Joseph
Owner
Bought Jack's Garage in 2007 and led its pioneering move into classic-VW EV conversions - now one of the UK's leading experts in the field.
Family business since 1995
We love VWs, and we always have
We are a well-established family business and we've been operating in Ladbroke Grove W10, since 1995. Our success is down to the highly skilled team of VW experts who man the workshops and the fact that we love VWs and will bend over backwards to help our customers.
Our story
It all started when I was only 6 months old
My father was at the time a surgeon in the main hospital in Southend on Sea when he got a job as a surgeon in Tripoli, Libya (then the Jewel of North Africa). We are Coptic Egyptians so dad grew up in Egypt and Arabic was his native tongue, the same language used in Libya. Even on a consultant surgeon's salary in the early 80s, it was impossible for us to afford to fly our whole family with our worldly possessions to North Africa.
One day, on a walk down the beach in Southend, shortly after I was born, Dad found a Volkswagen T2 Bay window for sale! It was literally an answer to his prayers. He bought it for £1000 in 1980. Then he kitted it out with a custom made full-length roof rack and carried out all the necessary mechanical repairs to make the voyage to North Africa a reality. Dad then drove Mum, my gran, my sister and myself all the way to Tripoli and back to Southend several times, with all our worldly possessions strapped to the roof rack, via a car ferry from Genoa in Italy to Tunis. From Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, we drove south and then east onto Tripoli the capital of Libya.
This was the beginning of my lifelong love affair with Volkswagens - specifically my father's Volkswagen, a Type 2 Campervan called "AZIZA". Aziza in Arabic means dearest one, or most beloved.
This love eventually led me to Jack's Garage in 2007. My older sister inherited our parents' love of medicine and is now a consultant paediatrician, like our mother.
Jack's Garage was established in the early '90s by a Kiwi gent called Grant. He and his wife decided to move back to New Zealand as their children were growing fast and they both felt New Zealand was by far a better place to be for their children's future. And so in June of 2007, I purchased the business from Grant the Kiwi. I kept on as many staff as possible, one of whom is now the general manager of the entire operation, Vaidas, like "the Midas touch" - Vaidas has his own unique touch with all Volkswagens alike.
Fast forward 10 years - while we were preparing a celebration for our first decade as a team, in June 2017 we had to cancel the festivities, out of respect for those who sadly perished in the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy. The Times wrote an article about us: how we, as a small business with such proximity to the Tower, were affected by the profound and unexpected fallout.
Electric vehicles, and the conversion of classic Volkswagens into EVs - thus future-proofing these iconic vehicles - has been a passion of mine for some time. And so in early 2019 we finally managed to convert my first Beetle, Pugsley, into an electric vehicle. This led me to eClassics in Stuttgart, Germany, which has been commissioned by Volkswagen themselves to build an EV conversion kit, utilising Volkswagen's very latest EV components, direct from Volkswagen Group Components. After establishing a relationship with the wonderful people at eClassics Germany, we are now very proud and honoured to be the UK distributors of their EV conversion kits for Classic VWs. Sky News very kindly wrote an article about this newly formed relationship.
If you'd like any information about the services that we offer, give us a call on 020 7243 8926 or contact us here.
Three decades
The Jack's Garage story
From a £1000 Bay window on a Southend beach to one of the UK's leading classic-VW EV converters.
- 1980
AZIZA, the £1000 Bay window
A VW T2 Bay window bought on a Southend beach carries the family to Tripoli and back - and sparks a lifelong love of Volkswagens.
- early '90s
Jack's Garage is founded
Established in Ladbroke Grove by a Kiwi gent called Grant.
- 1995
Trading as VW specialists
The workshop has been servicing all varieties of VW ever since.
- 2007
A new chapter
Joseph buys the business from Grant, keeping on as many of the team as possible - including Vaidas, now general manager.
- 2017
Standing with our community
The first-decade celebration is cancelled out of respect for those lost in the Grenfell Tower tragedy nearby.
- 2019
Pugsley goes electric
Our first Beetle EV conversion leads to a partnership with eClassics in Stuttgart.
- 2020
In the motoring press
Six magazines feature our pioneering classic-VW EV conversions in a single spring.
- 2026
30+ years and counting
Still a family business, still in W10, still in love with Volkswagens.
The team
The people who love your VW
A highly skilled team of VW experts man the workshops - here are two of the names you'll come to know.
Vaidas
General Manager
"Like the Midas touch" - Vaidas has been with the workshop since before 2007 and has his own unique touch with all Volkswagens alike.
The full workshop team brings decades of combined VW experience. Pop in and say hello.
UK distributor
Proud partners of eClassics, Stuttgart
eClassics was commissioned by Volkswagen themselves to build an EV conversion kit using Volkswagen's very latest EV components - direct from Volkswagen Group Components. We're proud and honoured to be the UK distributors of their EV conversion kits for Classic VWs.
Explore EV Conversions
More coverage
Read about our electric progress
0+ Years of dedicated VW expertise
0 VW models serviced, classic to electric
0 Motoring-press features
Since 1995 A family-run workshop
Talk to the VW specialists
Come and meet the team
Three decades of VW knowledge, a workshop full of classics, and a warm welcome. Call us or pop in to Ladbroke Grove.