Today we’d like to introduce you to Gene Langmesser.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in Detroit – Motor City. I fell in love with cars at an early age. You have to remember that the ‘60s and ‘70s was the age of American muscle cars, sports cars, and pony cars, many of which were born in the ‘60s: Corvette, Mustang, Shelby Cobra, Camaro, Charger, GTO, Barracuda. I fell in love with those cars. My first car was a 1970 AAR “CUDA, and later I bought a 1970 Corvette Stingray convertible that I still have.
I studied drafting in high school, got my degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, and got my first job as a draftsman with General Motors, in the Fisher Body division. From there, my automotive design and engineering career has taken me all over the world, working for GM, Ford, Mercedes, Porsche, Honda and others. I’ve even done some designs for the aerospace industry and the military.
I always dreamed of designing and building my own cars. I found and bought a concept car studio here in California. I started designing and building cars for movies and concept cars for car shows for GM, Ford, and Chrysler, and then started doing my own coach building. We’re probably best known for the 789, which blends body styles from ’57, ’58 and ’59 Chevys. We’ve done several other models, including our latest, the Devilray, which is an updated version of the mid 1960s Corvette Stingray.
I do this because cars are my passion. I love the old cars, but as anyone who drives one knows, you need to keep your tools with you wherever you go! They’re always breaking down, and you can’t always find parts. The “retro” cars I build have the look and feel of classic cars, but with today’s technology. It’s like driving a ‘60s Stingray, but with a whole lot more power and technology.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
(Laughs) Is there really any such thing as a smooth road? It’s certainly been an interesting road, I’ll say that.
Let’s say it’s been a long and winding road, with a few potholes along the way, but overall, it’s been a great ride, and I’m exactly where I want to be. Struggles always happen, but with a supportive life partner and solid business partners, anything is possible. One of the biggest challenges is finding the right partners. I’ve been very fortunate in that regard.
N2A Motors by Langmesser – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our goal is to revive the art of American coach building. We are one of the few remaining shops in the country that build unique, concept, retro and high-performance, low-volume production vehicles. We like to say that we combine the art and engineering of building cars to order. No 2 Alike (N2A).
We build exotic, high-performance, limited-edition cars that are meant to be driven and enjoyed, not stored in a garage. They are built to last. And we are branching out from sports cars to electric vehicles and hybrids, including an electric 3-wheel motorcycle and a zero-emission, hydrogen-electric semi-truck! We will be rolling out some exciting vehicles in the coming year.
As proud as I am of our cars, I’m most proud of my team. They’re the best in the business, and they are the foundation of our success. I’m lucky to have them.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Not counting the birth of my children or finding the love of my life of course… the proudest moment of my career happened recently. The Devilray has been a vehicle that I have poured my heart and soul into, and to see it finally roll out of our studio was overwhelming. Through blood, sweat and tears… my team came together and turned this vision into a jaw-dropping reality. So, when I was handed the microphone at our November 2017 launch event to officially unveil the Devilray… that was my proudest moment. The Devilray was alive. She was gorgeous. She impressed. And people loved her! So much, we sold our first four!
Pricing:
- 789 SS – Starts at $89,789
- Devilray S – Starts at $129,950
- Devilray RR – Starts at $179,950
Contact Info:
- Address: 4955 East Landon Drive, Anaheim, CA 92807
- Website: http://n2amotors.com/
- Phone: 714-558-0010
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/n2abylangmesser/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/n2amotors/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/n2amotors
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