A Home Away From Home: AutoStorage Hong Kong

It isn’t easy trying to keep your pride and joy safe from the crazy world out there. Away from careless drivers, unpredictable weather, the natural elements, and other things that are out of your control, yet the world will happily throw your way. 

The struggles continue when one tries to store their car in a city where exorbitant prices for covered parking spaces are the norm; with those more within reach for average car owners consisting of outdoor plots in open gravel lots, or compact spaces in underground, sketchy and stuffy car parks that have seen better days. You also have to deal with the fact that most parking lots here do not allow you to work on your cars, aside from the regular car wash; no matter how much you pay each month for your car’s home. 

With monthly parking at a premium, it leaves one to wonder how long-term car storage is like in Hong Kong. To sum it up, most options available are repurposed shipping containers to store the car in a spot far away from the city; or a spot in a specialist garage, with nothing more than a single car cover. When real estate is already tough to come by in this city, it is better that nothing. 

Yet there lacks a viable storage option that will not only keep your car safe and sound in a controlled environment, but also give it the dedicated care and attention it will need being stationary for an extended period of time, carried out by people who love cars as much as their owners do. 

That’s what a group of local car enthusiasts thought of exactly. Kento, Angus, Darren, and a few others got together, and have started their own automotive storage solution: AutoStorage Hong Kong. 

Compared to other storage facilities’ or options available in HK, AutoStorage stands out from the rest by the fact it is one of the few that offers storage for cars, in an environment that can be closely monitored around the clock; something very important to factor in during the hotter months in a city located in the tropics.  Readers back in Hawaii or the West Coast will know, all and well, the pain of finding mold-spots on pristine leather upholstery, or finding the first of many rust spots collecting on the bodywork.

“Most car storage services in the city do not provide humidity control, making them no different to a regular car park. Especially with HK’s extremely humid climate, many cars parked for long periods of time can suffer from rust and mold. Nobody likes seeing these irreversible damages on their beloved car.” 

The level of attention to detail the storage process can be observed in areas that are obvious, and those that are not at first. The covers used for all cars for instance, are not typical waterproof covers most will buy from AutoZone: every car here gets a breathable, dustless high quality car cover to protect every inch: roof to wheels. In addition, every interior is air dried to remove moisture that could collect and form mold spots. 

No matter what comes to Auto Storage for any period of time, classic or modern, every car is given a thorough check-in and periodic update process throughout their stay. 

“ Each car arriving at AutoStorage will undergo a thorough check in and preparation process for storage. In order to give our customers a completely worry-free experience, customers are updated with photos on a regular basis.” 

And unlike some storage facilities that leave the car pretty much untouched until the time comes to bring it out of hibernation, AutoStorage periodically checks in with each and every resident; every day, week, and month they live in the facility, relaying updates via photographs to owners regularly. 

 In other words: “Our [AutoStorage’s] aim is to take care of each car better than their owners.”

The team behind AS also goes the extra mile to provide plenty of supplementary services or tools to assist with each car’s stay. Trickle chargers, tire cushions, monthly startups and fluid checks, are just a few of the many services AS provides alongside the storage facility. 

They will even assist with annual inspections/registration renewals for cars that need them, among other client-specific requests; even consignment or car sourcing for those looking for a future automotive investment. 

Clients no need to worry about having to wash their cars outside too; there is an in-house detailing garage to conduct anything from a basic maintenance wash to a full valet service. 

In addition, AutoStorage HK provides a 24/7 towing service: allowing for seamless pickup or delivery of cars wherever they may need to be called to, even when owners are not available to drop off or pickup their own cars. 

The extra care and enthusiast-driven attention to detail does not stop at merely servicing the cars; step into the office space of AutoStorage, and clients are reminded of the energy that this enthusiast-driven business aims to provide.

Next to the diecast model cars and an AutoArt ceramic-brake wall-clock, co-founder Kento Jorge's professional automotive photographs make up a small gallery on the walls. From rollers of BMWs taken in one of Hong Kong's many tunnels, to some of the rarest supercars in the world tearing it through a racetrack in Japan. 

Guests, even those who don't have a car to store here, can also engage in an in-house competition; doing a hot lap in a Honda Fit [Jazz] on Suzuka Circuit in Gran Turismo 5. Eagle-eyed fans will take note of a Top Gear style ‘Power Lap Board’ for everyone to post their lap times, and aim to take away bragging rights as the fastest driver on Suzuka (virtually). 

And next to the racing simulator rig, what more appropriate decorations to add to the automotive ambience, than a set of OEM BMW M2 Competition alloys, one of which serves as a table for the Playstation? How fitting.  

If you get tired of both, you can always look out the windows; admiring the views of both your car(s) and those currently sleeping away in storage, down below. 

It is these small, but engaging activities and thoughtful amenities on-site, that hint operating as an automotive storage facility is just the start for this small business. Being founded by enthusiasts, AutoStorage aims to provide an outlet for like minded people to share their passion; akin to drive clubs or morning Cars and Coffee meetups.  

“We want AutoStorage to be more than just a car storage facility; we want it to become a community. We hope that AutoStorage can group together like-minded car enthusiasts. Car drives and gatherings are just a few events we have planned.”

If you would like to learn more about AutoStorage Hong Kong and their services, visit their website and follow their Instagram page, especially if you want to keep up-to-date of any group drives and events they have planned in the future!

Special thanks to AutoStorage HK representatives Kento Jorge and Angus Law for providing quotes for this feature.