How a crazy idea became something really good!
In 1979 I got the crazy idea to do the impossible! Start my own company. How crazy can you be, it will never work, the company will go bankrupt already after six months... What should I find to sell?
Everything is already on the market, Of course, there is a great interest in cars, maybe spare parts for cars, no it is not fun. Maybe unnecessary and useless gadgets for the car? Already before 1979 I bought German Auto Motor und Sport and read all the classified ads from German companies that sold BBS rims, Momo steering wheels and Recaro seats.
Got the D&W catalog from Germany's then largest styling company that was and still is located in Bochum, the catalog was full of unnecessary gadgets and other exciting things. A tentative start: Started with cheap plastic hubcaps for Mercedes. What rubbish! The next unnecessary item. Chromed screen edges also for Mercedes. For a few years we tried to trade with D&W, which was then big and powerful but terribly bad at delivering. Soon I discovered that cheap junk can be done by others.
AMG the today Mercedes owned Mercedes tuner was one of the first tuning companies that got caught in Bilmodecenter's network, Hartge the well-known BMW tuner from Beckingen and Carlsson Autotechnic are some others that have run through Bilmodecenter. AC Schnitzer is another company that has delivered gadgets via Bilmodecenter. You may understand what level of quality I have chosen. Other suppliers that we have handled are Ronal and RH Alurad and classic Intra has supplied rims for a number of years. The big boost came when I met the gang from H&R Spezialfedern in Essen in 1979. When H&R lowering kits spacers and road holding packages began to fall into Bilmodecenter, things started to happen, turnover increased and the dealers became more and more.
Of course, I have not let go of the tuning companies from Germany, in 2012 I met BRABUS in Geneva and since then a number of hot Mercedes cars have rolled out with more power and other fancy stuff. BMC Airfilter from Medicina not far from the Ferrari factory, a supplier that has been supplying air filters to us since 2010. Bilstein is a supplier that I have been looking at for many years.
After almost 5 years of nagging, I finally got an agreement with the world's best shock absorber manufacturer, guess I was happy when I left Bilstein's stand in Frankfurt with an agreement.
It is important to be persistent. We must not forget the EBC brake supplier from the UK and Foliatec who ended up with us in 2020. Since 2012, we are located at Askims Verkstadsväg 14-16 in Sisjön in southern Gothenburg. A showroom that welcomes you, offices on the second floor and a warehouse that when we moved in felt too big but which today is too small, almost so that the walls are arching.
With kind regards,
Ulf Wikenfors, Same owner with staff since 1979!
How a crazy idea became something really good!
In 1979 I got the crazy idea to do the impossible! Start my own company. How crazy can you be, it will never work, the company will go bankrupt already after six months... What should I find to sell?
Everything is already on the market, Of course, there is a great interest in cars, maybe spare parts for cars, no it is not fun. Maybe unnecessary and useless gadgets for the car? Already before 1979 I bought German Auto Motor und Sport and read all the classified ads from German companies that sold BBS rims, Momo steering wheels and Recaro seats.
Got the D&W catalog from Germany's then largest styling company that was and still is located in Bochum, the catalog was full of unnecessary gadgets and other exciting things. A tentative start: Started with cheap plastic hubcaps for Mercedes. What rubbish! The next unnecessary item. Chromed screen edges also for Mercedes. For a few years we tried to trade with D&W, which was then big and powerful but terribly bad at delivering. Soon I discovered that cheap junk can be done by others.
AMG the today Mercedes owned Mercedes tuner was one of the first tuning companies that got caught in Bilmodecenter's network, Hartge the well-known BMW tuner from Beckingen and Carlsson Autotechnic are some others that have run through Bilmodecenter. AC Schnitzer is another company that has delivered gadgets via Bilmodecenter. You may understand what level of quality I have chosen. Other suppliers that we have handled are Ronal and RH Alurad and classic Intra has supplied rims for a number of years. The big boost came when I met the gang from H&R Spezialfedern in Essen in 1979. When H&R lowering kits spacers and road holding packages began to fall into Bilmodecenter, things started to happen, turnover increased and the dealers became more and more.
Of course, I have not let go of the tuning companies from Germany, in 2012 I met BRABUS in Geneva and since then a number of hot Mercedes cars have rolled out with more power and other fancy stuff. BMC Airfilter from Medicina not far from the Ferrari factory, a supplier that has been supplying air filters to us since 2010. Bilstein is a supplier that I have been looking at for many years.
After almost 5 years of nagging, I finally got an agreement with the world's best shock absorber manufacturer, guess I was happy when I left Bilstein's stand in Frankfurt with an agreement.
It is important to be persistent. We must not forget the EBC brake supplier from the UK and Foliatec who ended up with us in 2020. Since 2012, we are located at Askims Verkstadsväg 14-16 in Sisjön in southern Gothenburg. A showroom that welcomes you, offices on the second floor and a warehouse that when we moved in felt too big but which today is too small, almost so that the walls are arching.
With kind regards,
Ulf Wikenfors, Same owner with staff since 1979!