Hi!
Most of you are familiar with my husband,
Matthew Jones and his company Re-Originals. I’d like to give you some history and insight into Re-Originals and Matt. Re-Originals was incorporated in 1987 and has been supplying
wholesalers and retailers in the U.S. and other countries with products for the
preservation of classic Italian cars.
First, the name Re-Originals means
“original parts - all over again”. Throughout this website we’ve identified how
a product was made. These identifications are NOS, an acronym for New
Old Stock. These are products that were made at the time the car
was produced, but never used on a car. Then there’s OEM, an acronym for Original
Equipment Manufacturer. These products are made using the
original dies/patterns/molds by the original manufacturer, (like our rubber
products and upholstery materials). The products described as Remanufactured
are being made on the original dies/patterns/molds by a new company. The
products described as New Manufacturer are made on newly made
dyes/patterns/molds by a new company.
A lot of people comment that some of our
products haven’t been on the market for years. That’s because Matt either finds
the OEM that still has the NOS part or asks the manufacturer to start
production again. For example: Matt received a lot of requests for Duetto
rubber mats. The original factory still had the molds, but weren’t producing
them. When Matt assured them that a large quantity was needed, they started to
produce the mats again. The same situation happened with the tan basketweave
vinyl for an Alfa. The black basketweave was still being produced by the OEM,
so Matt asked if they used the same original patterns to produce the tan
basketweave. The answer was yes, and as long as Matt committed to purchasing
500 meters, they would start production again. Matt promised, so now it’s
available. These are just a couple of examples of Matt’s tenacity to accomplish
his goal of bringing these cars back to life with the correct products. And
this process is the heart of Re-Originals.
The NOS parts are the most difficult to
find and we have numerous Italian suppliers who love to research and find the
new old stock. In many situations the OEM number is not helpful, so Matt will
ask for a sketch, picture or sample of the part/material. With these details
forwarded to Italy, it narrows the margin of error. It’s very expensive and
complicated to return a part to Italy, so it’s best to get it right the first
time. And since we stand behind
everything we sell, we want our customers to be happy.
As the years have gone by, the
relationships have grown with the Italians. They introduce Matt to new sources
to help locate these hard-to-find car parts. It started with the OEM rubber
factory and now includes upholstery, and the “hard parts”, such as headlights,
taillights, body trim, body parts, windshields, emblems, mirrors, electrical,
wheels, etc. So, if you need something you don’t see on the website, let us
know, and Matt will begin the search.
When we go to conventions and concours and
I see the joy in a customer’s face showing his completed, beautifully restored
car, I have the answer to why we work so hard. And Matt’s love of the process
of helping with these cars has taught me the value of working your passion.
We appreciate your support and you’re very important
to us. So, let us know how we can help.
Thanks,
Vikki
Jones