Freddy Minasian is a man of few words. A quick peek around his Salmabad workshop, stocked with lovingly restored classic cars and quirky customised automobiles, and his work speaks for itself.

Freddy’s collection is enviable. There’s a 1973 Corvette Stingray, which he stripped down to the chassis before modifying, a 1979 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith II, a 1979 Trans-Am, gold anniversary and the other, a silver anniversary car.

He imported a brand new 2004 Cadillac CTS and completely redid the interiors in daring red; he also owns a fully customised MINI Cooper and a 2008 Honda Accord, on which he spent more than the original car price.

“My work is more of an art. I do jobs that no other upholsterer in Bahrain can offer because I look at each job personally, and do most of the complicated and delicate work myself,” he says.

Freddy’s favourite hobby as a youth was to customise family cars. His father dealt in construction equipment and Freddy occupied a corner of his showroom selling imported automotive products. He then opened a small showroom in Adliya, importing exclusive European accessories for luxury cars.

Feeling the need for interior customisation to complement his business, he set up a small workshop in Salmabad. The Gulf War was on and business was bleak. His first client was a friend who wanted to customise his car. When the vehicle arrived, Freddy realised it was a Range Rover!

“I thought to myself ‘this is going to be a disaster’. I had no materials, no experience. It took me four months and we changed everything from the upholstery to the carpet, roof and dashboard. We wasted a lot of material, but when it was ready my friend couldn’t recognise his car.”

To add to his elation, the friend had no objection to the hefty bill Freddy had raised, and paid up promptly.

Thereafter, the business has relied on word of mouth and his clientele has expanded to include car enthusiasts from across the GCC.

What bothers him most are clients who have lots of money, but little taste. “Sometimes, people ask for atrocious colour combinations and I’d rather not take up the job. I try to suggest alternatives. At times, my choice prevails,” he smiles.

Looking ahead
The economy may have slowed down, but there are always the VIP clients who continue to spend money. Freddy’s strategy has been to split his clientele in two segments. His new facility at the Majaal warehouse in Hidd includes a body and paint shop, upholstery workshop and accessories showroom catering for VIP and high-end clients, while customers on tight budgets are welcome at Salmabad.

He plans to start a new line in housing classic and new cars of customers on a weekly or monthly basis. This will be inclusive of a 24-hour pick-up and delivery service along with cleaning services.

Freddy believes having his own workshop with all services under one roof will enable him to offer better prices. He’s also hoping to expand to Qatar and UAE over the coming decade.
In the car restoration business for 24 years now, he doesn’t worry about competition.

“I’ve seen many shops open, but they couldn’t sustain the momentum. One cannot have quick results in this business. Ultimately, it’s all about quality and your magic touch!”