Afzal Kahn

For other uses, see Kahn.

Afzal Kahn (born 1974) is a automotive, businessman and property developer, based in London.[1]

He is the founder of the Kahn group of companies, including Kahn Design, the Chelsea Truck Company and Ant-Kahn, as well as owning an extensive property portfolio.[2][3]

His is renowned for his dictum 'The Road Is My Catwalk'.

Biography

Kahn who has been crowned 'The King of customisation' by the U.K's leading automotive magazine, Autocar, famously pulled out of an architecture to pursue his love for cars.

“I started off in the car business as a hobby,” he told Autocar. “I had been studying architecture but I pulled out. I wasn’t interested in building property. I was a petrolhead.” [4]

Business activities

See also: Kahn Design

In 1996, Kahn designed the RS-R alloy wheel. The design, in which the spokes gave the appearance of continuing all the way to the rim was considered a first in the industry.

With the RS-R design he flew to Italy, had a factory tool up for his wheels and took a risk with an order for 1,000. In an interview with Car Dealer Magazine, Kahn explained how he sold all the wheels before he landed back in Britain,’ he said: "‘I’d sold them before I landed back in Britain. I took two tiny adverts out – one in Top Car and the other in Auto Trader – and the phone rang off the hook. After that I knew it could work."

Using capital derived from the initial sold-out production run of 1,000 RS-R wheels, Kahn founded A. Kahn Design in Bradford, West Yorkshire in the late 1990s.

Kahn continued in the role of creative director, releasing further wheel designs, and adding exterior styling and vehicle interior design to the company’s product range. He also sought partnerships with other fashion brands to collaborate on the interior designs, such as Harris Tweed.[5]

By 2002, Kahn Design had diversified into production of complete vehicle upgrades,[6] necessitating a move to new, purpose built premises in 2004, which incorporated bodyshop and leatherworking facilities. In an interview with Money Week Magazine he explained “Customers had been asking me to redesign their whole cars and not just sell them accessories.”

He bought some Land Rovers and once the cars were in his studio he “stripped them and built them back up again in our style… We weren’t just changing how the cars looked, we were re-engineering them.” Exhausts, steering wheels, dashboards and roofs were all changed. “We invested in technology. Other rivals used clay models, but we made a digital model of the car so we knew exactly what we were working with.”

In 2008 Kahn made headlines after his purchase of the “F1” registration plate for £440,000 set a UK record for the most expensive plate sold at auction,[7] and he continues to maintain a substantial collection of exclusive registration plates.

In 2009 Kahn began designing and producing a collection of Swiss made timepieces, under the Kahn Design brand. The timepieces are manufactured in Switzerland, and tested by COSC, the official Swiss Chronometer testing institute.

In 2012 Kahn founded the Chelsea Truck Company, a subsidiary company producing bespoke Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender conversions, and in 2013 opened a boutique showroom on the King's Road in Chelsea, London.[8]

In 2014 Kahn moved into production of special edition vehicles, beginning with the release of a series of coachbuilt Land Rover Defender models under the Huntsman brand, including extended bodywork, upgraded engine, suspension and braking systems and luxury interior design. The first two models to be announced, the 4x4 Huntsman 105 Longnose and the 6x6 Huntsman 110 Longnose, will be revealed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Meeting the inspirational boss of Kahn Design". CarDealerMagazine. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  2. ↑ Batchelor, James (5 March 2012). "Welcome to Kahn Design". Car Dealer Magazine. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "Interview: Afzal Kahn". GT Spirit. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "Meet the king of car customisation - Afzal Kahn". Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "Driven:Kahndefender". Top Gear. 9 Jan 2013. Retrieved 24 Jan 2013.
  6. ↑ "Moving up a gear in world of luxury cars". Yorkshire Post. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  7. ↑ "Businessman pays a record £375,000 for F1 number plate". Daily Mail. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "Venture in £25m move to showcase in capital". Yorkshire Post. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Land Rover Defender-based Kahn Flying Huntsman". Autocar. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.

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