Introducing JR Automotive & the Millennium Falcon
You know when you have that idea, it’s something you know that if you never do it you’ll always regret it. For us, that was starting a business working with cars. When the pandemic hit, we, like everyone, took stock of what we were doing with our lives. You can’t sit in your house for three, four, five months and not have some kind of existential crisis. We decided to take the leap that we had planned in a Google doc for the past 4 years.
Starting a business at any time is terrifying. Following a dream at any time is terrifying. Doing it in a pandemic feels like lunacy. But if not now — when?
Every night my dad told me a bedtime story — the Little Green Morris Minor featured in every single one. To me, that car was real. It had feelings, personality. I couldn’t wait to hear what it had been up to every single night. Since then, cars have been more than just things to me. They’ve got feelings, personalities, and can be the most important thing to somebody.
From the cars of my literal dreams to the cars that I actually knew, for me, cars’ personalities didn’t stay in the fictional world or only exist in bedtime stories. My dad would drive me to school in his old, crusty 7-series — affectionately called the Millennium Falcon — because it had been around the Universe… a few times. It was the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy (and by galaxy I mean Yorkshire).
Dad always loved cars, and my thrill of being in the passenger seat as co-pilot on journeys around the UK and France only heightened the anticipation of getting my first car.
Cut to that day, I got my first taste of freedom and independence. I’d waited 17 years, 6 weeks, and 3 days for those keys. One look at Gloria the Golf, and after a life-long love of cars, I finally had my own.
After a week of getting to know Gloria, I noticed dirt on the rear windscreen. The wiper couldn’t get it off so I took action. Dad passed me glass cleaner and a cloth — as I wiped away the dirt I accidentally wiped the rear quarter panel revealing Gloria’s gorgeous grey paint. It was sensational. “DAD, where is the car cleaning stuff?!”. Two hours later, I’d used most of his car cleaning kit and polished every inch of Gloria. This was the start of my weekly routine for the next 10 years.
A decade of Sundays on the drive, working on more cars than any normal person would remember and nerding out over waxes, washing, and wheel brushes. I never thought detailing cars could be anything more than something that I just love doing.
Lockdown was a humbling time for all of us — I’m sure I’m not alone in saying it was a time when I reflected on what I actually love doing and how I want to spend my days.
Working in IT was… OK? It paid the bills and I didn’t mind it, but I could be doing something that made me genuinely happy. I wanted to follow the voice in the back of my mind that always told me that I should be doing what I love — detailing cars.
So, now, in the middle of a global pandemic, I am making my dreams a reality.
JR Automotive is about to jump to light-speed. The response has been incredible and we are extremely grateful for all the owners that have trusted us to work on their Millennium Falcons, Gloria’s and Little Green Morris Minors.
We are at the point where we need to make some financial commitments... scary, right? To make sure JR Automotive has a long future, we need a home. Premises will allow us to expand the business and make it a sustainable full-time income. To make that happen we need some extra support from people who believe in what we are doing, or not.
Why not check out the link below;