At the heart of Nakuru County exists a man whose passion for cars has transformed his life, becoming one of the most prominent car collectors in the country.
Prince Johnson popularly known as Empire 007 abandoned cars which he buys at a meager amount and sells them for millions.
He sources the cars from various parts of the country before turning them into classic machines. He revealed he bought his first car for Ksh40,000 in Form Two at 16, a move that shocked his family.
In a recent interview with Youtuber 2mbili, Empire revealed the cheapest car he bought cost him Sh35,000, which he spent around Sh200,000 to renovate.
On the other hand, the most expensive car cost him Sh700,000, which he revamped for about Sh300,000 and sold for Sh1.3 million. He added that the car business gives him more money than his actual job.
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“I am an IT expert, and cars have been my passion from a young age. But interestingly, I get more money from my passion compared to my actual hustle,” he stated.
Empire 007 further revealed that he has so far owned 103 cars and targets to own 700 cars.Â
”People get shocked when I tell them I want to own 700 cars but that’s not a lot to me. Previously I had 100 cars but I’ve added three more,” he said.
Some of his cars are painted yellow similar to sports cars and have been featured in various music videos owing to their elegance.
According to him, his venture thrived in myriad challenges, among them the scarcity of spare parts. He said he sometimes buys different cars to source parts for one automobile.
He noted that the car revamp business is too demanding, and anyone looking to step into it should be well-conversant with cars.
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“It is an expensive and demanding affair as it can also take a whole year to get a car ready. This is not (a venture) for everyone (or feint-hearted),” he added.
“For anyone planning to join this venture, it is advisable to understand why you want to do it. Is it commercially or as a hobby,” Empire advised.