage Spyders to Vintage Motorcars . The first conversation with their attorney they did not want me to use the word "Spyder" and a bunch of other things they wanted me to do also, this is why the name change. Pretty sure Justin AKA (Vintage-Motorcar) did not exist.

Greg

VSpyder posted:

Just to clarify I received my First letter from Porsche's attorney in August of 2012, 60 days later I changed my name from Vintage Spyders to Vintage Motorcars . The first conversation with their attorney they did not want me to use the word "Spyder" and a bunch of other things they wanted me to do also, this is why the name change. Pretty sure Justin AKA (Vintage-Motorcar) did not exist.

 

 

Greg

Boom.  Whether Justin knowingly copied the name of Greg's company is irrelevant.  Its just STUPID for both of these companies to have the same name.  Prior names were Vintage Spyders and Vintage Speedsters.  These are completely different names.  Current names are essentially identical.  Obviously Greg had the name first and has been building Vintage Motorcars since 2012.  In my opinion Justin needs to change the name.

Man this is some good stuff. I got me a big tub of Popcorn and some Pacificos!

Panchitos? 

Who's on first...

barncobob posted:

Who's on first...

Vintage Motorcar(s?)!

Well that escalated quickly.

It's interesting that Porsche got after Greg for "spyder" when there must be a half dozen auto makers that do use/have used that moniker.

Good to finally have the facts to base all the comments on.

All I know is, I’ve been “The Speedstah Guy” since 2005, following in the large footsteps of “The Vacaville Guy”, also out there in California, which everyone seems to be abandoning these days for the greater Phoenix area, wicked hot though it is.

I have never been contacted by the Porsche legal department, even though I have built, with my own hands, a Porsche Speedstah knockoff.  But then, Porsche doesn’t have a corporate (or legal) office in Bahston, Massachusetts, and probably wouldn’t understand any of us if they did.  Our strange Bahston accent helps, once again, to insulate us from the rest of the world and keep the legal beagles at bay (Except for, of course, “Morgan and Morgan”.  Please take them back, if you can....Thanks.)

For that, I am eternally grateful.  (At least I can keep driving my car.......As long as I keep the insanely weird Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles people happy).

Justin's name choice is brilliant as he'll be riding on the coatails of an already established builder...Type in Vintage Motorcar or cars and there they are!

Bill Prout posted:

Justin's name choice is brilliant as he'll be riding on the coatails of an already established builder...Type in Vintage Motorcar or cars and there they are!

It'd be just as good or better if it was still Vintage Speedsters.

He may very well go back to calling it Vintage Speedsters. This process started two years ago and he was selling Kirk's cars in Arizona under the Vintage Motorcar name. The sale wasn't complete and having two Vintage Speedsters may have been too confusing. Now that the company is wholly his there's nothing to stop him from calling it Vintage Speedsters.