West Coast Metric

What West Coast Metric does

West Coast Metric Inc. is a privately held specialty e-commerce retailer founded in 1977 and headquartered at 24002 Frampton Avenue, Harbor City, California. The company sells replacement parts and accessories for classic Volkswagen vehicles — specifically the VW Bug (1946–1979), Early and Late Bus (1950–1979), Ghia (1956–1974), Type 3 (1961–1973), Vanagon (1980–1991), and Thing (1973–1974) — to enthusiast owners and restorers across the United States. Its product portfolio spans approximately 15 categories including exterior rubber (window, door, body), interior components (carpet kits, dash parts, seat covers, headliners), electrical parts, mechanical systems (brakes, clutch, engine, fuel, exhaust, suspension), chassis components, convertible top parts, mirrors, engine bay and trunk hardware, plus branded merchandise and literature.

The company operates a single direct-to-consumer storefront on the Web Shop Manager e-commerce platform, indexed by model year and part category to support fitment-specific browsing. Orders can be placed online or via a toll-free phone line (800-247-3202), with a stated 1–2 business day shipping turnaround and will-call pickup available at the Harbor City office Monday–Friday. Over 96% of parts are stated to be manufactured in the USA, and the company offers a lifetime guarantee on its branded parts. There is no evidence of dealer networks, third-party marketplace listings, or international distribution.

The business model is straightforward one-time retail sale of aftermarket and OEM-style replacement parts to individual consumers and small restoration shops. No subscription, service, or licensing revenue is identified. The company does not disclose revenue, headcount is in the 11–50 range, and there is no venture capital, private equity, or parent company ownership disclosed in available sources, suggesting independent/founder-held status. Operations are domestic (USA) with no global footprint claimed.

Name

West Coast Metric

Legal name

West Coast Metric Inc.

Website

https://westcoastmetric.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

West Coast Metric is a privately held US e-commerce retailer founded in 1977 that sells replacement parts and accessories for classic Volkswagen vehicles (Bug, Bus, Ghia, Type 3, Vanagon, Thing, 1946–1991) directly to enthusiast owners and restorers via its own online storefront and will-call pickup in Harbor City, California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Classic Volkswagen Automotive Parts

NAICS

Automotive Parts and Accessories Retailers (44133)

SIC

Motor Vehicle Parts & Accessories (3714)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Parts, Tires & Workshop Supplies Marketplaces (CRAFAHAD)

Keywords

• Classic VW parts
• Automotive replacement parts
• Volkswagen restoration parts
• Classic car parts retail
• Aftermarket VW components

Headquarters

HQ city

Harbor City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Automotive Parts Sales: Direct retail sales of VW classic car parts and accessories through e-commerce website and phone orders. One-time purchase model per product.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

West Coast Metric is a specialty retailer and distributor of replacement parts and accessories for classic Volkswagen vehicles, covering model years 1946 to 1991 across six VW lines: Bug, Bus, Ghia, Type 3, Vanagon, and Thing. The catalog spans exterior rubber, interior, mechanical, electrical, chassis, convertible top, and engine components, with over 96% of parts manufactured in the USA and backed by a lifetime guarantee. Customers purchase online through the e-commerce storefront, by toll-free phone, or pick up in person at the Harbor City, CA will-call location.

Product overview

West Coast Metric is a specialty e-commerce retailer and distributor of replacement parts and accessories for classic Volkswagen vehicles. The company operates a single-platform e-commerce storefront powered by Web Shop Manager, organized around vehicle model lines (Bug, Bus, Ghia, Type 3, Vanagon, and Thing) spanning model years from 1946 to 1991. The core product portfolio consists of OEM-style and aftermarket replacement parts across fifteen product categories including exterior rubber components (window rubber, door rubber, body rubber), interior components (carpet kits, dash parts, seat covers), mechanical systems (brakes, clutch, engine), electrical components, chassis/suspension, and convertible top parts. The company also offers restoration convenience bundles through its Exterior Rubber Master Kits and sells branded merchandise and literature. Over 96% of WCM parts are manufactured in the USA, and the company provides a lifetime guarantee on its branded parts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VW Bug Parts Replacement parts and accessories for the VW Bug Sedan (1946-1977) and VW Bug Convertible (1950-1979), including window rubber, door rubber, body rubber, and mechanical components, sold to classic VW owners and restorers.
• VW Bus Parts Parts for VW Early Bus (1950-1967) and VW Late Bus (1968-1979), covering interior, exterior, chassis, electrical, and mechanical systems, sold to classic VW Bus owners and restorers.
• VW Ghia Parts Parts for VW Ghia Sedan (1956-1974) and VW Ghia Convertible (1958-1974), including convertible top parts, interior components, and exterior trim, sold to classic VW Ghia owners and restorers.
• VW Type 3 Parts Parts for VW Type 3 vehicles (1961-1973), including trunk compartment, engine compartment, electrical, and mechanical parts, sold to classic VW Type 3 owners and restorers.
• VW Vanagon Parts Parts for VW Vanagon (1980-1991), covering all major vehicle systems, sold to classic VW Vanagon owners and restorers.
• VW Thing Parts Parts for VW Thing (1973-1974), including exterior, interior, and mechanical components, sold to classic VW Thing owners and restorers.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• CIP1: Established DTC parts retailer for classic VW and Porsche air-cooled vehicles. Operates a catalog-driven e-commerce storefront closely analogous to WCM's classic VW model.
• Airhead Parts: E-commerce specialist in air-cooled Volkswagen parts, including Karmann Ghia and Bus components—directly competing for the same classic VW restoration customer that WCM serves.
• JBugs: Long-standing e-commerce retailer specializing in classic VW Bug parts and accessories—essentially the same niche focus as West Coast Metric, operating a similar DTC parts storefront for vintage VW restoration customers.
• The Samba: Premier classic VW community site that has evolved into a parts marketplace with classifieds and vendor listings—a competing channel where classic VW owners source restoration parts.
• Klassic Fab: Specialty fabricator and retailer of replacement chassis and body components for classic VW buses and other vintage models—an adjacent specialist competing for restoration project budgets.
• CB Performance: Long-running air-cooled VW engine and performance parts retailer with an e-commerce catalog—competing for the same classic VW enthusiast and restoration customer base.
• Mid America Motorworks: DTC e-commerce retailer of classic Corvette parts and accessories—an analogous business model (specialty classic-car parts DTC) targeting a different but structurally similar enthusiast customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Pelican Parts: Well-established e-commerce retailer covering multiple classic European marques (Porsche, BMW, Mercedes) with extensive technical content. Competes with WCM in the broader classic European parts category and has greater scale and brand recognition.
• Rock Auto: Large multi-brand auto parts e-commerce platform with a comprehensive catalog including older vehicles. Represents the broad-line competitive threat to WCM's specialist positioning on commodity parts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-coast-metric-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about West Coast Metric