In a city where dreams are possible and the worlds of skill and vision align — new inventions are born and barriers are broken.
When Invercargill man Jacob (Jake) Apiata made the move to France in 2011, he never imagined he would be living the dream using his Kiwi can-do training to customise top-end cars and Triumph motorcycles into bespoke designs for clientele who could afford them.
Mr Apiata moved to France in 2011 where he initially worked for a metal window and door company while learning the language and integrating into the culture.
Then he worked with Ludovic Lazareth for four years building prototype vehicles for films, with the spaceship built for writer-director Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets becoming a memorable achievement.
Multiple motoring shows, including the Geneva Motor Show where his work was showcased, were others.
"The cars we built were quite special. They were made with Maserati V8 engines and big motorbikes with a lot of horsepower," he said.
Despite working with Lazareth, a desire to own his own business and explore his craft had him rent a workshop space which quickly grew from 10sq m to 250sq m within three years from a steady stream of work.
His Prestonville-based apprenticeship at Beck Industries, building ride-on lawnmowers and assorted metal products, earned him apprentice of the year and provided solid foundations after leaving Southland Boys’ High School at 16.
He enjoyed his high school metalwork classes with Ambrose Bisschops.
"I had a good teacher in Ambrose, who was always very helpful and kind, and trying to push the students in the right direction. But school wasn’t my thing.’
Three doors down from Beck Industries, curiosity about the unique creations at Classic Car Developments drew Mr Apiata through the door and eventually launched his career under the mentoring eye of owner Dave Brown, as he discovered how to turn the ordinary into extraordinary.
"I would walk past Dave Brown and look in ... I could see they were building classic cars from raw materials, experience and talent and it was from that point on I was sold on the idea of doing that."
"It was high-end, world-known and a really good place to learn ... it was a really good head start in my career."
The boutique business provided the opportunity to develop skills across a broad range of subjects.
Mr Brown said he knew immediately Mr Apiata had an exceptional talent to develop vehicles for the international custom car market. The "natural welder" was "a gold medal winner" from the beginning.
"He’s adapted to that quickly and easily. He’s a very talented engineer. He’s right up there.
He had the ability to quickly grasp a project and put his best foot forward.
The combination of a good work ethic and personality made him an exceptional employee.
"Everything we do here has to be bang on. He understood that and [he] would go through the procedure of welding it and finished up with a very professional job."
"He was a very good all-rounder. He’s a great person. Very talented — just living in the wrong country.
"I’ve said to him several times his overalls are still hanging up behind the door," Mr Brown said.
Before Mr Apiata left New Zealand for France as a young man in his 20s, he had exported three customised Jaguar chassis to the United Kingdom built in the Prestonville workshop.
Winning wheels . . . Jake Apiata won first place with his customised Triumph Thruxton 1200RS motorcycle in a recent 30-year anniversary of the Triumph Classic Custom Contest in France. The winning bike is now touring France.
In a collaboration with France’s Annecy Triumph dealership, a deal was struck to win the French Triumph dealership competition in Lyon, France. He won first place for his bespoke Triumph Thruxton 1200RS which is now on display at other shows around France.
The high-end bike normally retailed for €17,000 ($NZ27,818). It was now for sale for €40,000.
While the win had not increased Mr Apiata’s clientele base, it did increase his status in the industry.
Two custom-built Porsches had also been completed, with one featuring at the June 2022 Le Mans Classic.
His work has been profiled in several French motoring magazines as he has made his mark in the European market.
As a family man, he was keen for his children to explore the craft.
"I like to let the kids have a go at bashing some metal and have a go to see if they like it ... but I’m not going to push them into anything," he said.
"You have to be in love with it to make it work."
Mr Apiata also uses his skills to build unique furniture such as rocking chairs out of replica Porsche seats as well as producing unique fittings for houses.
Home is now in Annecy. But he still has family (no relation to Willie Apiata) in New Zealand which he last visited in 2018.
Mr Apiata believes the life he has managed to build for himself has been because of Mr Brown’s input.
"They helped me so much when I was just a young idiot trying to learn stuff and get by. But I got taken seriously and without the help from those guys I don’t know where I would be now."
- Toni McDonald. Photos supplied.
