About Ramin
Two cities,
one obsession.
Est. 2018 — Seven years
We started Ramin in 2018 because the JDM scene we loved was being priced and gas-lit out of existence by importers who didn’t care. Seven years later we’re a six-person team across Yokohama and Brighton, and we still pick up the phone ourselves.
The Ramin manifesto
i.Photograph the car cold, in daylight, before anyone wipes it down.
ii.Send the auction sheet untranslated as well. Nothing to hide means nothing to hide.
iii.No upfront fees. We earn our money when we win the right car, not before.
iv.The cheapest importer in the country isn’t the cheapest. We’ve seen the bills.
v.You only buy a hero car once. We treat it like that.
The team
People you’ll actually speak to.
Aiko Tanaka
Co-founder · Yokohama
Former Toyota auction inspector. Twelve years at HAA Kobe. Fluent in Japanese, English, and the difference between a re-deck and a respray.
Tom Whitfield
Co-founder · Brighton
Spent a decade buying for a London classics dealer. Started Ramin after losing patience with how British importers treated their customers.
Kenji Sato
Lead inspector · Yokohama
Twenty years on the tools at a Nissan dealership in Kanagawa. Can spot a chassis weld through three coats of fresh paint.
Lara Patel
Workshop manager · Brighton
Mechanical engineer, ex-Lotus. Runs the UK side of compliance, MOT, IVA and PDI. Won't let a car leave the workshop she wouldn't drive home.
The workshop
Brighton, BN1.
Our four-bay workshop in the Old Brewery quarter is open to clients by appointment. Come and walk around your car before it’s registered. Coffee’s on us.
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