Hedley Studio has secured exclusive rights to create scale models of some of the most iconic vintage automobiles from some of the world's most famous car manufacturers, including Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti and Ferrari.
They are expertly hand-built in the UK at 66% to 85% of traditional size and are powered by a zero-emission electric propulsion system.
According to founder Ben Hedley and CEO Hoss Hassani, these aren't just cars, they're “drivable artwork.”
“We don't make replicas. We reinterpret. So we…try to capture the zeitgeist, capture the essence. [of] It’s an original vehicle,” Hedley said.
Six years ago, Hedley was approached by Bugatti to recreate a children's car built by the company in the 1920s to celebrate its 110th anniversary, and Hedley received special permission to collaborate with one of the world's leading car brands.
But instead of building a toy car for children, Hedley got creative and created a car large enough for an adult to drive.
“When you win a contract to build a car for Bugatti with Bugatti, it's a one-shot opportunity and you can't mess it up,” Hedley told FOX Business.
He took some of the original Bugatti race cars from the 1920s, digitally scanned them all, and recreated them 25% smaller than the originals.
He recalled that the company was stunned by the results, as it had been expecting a toy rather than a fully functional car.
That moment was a turning point and led to the creation of Hedley Studios, which now produces hundreds of purpose-built vehicles for customers around the world.
After shocking Bugatti, other major car manufacturers quickly followed suit.
Hedley recalled going into a meeting with Ferrari with a proposal in hand and signing a deal within five minutes.
The Italian luxury sports car maker already had the project in mind, he recalled.
Hedley and his team work with original equipment manufacturers to create scaled down versions of iconic models such as the Aston Martin DB5, Ferrari Testa Rossa and Bugatti Type 35.
Starting prices range from around $95,000 for the Bugatti Baby II to $195,000 for the Bentley Blower Junior.
Each model is signed by the artist and comes with an official chassis plate from the original manufacturer.
Built with meticulous attention to detail, these limited edition vehicles pay true homage to the originals.
However, the team does allow some creative freedom.
For example, we took inspiration from the 25th James Bond movie to create the 'No Time to Die' special edition Aston Martin DB5 Junior.
The company said it has 3D scanned the original Aston Martin DB5 to create a completely accurate reproduction.
Like the original, Hedley's version includes distinctive features such as a smoke screen emitted from the rear “exhaust”.
No matter what, Hedley said, it has to exceed the original manufacturer's quality standards.
He recognizes that this is both a challenge and a “huge honour.”
“Aside from Bugatti, no one else has built a bigger car than this. Besides us, no one has ever built a Ferrari outside of Maranello. You know that. , we build these cars for these great brands, with their permission and support.”
According to Hassani, these pieces are used for all kinds of purposes.
Some clients display them as “centerpieces in their art collections,” Hassani said, while others display them alongside their multimillion-dollar car collections or gift them to loved ones.
Regardless of the purpose, the team emphasized that each model is always unique.
“It always has to be of the highest quality possible because that's something you can't compromise on. As I've said before, if you do poorly at Ferrari, you lose,” Hedley said.
