Emil Frey Classics

What Emil Frey Classics does

Emil Frey Classics AG operates a vertically integrated classic car center in Switzerland under the Emil Frey Group umbrella (a Swiss automotive conglomerate established in 1924). Founded in June 2015 and headquartered in a renovated 1897 textile factory in Safenwil (also operating a secondary showroom at Utoquai 55 in Zürich), the company delivers a one-stop proposition spanning classic vehicle sales, restoration, maintenance, supervised storage (the 'Classic Car Hotel'), transport, and appraisal, supported by an in-house spare parts warehouse and a DAB+ radio retrofit service. Authorized Aston Martin Heritage status and dedicated expertise in traditional British and Japanese marques form the technical core.

Revenue is generated across six streams: classic car sales (one-time, via showrooms and the global classicauctions.ch platform), professional workshop services, usage-based classic car rentals (e.g., CHF 500 for 2 hours with chauffeur for a Bentley S2 wedding package), event-center venue rental accommodating up to 700 guests, museum admission and retail (model cars, books, Grand Prix Originals merchandise), and transaction fees on the online auction platform. A three-floor museum permanently exhibits 50-60 post-war to 1980s icons (Jaguar E-Type, Toyota 2000 GT, Aston Martin DB4 Vantage) and houses an archive with hundreds of thousands of digitized objects accessible online.

The customer base is hybrid, anchored by Swiss and regional classic car collectors and automotive enthusiasts (primary segment), with secondary demand from corporate event organizers, wedding parties (civil ceremonies via a Zofingen Civil Registry partnership), museum visitors, and classic-car rental customers. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the two physical showrooms, the online auction platform, digital marketing channels (website, social, newsletter), and community events; the 2025 Swiss Location Award (their second, after 2018) signals sustained venue-level brand strength.

Name

Emil Frey Classics

Legal name

Emil Frey Classics AG

Website

https://emilfreyclassics.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emil Frey Classics AG is a Swiss classic car center offering sales, restoration, maintenance, supervised storage, rentals, museum exhibitions, and event venue hosting, serving collectors, enthusiasts, corporate event clients, and wedding parties from its Safenwil headquarters and Zürich showroom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Safenwil

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Classic Car Sales: Sale of classic and collector vehicles. All vehicles offered are described as being in original and first-class condition. The company has showrooms in Safenwil and Zürich displaying inventory.
2. Vehicle Maintenance & Restoration: Workshop services for maintenance, service, and restoration of classic cars. Includes specialized services like engine workshop, body shop, and spare parts.
3. Classic Car Rental: Individual vehicle rental and group rental services for classic cars. Includes options like wedding rentals with chauffeur (Bentley S2 at CHF 500 for 2 hours).
4. Event Center & Venue Rental: Multi-functional event spaces accommodating up to 700 guests for various events including weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. Includes Classic Café and club room.
5. Museum & Retail: Museum admission and museum shop sales offering model cars, books, and exclusive clothing from Grand Prix Originals.
6. Online Auction Platform: Classicauctions.ch platform for online classic car auctions, requiring customer account registration and identity verification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Emil Frey Classics operates a comprehensive classic car center that sells, restores, maintains, and stores classic and collector vehicles. It also operates a three-floor automotive museum, an event center for up to 700 guests, a Classic Café, a museum shop, classic car rental with chauffeur services, and an online classic car auction platform (classicauctions.ch). The business is delivered from a renovated 19th-century textile factory in Safenwil and a showroom at Utoquai 55 in Zürich.

Product overview

Emil Frey Classics is a comprehensive classic car centre offering sales, restoration, maintenance, storage, and event services. The company operates from a renovated 19th-century factory building in Safenwil (Classic Center Switzerland) and a showroom at Utoquai 55 in Zürich. Core offerings include classic car sales, workshop/restoration services, the Classic Car Hotel (supervised storage), and transport & logistics. The facility houses a Classic Car Museum with 50-60 vehicles spanning post-war to 1980s models, a spare parts warehouse, DAB+ radio retrofit service, and specialized services for Aston Martin Heritage, Jaguar XJ220, and engine restoration. Additional services include an Event Center for up to 700 guests, Classic Café, Museum Shop, vehicle appraisal, and an online auction platform via Shopify. The company also maintains extensive archives and offers rotating special exhibitions. Founded in 2015 as part of the Emil Frey Group (established 1924), the company celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classic Car Sales Sale of classic and collector vehicles through two physical showrooms in Safenwil and Zürich (Utoquai 55), supported by experienced specialists who advise buyers and sellers. All vehicles are maintained in original, first-class condition.
• Classic Car Restoration & Workshop Full-service workshop offering maintenance, restoration, and care for classic vehicles, with a focus on preserving original patina and authentic original parts. Specialists maintain close relationships with traditional British brands.
• Classic Car Hotel Supervised indoor vehicle storage facility providing a secure, climate-appropriate environment for collector vehicles.
• Transport & Logistics Transportation and logistics services for classic vehicles, supporting sales, restoration, storage, and rental deliveries.
• Classic Car Museum Three-floor museum exhibiting 50-60 automotive gems from the post-war era through the 1980s, with a focus on English and Japanese models such as Jaguar E-Type, Toyota 2000 GT, and Aston Martin DB4 Vantage.
• Museum & Archive Services Digitized archive containing hundreds of thousands of objects documenting automobile history, offered as an online research resource and through professional archive services to external clients.
• Spare Parts Warehouse Extensive inventory of spare parts for classic vehicles, supporting the workshop and external classic car owners.
• DAB+ Radio Retrofit Specialized conversion service that installs DAB+ digital radio receivers in classic cars while preserving the original classic aesthetic.
• Aston Martin Heritage Specialized restoration, parts, and service offering for Aston Martin classic vehicles delivered through an authorized Aston Martin Heritage partnership.
• Jaguar XJ220 Service Specialized service and restoration work for Jaguar XJ220 vehicles, leveraging deep Jaguar expertise and the Aston Martin Heritage partnership infrastructure.
• Motor Engine Workshop Specialized engine repair and restoration services for classic vehicles, including engine rebuilds and component overhauls.
• Classic Car Rental Individual and group rental of classic cars with optional chauffeur service, including wedding rentals (e.g., Bentley S2 at CHF 500 for 2 hours). Vehicles can be delivered for special occasions.
• Event Center Multifunctional event space equipped with modern technology that accommodates up to 700 guests for weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, team events, and cultural events.
• Classic Café

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Swissprinters AGminorOthers · 1 January 2020Swissprinters AG donated their historic Toyota Land Cruiser to Emil Frey Classics museum. The vehicle, which served as a command vehicle for Ringier industrial fire brigade and later for winter service, has only 38,800 km on the odometer.
• Aston Martin HeritagecoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized Aston Martin Heritage partner providing genuine heritage parts and specialized expertise for Aston Martin classic vehicles. This partnership ensures access to authentic parts and factory-backed knowledge for restoring and maintaining Aston Martin classics.
• Young-GenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership to engage younger classic car enthusiasts and promote the classic car community to the next generation.
• Swiss Historic Vehicle Federation (SHVF)minorOthersSHVF is the Swiss association for historic vehicles. Emil Frey Classics participated in presenting the SHVF study on veteran vehicles in Switzerland.
• Zofingen Regional Civil Registry OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling civil wedding ceremonies at Emil Frey Classics premises. The regional office expanded venue options for civil marriages beyond Zofingen Town Hall.
• Steffen Appel / The Goldfinger FilesminorOthersCo-author of 'The Goldfinger Files' and important lender for the James Bond special exhibition at the museum.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gooding & Company: US-based classic car auction house specializing in the most valuable collector vehicles at marquee events. Comparable to Emil Frey Classics' online auction platform and collector vehicle transactions.
• Hexagon Modern and Classic: UK classic car dealer with showrooms in London and the Midlands offering sales, restoration, and storage of collector vehicles. Comparable to Emil Frey Classics in combining sales showroom, workshop, and collector services under one roof.
• Broad Arrow Group: Hagerty-owned classic car auction house conducting online and live auctions for collector vehicles. Comparable to Emil Frey Classics' classicauctions.ch digital auction model and high-end collector sales focus.
• RM Sotheby's: Global classic car auction house handling high-end collector vehicle transactions. Directly comparable to Emil Frey Classics' classicauctions.ch online auction platform and collector vehicle sales channel.
• Classic Motor Cars: UK-based classic car restoration specialist with deep expertise in premium marques including Jaguar and Aston Martin. Directly comparable to Emil Frey Classics' workshop, engine, and Aston Martin Heritage restoration services.
• Auto Scavi & Co: Italy-based classic car dealer and restorer handling high-end collector vehicles including concours-grade restorations. Comparable to Emil Frey Classics' sales, restoration, and collector advisory offerings within the European classic car ecosystem.
• Girardo & Co: London-based classic car dealer and broker specializing in high-end post-war sports and GT cars, with in-house restoration oversight. Directly comparable to Emil Frey Classics' classic car sales, restoration oversight, and collector advisory services.
• Bonhams: International auction house with a significant motoring department handling classic car sales worldwide. Comparable to Emil Frey Classics' auction operations and high-end classic vehicle brokerage.

Others

• Aston Martin Works: Official Aston Martin heritage service division in Newport Pagnell, UK. Emil Frey Classics is an authorized Heritage partner offering the same genuine-parts and factory-grade restoration services at a regional level; a partner rather than direct competitor.
• Jaguar Land Rover Classic: Official Jaguar heritage programme offering factory restoration and genuine parts for classic Jaguar models. Emil Frey Classics specializes in classic Jaguars (including the XJ220) with authorized-level expertise; a brand-side counterpart rather than competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/emilfreyclassics
• Facebookfacebook.com/emilfreyclassics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emilfreyclassicsag
• Instagraminstagram.com/emilfreyclassics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

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 Emil Frey Classics