This Exclusive Club in the U.K. Lets Members Lounge Alongside the World’s Coolest Cars
“Cars are meant to be enjoyed—and this place gives you the ability to enjoy them,” says Luke Rebelo of Kiklo Spaces. “We don’t see ourselves as a storage company. This is more like a gallery for important automotive art.” Many of the vehicles inside this clinically clean, dehumidified chamber certainly fit that description. Rebelo lifts the covers to reveal, among others, two McLaren F1s (a road-going model and a 1995 GTR “short tail” racer), a concours-winning Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, and a brand-new Aston Martin Valkyrie.
Not every automobile here has a seven-figure price tag, though. Also on hand is an original Fiat 500 Jolly and a Morris Minor 1000 Convertible with just 9,000 miles from new. “We’re certainly not elitist,” says Rebelo. “The Morris is looked after with exactly the same level of care as the McLarens.” So what exactly is Kiklo Spaces? Based in Hampshire, England—an hour outside of London and 25 minutes from Goodwood Motor Circuit—this is primarily a secure facility for the storage of cherished cars. However, the venue also serves as a “community for like-minded individuals, allowing owners to meet up, share views and knowledge, see their cars on display, and drive them on local country roads,” according to Rebelo.
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Kiklo Spaces was a passion project for Chris Vassilopoulos, then Rebelo joined as facility director when the business opened two years ago. Both men, from South Africa, are petrolheads to the core. “I grew up helping my uncle prepare Alfa Romeo Giulias and GTVs for concours events,” Rebelo reminisces. “Also, my dad’s best friend was a touring-car driver, so I spent many wonderful weekends trackside at Kyalami [a Grand Prix circuit close to Johannesburg].”
Designed from a blank template, Kiklo Spaces resembles the kind of postmodern luxury villa you might find nestled in the Hollywood Hills of Southern California. Traditional flint walls and timber cladding are set off against painted metal girders and huge windows. Inside, the temperature is maintained at a steady 60 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity kept between 50 percent and 55 percent. As you’d expect, security and fire protection are of the highest order.
On the day of my visit, two Ferraris occupy pride of place in the reception area: an F40 and a Testarossa. Both are resplendent in Rosso Corsa, yet while one looks as Enzo intended, the other is anything but. In fact, the Testarossa is a Koenig Specials Competition Evolution, modified by the controversial German tuner with a wild body kit and a twin-turbocharged flat-12 engine. A claimed 1,000 hp translates to a zero-to-60 mph acceleration time of 3.5 seconds and a V-max of 230 mph—enough to make even the F40 feel undernourished.
After a coffee and a browse through Kiklo Spaces’ automotive library, Rebelo takes me through to the cool and strangely calming inner sanctum where the cars are stored. My eyes are immediately drawn to the Valkyrie, which looks like a Le Mans prototype, and as extreme as anything that has worn license plates. From its aero-profiled suspension wishbones to its etched titanium badge (99.4 percent lighter than the standard Aston Martin “wings” emblem), the finer details are no less dramatic.
Parked alongside the Valkyrie is another era-defining hypercar: a McLaren F1. This two-tone black-and-gray example, chassis No. 43, was first purchased by the Japanese founder of Ueno Clinic and remains in beautifully stock condition. “Many F1 owners upgrade the headlights, but even those are original,” Rebelo points out. If cars can indeed be art, this one is a masterpiece.
Walking past the Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider and a beautiful 1950s Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster, I spy something rather less low-slung—a 1973 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 previously owned by the Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine and used as a snow plow. However, it was put into storage with less than 400 miles on the clock, and has effectively now become a museum piece in itself. Amidst all the exotica, it’s a reminder of the beauty found in simple functionality.
The final car that really catches my eye is another McLaren. The 1991 MP4/6 was one of the final V-12-engined F1 cars with a manual transmission. This championship-winner, in iconic red-and-white Marlboro livery, was previously driven by the late Ayrton Senna, making it a true example of motorsport royalty. Just being in its presence gives me goosebumps. With room for around 50 vehicles, Kiklo Spaces will remain an exclusive facility, but some small-scale events—including cars-and-coffee mornings—are planned for this summer.
Click here for more photos of Kiklo Spaces automotive storage facility.
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