The Mechanists: In The Driving Seat Of Your Life
Love for cars is not just about the drive. Well, for sure that’s the apex of the whole experience, but self-respecting petrolheads know that you can always have more, feed that continuous need to breathe cars from sunrise to sunset. Actually, you really need more. That’s why we, engines worshippers, like to embrace a proper lifestyle and let ourselves hang around with people sharing the same strong passion. So that’s how car meets were born back in the days, but also clothing companies, as well as everything thought with one main purpose in mind: enhance the visceral relationship with a person and his own vehicle. And according to us, there’s something more if you have a closer look and try to find out that behind the story of a brand, there’s a passionate and emotional path that brought a young chap like Hedi Sersoub at the helm of one of the most interesting names out there today: The Mechanists. Yep, as he embraces everything revolving around cars, he has been able to raise the bar and transmit the good old “savoir vivre” into a classy driving experience worthy of the golden days of automotive. Let us take you through the words we’ve exchanged with him and find out more about his splendid creature.
Edited by Tommaso Mogge / Photos by The Mechanists, Rob Cooper and Tom Hains
Hello Hedi, thanks for being here with us today. Straight to the point, what is The Mechanists?
The Mechanists is an Automotive Lifestyle Brand, it has started for automotive only but the name Mechanists is originally made to enroll anything that is mechanical such as watches, planes, boats.
I love artisanship and mechanic things.
How is everything started?
After spending 8 years working in London, and a lifetime thinking about cars, I have decided to create my own brand in 2017. I grew up around cars – like 95% of cars enthusiasts I guess – and my last job was being the Lifestyle Manager at the Hotel Café Royal in London. The idea of expressing a certain “savoir vivre” and classic cars came up quickly after this. I always have been creative thanks to my mum who was interior designer and so the idea of making something handmade in the UK, working with local artisans was pretty natural for me. I have seen the success of anchor bracelets over the past few years and decided to create something for the car enthusiasts. The steering wheel has a lot of meaning to me – being in the driving seat of your life.
Where can we find you other than your website and social medias?
Our products are now available on most of the major “classic cars” platforms. Classic Driver (I have worked for them a few months and they have been an amazing support when I launched the brand), Petrolicious, 24h Le Mans boutique and online store, Galerie Stradale, The Rake, iAC, GPbox… We are mainly present online but always looking for new shops around the world.
What do you do and what extra services you provide to your customers?
Our first product is the steering wheel bracelet, handmade in England. We also make various version of steering wheels and launched some collaboration with other brands we feel in line with. We recently launched a collab with Anyways about the F40 which included an F40 skateboard made in France and a full sterling silver keyring of the F40 wheel handmade in England.
We also slowly develop our Garage and cars for sale. I have mainly dealt with my personal cars over the last few years, but now doing it for friends and clients we have acquired through our website and social media.
The lifestyle and car for sale department are today my main focus for the future.
If you could choose a single product to represent your brand, what would that be?
I would go for the Racing Green bracelet on British Racing Green cord. It was the first product I have launched with the Bleu Ecosse and still is today the best seller on every single platform where we sell.
What about the most demanding achievement you’ve reached so far?
Scaling up the brand. Many people tell me we achieved something great already, and we should be proud of. To me, creating something is not that hard, because you have all the motivation in the world to launch something new. But scaling from one level to the next and to the next in order to sustain a constant growth and to enroll more and more people in your adventure is the challenge.
Are you also passionate drivers?
I do love driving. I am currently in the French countryside and I must admit that every morning on my way to the post office to ship orders, I do very much enjoy my drive.
Imagine, 10km of countryside road with a 930 Turbo in hands. Don’t get me wrong, I am a careful driver but do enjoy when I am alone some speed.
Tell us a car-related story you have experienced that eventually links straight to your brand.
Well, the story with my 930 Turbo is the one. This car belonged to my dad for over 21 years. He had a couple of cars back then and having 3 sons, he wrote our names on each car covers he had, and the 930 had my name on it. He sold it to a man who owned a car garage in France when I was around 17 years old. I was seriously sad about this, because he bought an Aston Martin DB7 at that time to replace the car. To me, this was a tragedy, but I was 17 and it was not my money anyway – but my damn name was on the cover!
In 2015, my dad, out of the blue tells me that the man who bought the Porsche was looking to sell it, and says my uncle is interested in buying the car. I looked at my dad and told him straight away – This car is mine and we should go get it now. I told him, if he helps me buying it I will repay him every cents but he was not so convinced at the beginning. Until he made a few calls and start seeing all Porsche going higher in value every day. The guy drove it 500km in 11/12 years of ownership I think so I had some work to do on it but today this car is part of the family.
If you could choose a car, a location and a soundtrack, what will it be?
My 930 Turbo, road trip from France to North Italy with all the lakes, going down to Tuscany and coming back through the south of France. For sountracks, I love variety but listen a lot Kevin Morby – “Beautiful Strangers” recently.
Classics or moderns sports cars?
Classics all day everyday, I have absolutely zero interest in modern superfast cars. Totally worthless to me.
What are the ingredients that turn a driving day out with a vintage car so visceral and exciting?
My girlfriend, my dog, a good picnic and on the way to Le Mans or Goodwood.
Can you share with us what to expect from The Mechanists in the near future?
More designs, collabs and cars for sale! Also, more diversified content about motoring culture and handcrafts.
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