One of the perks of being entrusted to arrange insurance for some of the world's greatest collections of motor cars is occasionally getting to see where they live. Last month we headed to Hampshire to see one such space, where we met Chris Vassilopoulos and his team at Kiklo Spaces.
Kiklo Spaces has been created to offer storage for classic and specialist motor cars, housed in a brand new building, designed and constructed to their precise requirements.
The facility that Kiklo has created is both unique and spectacular. Home to their own collection of cars, but with space currently for around 25 client vehicles, it is an oasis of Zen-like calm. The floating entrance leads through to a spectacular interior, which features a black and white décor theme which should be cold and sterile but manages to be the complete opposite.
We sat down for a coffee with Chris to find out a little bit more about both Kiklo Spaces and his own involvement with collectable cars.
Chris, can you tell us a bit about your background in the world of collectable cars?
I've always loved cars – they have shaped my life in all the best ways. I've met some of my closest friends through a shared passion for cars. They are also passion I share with my family and they have more recently become something of business endeavour through Kiklo Spaces, which I'm really excited about.
Your facilities are spectacular. Can you tell us how Kiklo Spaces came about?
Thank you. We've built up a small set of cars as a family over the years that we love and believe in, and chose to have them live in the UK. When we visited from abroad, we were always underwhelmed by the storage available in the UK. While there are companies that do look after cars well, unless you have a special garage at home, you will invariably be travelling to a re-purposed industrial unit or farm building, where your cars might be tucked away rather than being the focal point. Kiklo Spaces was created to change this.
What is Kiklo Space's ethos for the storage of cars and how do you think this sets you apart from other car storage facilities?
I think sometimes car storage, like insurance, is a bit of grudge purchase. A lot of that has to do with the optics. “Get out and drive” is a well-used expression at the moment, where the enjoyment is based mostly on driving, so when your car is stored away, you don't enjoy it much.
The thing is, cars (and car collections) are in our experience, multifaceted. – As well as driving them, enthusiasts love to look at, listen to and talk about cars. We'd like to think that Kiklo Spaces is somewhere our clients can enjoy all of this, along with driving their cars, of course. We care for their cars like they're our own, and we're focused on every part of the experience from where their cars are placed in the space, to the way in which each vehicle's history is chronicled.
We have already been lucky enough to have a sneak preview, but can you tell us a bit about your premises?
We're located in a small Hampshire town in the middle of the South Downs National Park. Our goal from the start was to create the best possible environment for cars, encompassing multi-layered security and fire protection safeguards, internal climate control, museum-grade lighting and internal finishes. The space comprises two floors of car storage, parts and flight case storage, a full workshop, a gallery space, client living and meeting rooms, as well as an archive room and offices. We have a full-time facility manager who is on hand to offer a tailored service to our clients. Should any of your clients be interested, we would be happy to send them our brochure, which offers up much more detail, or have a call to answer any of their questions.
What do you think people look for when storing their car and how does Kiklo meet those expectations?
Generally, needs and expectations vary. For a start, most people want their cars kept clean and safe. There are lots of places that offer a good service, but when you look deeper, many are under-prepared when it comes to tail risks like fire and theft, and underinsured for more obvious risks like damage to client property. We've gone to great lengths to ensure that all such risks are mitigated at Kiklo Spaces.
Scale also matters – many storage companies have hundreds of cars in their care. We are small by comparison (we currently have openings for 25 cars), and that allows us to offer a lot more personal and hands-on service. I think our clients, like us, are really detail focused – we aren't inexpensive, but I believe we offer fantastic value for money.
Finishing with the topic of your cars, can we ask you to pick a favourite? Or is that impossible?
That's such a tough question! I guess, when it comes down to it, cars are about memories, and among my most special memories is showing our 60's Ferrari Spider at Villa d' Este, and meeting my wife to be for the first time on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Villa Erba.
Chris, thank you so much for taking the time to tell us about Kiklo Spaces. We are excited to see how the business develops and we can't wait to come down again.
To learn more about Kiklo Spaces, you can reach them as follows.
Chris Vassilopoulos 07745 527049 or chris@kiklospaces.com
Luke Rebelo 07961 7460854 or luke@kiklospaces.com