The story really starts in 1990 when founder Richard Norris started restoring his own 1968 Junior Spider (a car which he still has to this day!). His hunt for parts led to him tracking down long-forgotten Alfa Romeo dealer stock all across the UK. This, along with dismantling many rusty wrecks to salvage parts that were unavailable new, soon evolved into a small parts business run from lock-ups in South London. By the mid nineties he was a well-known figure on the UK Alfa scene and was sending rare 105 parts all over the UK whilst still mainly working as a sound recording engineer.
In 1999, seeing a need for a much more comprehensive range of new reproduction parts than were currently available in the UK, he left the music business and co-founded Alfaholics. By 2003 he chose to go independent and launched Classic Alfa. The company grew rapidly by pioneering the UK’s first online store for classic Alfa parts, offering same‑day shipping and exceptional customer service. With an expanding team, Classic Alfa moved through increasingly larger premises—from Dulwich to Streatham, then Croydon—and in 2022 to its current site in Godstone, Surrey.
In May 2022, Classic Alfa became an Employee-Owned company through an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). An EOT places the majority of the business into a trust for the benefit of all employees - protecting our values, independence and long-term stability while ensuring those who drive the business share in its future.
The company is now led by Thomas Bouet and Filippo Venerio, who joined over a decade ago and have played a central role in Classic Alfa’s growth.
For Richard, employee ownership fulfilled a long-held goal: securing the future of Classic Alfa whilst preserving our commitment to exceptional customer service and unrivalled parts expertise.
The journey continues, and we’re proud to share its future with our team and customers alike.