He started selling Alfa Romeo parts in his English countryside... today the waiting list for one of his Alfaholics stretches to the end of the decade.

In the English countryside, far from the hustle and bustle of the big cities and industrial centers, a discreet workshop is reviving the Alfa Romeo mythical cars. But here, it's not just a question of restoring old cars. At Alfaholics, we reinvent them, we sublimate them, we transform them into machines capable of competing with modern sports cars while retaining their original soul.

However, this impressive success story is not the result of a well thought-out business plan, but of a deep-rooted family passion.

A story of passion

It all began with Richard Banks in the 1960s. Fascinated by the likes of Colin Chapman and Jim Clark, he took up motor racing at an early age. He started out in Formula 3 at the wheel of a Lotus, before moving on to touring cars. The real turning point came in 1977 with the Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV. Richard bought one of the first in the UK and entered it in the championship. The result was immediate: two runner-up finishes, against well-established competition.

This success marked the beginning of a lasting relationship with Alfa Romeo. Gradually, Richard gave up racing to devote himself to the sale and restoration of vintage models.

The crisis that changes everything

By the end of the 1980s, Richard Banks had already established a solid reputation in the Alfa Romeo world. But the recession of the early 1990s upset this balance. The classic car market collapsed. Complete restorations became too expensive for customers. Where some would have given up, Richard saw an opportunity: to meet an essential need for spare parts.

Alfaholics was born in the late 1990s, not as a restoration workshop, but as a supplier of Alfa Romeo parts. Richard scours Europe for rare components, which he sells to enthusiastic customers in the UK... and soon worldwide. With no manufacturer support, the company's reputation grew through word-of-mouth and recognized expertise.

Innovation at the heart of our DNA

Before long, Alfaholics was no longer content to resell existing parts. The company began designing new, improved parts. A striking example: GTA rims. Originally made of magnesium in the 1960s, they were as beautiful as they were fragile. Alfaholics redesigned them in aluminum, making them lighter, stronger and, above all, more suitable for modern use. This philosophy became the company's signature: respect the Alfa Romeo heritage, while optimizing it.

The new generation takes over

With Richard's sons Max and Andrew Banks, the story takes on a new dimension. Immersed in the world of cars from an early age, they naturally took up karting and then Formula Ford racing.

But their real coup came with the creation of their own racing Alfa. A transformed Sprint GT base, equipped with a Twin Spark 2.0 engine derived from the Alfa 75. A common configuration today... but totally innovative at the time. The car became a rolling laboratory. Every improvement tested on the track was then developed into a marketable part. Suspensions, brakes, engines: everything is designed, tested and validated under real-life conditions.

With the arrival of the Internet, Alfaholics has reached a new milestone. Parts are now sold all over the world, from Europe to Japan and the USA.

The switch to complete cars

The story could have ended there. But a simple phone call changes everything. A customer, seduced by the demonstration cars built by Alfaholics, doesn't just want the parts. He wanted the complete car. This was the beginning of complete builds. Alfa Romeos rebuilt from the ground up, with performance and precision worthy of modern cars.

But unlike some restomods, Alfaholics never betrays the original spirit. The cars remain true to their architecture, notably with their rigid rear axle. Defects are corrected, but the character is retained. The result is breathtaking: lighter, faster, but as lively as ever.

Worldwide recognition... and an interminable wait

The specialized press quickly seized on the phenomenon. Alfa cars prepared by Alfaholics are hailed as some of the best restomods in the world.

Such is their success that today, lead times are exploding. To order an Alfa Romeo from Alfaholics is to accept a wait of several years. The waiting list now stretches to the end of the decade. Each project is personally supervised by Max Banks, from the choice of colors to the final road tests.

Despite this renown, Alfaholics has never abandoned its original business. Every day, dozens of orders for parts are shipped all over the world, enabling thousands of enthusiasts to keep their Alfa Romeo alive.

The company offers both original restorations and competition preparations, not forgetting complete kits for those who wish to build their own Alfa.