- Hagerty partners with renowned Ace Cafe, London as its exclusive insurance partner
- Historic biker cafe opened over 80 years ago, closing in 1969 for almost 30 years, before being reopened in 1997
- The Ace Cafe became famous as the home of the Ton-Up Boys motorcycle Cafe Racers of the 1950s and 60s
- Venue now attracts and hosts a broad spectrum of automotive enthusiasts with a packed calendar of specialist meets
- Hagerty branding will feature prominently throughout the iconic venue
- Ace Cafe Classic Car nights become ‘powered by Hagerty’
- Ace Cafe becomes the first Hagerty supported automotive destination in the UK and follows the success of Hagerty Garage + Social in the US
Northamptonshire: 24 May 2021
Hagerty is best known as a classic vehicle insurer, but with a 600,000-member strong Drivers Club, a magazine with 1.9m readers, more than 1m monthly unique users visiting its media site and 1.4m subscribers on YouTube, it is one of the world’s largest automotive lifestyle brands.
2021 has seen increased investment across all aspects of the Hagerty business, from content and events to data and client services, as Hagerty strengthens its global offering to the motoring enthusiast. The latest announcement from Hagerty UK is an exclusive partnership with the world-famous Ace Cafe in London.
Established in 1938 on the North Circular Road surrounding London, the cafe’s proximity to Britain’s fast arterial road network, and being open 24 hours, soon attracted fast bikers, sealing it’s legendary status as home of the Rockers and Cafe Racers of the 50s and 60s.
Changes in the social order, the growth of the car market at the expense of the motorcycle industry, and the expansion of the motorway network saw the Ace Cafe close in 1969, but it reopened in 1997 under the management of current owner Mark Wilsmore.
Despite its roots as a biker venue, the Ace Cafe now caters for all types of vehicle enthusiasts, from two-wheels to four, modern to classic and standard to custom. Every night the cafe forecourt bustles with specialist gatherings, the crowds enjoying the much-loved cafe fare just as they did when it first opened over 80 years ago. Ask any petrolhead if they know the Ace Cafe and the answer will always be yes, such is its importance within British automotive culture.
Hagerty actively promotes and encourages automotive culture, making them a perfect partner for the Ace Cafe. As part of the agreement Hagerty branding will feature prominently throughout the Park Royal site, in addition extra branding will be added for classic car themed nights, all of which will be branded as ‘powered by Hagerty’. Hagerty will also have a presence at the Ace Reunion, and Ace Cafe staff will wear Hagerty branded clothing for certain special occasions.
Following a recent partnership with Markel in the UK, Hagerty is now able to insure a wider range of classic cars and motorcycles, perfect for the Ace Cafe audience.
Speaking of the partnership Lee Mathewson, Managing Director for Hagerty UK, said “Hagerty is well known in the US for its Garage + Social destinations, but in the UK we have not had a venue to welcome automotive enthusiasts. Partnering with the world-famous Ace Cafe in London aligns Hagerty’s UK division with one of the best-known automotive venues in the country. We are committed to being so much more than a logo partner, our shared vision will see both the Ace Cafe and Hagerty working closely to provide visiting enthusiasts with fun and engaging meets, great incentives and brand interaction”
Mark Wilsmore, owner of the Ace Cafe, said “Having enjoyed the Hagerty newsletter for some while, and knowing of their passion and enthusiasm for motors, we can’t wait to welcome Hagerty to the Ace!
ENDS
Editors Notes
About Hagerty
Hagerty is an automotive lifestyle brand. Our mission is keep driving alive for car lovers and drive positive change in the world. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, Hagerty Media, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social and more. Hagerty is the world’s largest provider of specialty insurance for enthusiast vehicles and supports keeping car culture alive through youth programs, the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA), the RPM Foundation and more.
For more information, call 0333 323 0989 or visit www.hagerty.co.uk
Media enquiries: media@tonic-collective.com