mikes place

What mikes place does

Mike's Place Engine Importers is a Cape Town-based, privately held importer and retailer of pre-owned engines, gearboxes, and auto parts serving the South African market. Founded circa 2000 and operating from a single warehouse and retail location at 25 Nourse Avenue in Epping Industrial 2, the company sources low-mileage OEM engines and transmission units directly from suppliers in Japan, the UK, Europe, Korea, and the United States. It carries inventory of more than 5,000 engines and 25,000 parts spanning 35+ vehicle brands — from Alfa Romeo and Audi through Volvo, including commercial marques such as Hino, Iveco, and Tata — and distributes through both a physical storefront and an e-commerce website, with order capture handled by phone, WhatsApp, and email on a quote-based pricing model.

The company's go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer retail with light B2B servicing of independent automotive workshops and a smaller motorsport customer segment. Customers initiate a quote by providing vehicle make, model, year, and engine code; the sales team confirms stock and returns a quote, with nationwide delivery across South Africa and into neighboring countries or in-store pickup as fulfillment options. All products are backed by warranty, and items not currently in stock can be back-ordered via overseas supplier waitlists. The revenue model is one-time transactional — each sale is a discrete engine, gearbox, or component purchase — with no subscription, contract, or enterprise anchor revenue disclosed.

The firm is small (1-10 employees), founder-owned, with no institutional investment, parent company, or subsidiaries disclosed. Marketing is conducted via the company website, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Gumtree marketplace listings, with public customer testimonials featured prominently. The technology stack is limited to a WordPress-based e-commerce storefront and standard communication channels; no proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or platform integrations are disclosed in the available data.

Name

mikes place

Legal name

Mike's Place Engine Importers

Website

https://mikesplace.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mike's Place Engine Importers imports and retails pre-owned engines, gearboxes, and auto parts from Cape Town, South Africa. Sourcing from five countries, it stocks 5,000+ engines and 25,000+ parts across 35+ vehicle brands for individual owners, workshops, and racers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Auto Parts and Engine Importing

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Gasoline Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing (33631)

SIC

Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)

akta.pro primary industry

Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Manufacturing (Gasoline/Diesel) (IMACAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Automotive Parts, Tires & Workshop Supplies Marketplaces (CRAFAHAD)

Keywords

• Pre-owned engines
• Used auto parts
• Imported gearboxes
• OEM used engines
• Automotive parts import

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Auto Parts Sales: Mike's Place generates revenue through the sale of pre-owned engines, gearboxes, and auto parts. This is a one-time transactional revenue model where customers purchase individual components. The company maintains large inventory (5,000+ engines, 25,000+ parts) and offers nationwide delivery or in-store pickup. All products come with warranty coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mike's Place Engine Importers imports and resells pre-owned, low-mileage OEM engines, gearboxes, and auto parts (starter motors, alternators, fuel pumps, injectors) sourced directly from Japan, the UK, Europe, Korea, and the U.S. The company stocks over 5,000 engines and 25,000+ parts for 35+ vehicle brands and sells to individual vehicle owners, workshops, and competitive racers via its Cape Town storefront, e-commerce site, and nationwide delivery across South Africa and neighbouring countries.

Product overview

Mike's Place Engine Importers operates as a single unified product offering centered on the import and sale of pre-owned, low-mileage engines, gearboxes, and auto parts. The core products — Engines, Gearboxes, and Auto Parts — are sourced directly from Japan, UK, Europe, Korea, and the U.S., and are all backed by warranty. The company stocks over 5,000 engines and 25,000+ parts in inventory and supports 35+ vehicle brands including Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Toyota, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and others. Customers can order via phone, WhatsApp, or email, with nationwide delivery available across South Africa and neighbouring countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engines
• Gearboxes
• Auto Parts

Quantifiable outcome

• All engines, gearboxes and parts come with a warranty

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PartsGeek: Online aftermarket auto parts retailer with a broad catalog across vehicle makes and models. Comparable e-commerce-only model and inventory breadth, though primarily new aftermarket rather than used OEM parts.
• Pick-n-Pull: Self-service auto recycling chain in the western U.S. and Canada with online parts inventory lookup and in-store pickup. Comparable hybrid retail/e-commerce model for used OEM parts serving DIY consumers and repair shops.
• RockAuto: Online retailer of aftermarket auto parts shipping globally. Similar multi-channel e-commerce model and broad inventory approach, though RockAuto focuses primarily on new aftermarket parts rather than used OEM engines and gearboxes.
• Car-Part.com: Online marketplace connecting buyers with auto recyclers selling recycled and salvaged engines, transmissions, and parts across North America. Highly comparable to Mike's: aggregating supply of used OEM auto parts and serving both individuals and repair shops with warranty-backed inventory.
• Pull-A-Part: Self-service used auto parts retailer with online inventory lookup and a multi-state U.S. footprint. Comparable hybrid retail/e-commerce model for used OEM parts serving DIY consumers and repair shops.

Broad incumbents

• Copart: Global online salvage vehicle auction platform that supplies much of the industry's used parts inventory. Relevant as a supply-side enabler: Mike's likely sources from similar international auction and salvage channels.
• O'Reilly Auto Parts: Major U.S. aftermarket auto parts retailer serving both DIY consumers and professional installers. Comparable multi-channel distribution (retail stores, e-commerce, B2B delivery) and broad inventory, though focused on new aftermarket parts.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): Salvage vehicle auction company (now part of RB Global) supplying total-loss vehicles to dismantlers and recyclers. Functions as a key upstream source of used parts inventory that Mike's and similar businesses depend on.
• AutoZone: Largest U.S. aftermarket auto parts retailer with thousands of physical stores and a strong e-commerce channel. Overlaps with Mike's in the auto parts retail category, though AutoZone focuses on new aftermarket parts, accessories, and maintenance items rather than used engines and gearboxes.
• LKQ Corporation: Largest North American distributor of aftermarket and recycled auto parts, including engines, transmissions, and collision parts. Overlapping category with Mike's but operates at vastly greater scale, with hundreds of distribution centers and a primarily B2B focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Mikesengines/?utm_source=Website+Footer&utm_medium=Website&utm_campaign=Mikes+Place+Web+Page
• Instagraminstagram.com/mikesengines/?utm_source=Website+Footer&utm_medium=Website&utm_campaign=Mikes+Place+Web+Page
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mikes-place

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 mikes place