Treasure: (noun) A very valuable object, a quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects.
The first time Peter and I visited Go Garage, it was to shoot Frans’ DC2, a convenient location as at the time Frans had decided to put it up for sale (he backed out, don’t worry!). He served as the plug as we were introduced to Jerry, who alongside Mark is responsible for Go Garage, a vehicle importer specialising in Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) vehicles. We shot a few snaps here and there, but paid another visit to get a proper look into what they offer.
The best way to describe the Go Garage space, located in Chullora, Sydney, is hip. It confounds the stereotypical notions of a car dealership: There is music pumping through the warehouse, the space is clean, minimalist and well maintained, while the staff are dressed as casual as the visitors themselves. There are toys and memorabilia in every nook and cranny, you’d find more similarities in the fit outs of Go Garage and your local streetwear store, than comparing it to Trivett.
Jerry, who has an extensive background in marketing and branding, has executed this ambience on purpose, “we wanted people to feel that this was a different place to be, not your usual dealership experience and build the trust from get go”.
This modus operandi permeates through the business through each detail. Go Garage is a cool place to be, whether you’re a customer or not. Built and operated by staff engrossed with pop culture, it’s a haven for those looking for a community of like-minded individuals. Over two afternoons of shooting (Frans’ and this feature), numerous friends of the business dropped by to say hello and have a drink.
The trust and familiarity given by staff provides a twofold benefit. The first is obvious, purchasing a vehicle sight unseen from a foreign country will always be a daunting prospect for any customer. The relaxed environment allows customers to open up and ask the questions they want, and the answers they need.
Jerry agrees, “It was super important to have a specific space for the business, not just for storage but for people to see who we are and what we do on an every day basis”. A great learning lesson for anybody looking to build a business, places and faces make the brand, and provide the easiest differentiator between you and your competitors. The space is immediately comfortable, testament to the creativity of Jerry and Mark. The second benefit though, is a master stroke.
Jerry and I were upstairs looking down, a warehouse full of machinery, and I asked him what Go Garage specialises in. “We help people find their treasures”, was his response, something I wasn’t expecting but in the context of this feature, an absolute gem.
“Purchasing the right car makes all the difference to the experience and memories that a customer can create with a vehicle”, he expanded. I share this sentiment, as often the second largest purchase one can make in their life, it feels like so many people shortchange themselves when it comes to exploring what they require from their vehicles. They forget that vehicles are personal choices, platform sharing and vanilla offerings have made the industry much more clinical in recent times.
Peter and I agreed that Go Garage didn’t feel like an automotive space, in a positive way. Jerry and the team have put the cool back into the the car culture, the physical location driving this energy for visitors. The products are as varied as the types of colourways on show, an eclectic collection of vehicles for sale, from traditional JDM performance to hybrid Kei cars and large, top-of-the-line people movers.
There is something for everybody, in the most unique sense of the term. It seems as if the team have made a concerted effort to bring in the quirkiest, niche vehicles with a confidence that it can be moved onto a caring owner quickly. While cars fundamentally remain a combination of metals and objects to transport you, how can it become heartfelt to the normal person?
“When you buy with Go Garage, you’re adding to your lifestyle” was how Jerry described this principle as we began to look through the current inventory. He’s right, you don’t have to be a performance enthusiast to enjoy an hour looking through what’s available. In fact, the term performance in relation to vehicles is incredibly subjective. It’s why privileged owners can define roles for the different vehicles in their garage: the daily, the weekender, the grand tourer. These values are different for everyone, one’s circumstances, context and background dictates what they perceive to be of importance. For us, Peter couldn’t hide his delight moving the eight-seater around the parking lot, while my partner couldn’t keep her eyes off the Honda Beat. Me? I was infatuated with the two old school Minis hidden in the corner.
Vehicle importation shouldn’t be restricted to the car enthusiast, anybody looking for something different should have this opportunity too. That’s not to say that importers prior to Go Garage didn’t have this capacity, but it seems that they have been able to negate the stereotypes of import vehicles, and opened up this avenue to the common person. It’s a shortsighted view to pigeonhole the passion for automotive to fast, low-slung tarmac eaters, but for many that is the only lifestyle association we have for this industry.
Everybody has their concept of the treasure, Jerry and Mark at Go Garage have made it their goal to provide yours for the automotive space.
