November 4, 2019, it's 8 a.m. Auch wakes up with the first typical autumn morning chills. The people of Auch go about their daily routines, but at 116 Avenue de la Grande Armée, there is a buzz of excitement, the big day has arrived. For some time, this old warehouse known by many locals has slowly been coming back to life. The older generation remembers the time when a certain Mr. Roger BAT, then a parts rectifier, spent his days reviving everyday cars. Sometimes a parts dealer, sometimes a collector, he offered his clients his immense work ethic and inexhaustible knowledge of automobiles. A man who passed on the car bug to his son Christian BAT, who, upon his passing, wanted to keep it alive. The numerous parts accumulated over the decades gave Christian a simple idea, to open a store so that enthusiasts could continue to pamper their cars. So this day in November 2019 marks the launch of this new business but, given the times, it is inconceivable to only have a physical store. The decision was made from the start to offer these parts to people worldwide through a next-generation e-commerce site translated into English. The first order is placed, the ALEPOC adventure is launched and it's only just beginning.

ALEPOC: a fascinating family story

The small family team composed of Christian BAT, the founder, Grégoire, his son, and his brother-in-law, Lilian, are committed to doing their utmost to meet the expectations of individuals and professionals eager to repair their cars as quickly as possible. This family story quickly spreads locally, the reputation of Roger BAT persists, and the regional newspapers revel in it. La Dépêche, Presse Lib, and the associative radio DFM 930 highlight us to our great delight, even if the interview exercise is not very simple (it makes for stories to tell). The local aspect is good, but it was also necessary to make ourselves known nationally. Our first steps with the specialized press were made with Gazoline and La Vie de l’Auto. Magazines run by enthusiasts, aimed at enthusiasts, immediately appealed to us.

The seeds are beginning to bear fruit. Our team organizes and improves processes like shipping to guarantee fast and secure delivery. Our specialists Grégoire and Lilian always answer your calls to guide you. A commitment to quality that is dear to us and has been one of our priorities from the start. Constantly progressing, we are always listening to your feedback. Is the website not user-friendly enough? We have revamped it twice since 2019 to improve accessibility. Recurring questions? A FAQ has been launched to save you from having to call us.

The family and proximity spirit must endure even with an e-commerce site, as it remains above all a human adventure. For those passing by, our doors are open 5 days a week to come and collect your parts and chat over a coffee.

ALEPOC: the place of humans in the digital world

We try to keep this human aspect in our daily communication. From the beginning, we believed in the benefits of modern digital communication because at ALEPOC, tradition and future go hand in hand. Our adventures were quickly shared on our Facebook and Instagram pages. We also chose LinkedIn to connect with you, the classic car professionals. Without you, many cars would no longer be on our roads, so we decided to focus on tools that make life easier for those who save our cars. The professional space with dedicated discounts was created for this purpose, though we are just at the beginning of a long journey.

Audrey has been at the helm of this communication since 2020. A native of Picardy, she is dedicated to the businesses of her new beloved region and supports us in our digital growth.

Under her leadership, we continued to develop our image and talk about classic cars in all their forms. Yes, above all, we remain enthusiasts, which is why we decided to feature a blog section on our site—maintained by yours truly—that tells stories and takes you back to automotive events.

Meeting Car Collectors

You may have already met us at these events, as ALEPOC is regularly on the ground to be close to you. It all started with the outings of the Tacot’s Club Gascon, which Roger co-founded. These local outings quickly extended beyond the land of the duck. In 2021, we marked our first participation in a major exhibition: Epoqu’auto in Lyon. With our small stand (at least we kept warm), we were able to introduce you to our universe. A universe we strive to make known in many corners of France and Europe with active participation in several gatherings this year. The Crossing of Bordeaux, the Salon Auto Moto Classic in Toulouse, the 35th Rencontre de Réquista, the Monde de l’Auto in Samatan, the annual gathering in Fenouillet (read: The Southwest in Classics with ALEPOC), and even the Salon Auto e Moto d’Epoca in Padua in Italy are just some examples of shared moments around a common passion. As we loved Lyon and its bouchons (the restaurant, of course), we returned this year with a stand of another dimension. For the 2022 edition, we invited several partners who share our same desire to promote the French classic car. Carefully selected partners celebrated our third anniversary with us (read: the unmissable event, the Epoqu'auto show).

ALEPOC has not finished surprising you, and every day, numerous ideas come to mind to make the world of spare parts more accessible to everyone. Our personalized search service for non-listed parts and our advantageous financing offers aim to democratize classic cars.

Roger's 100th Anniversary

This year, ALEPOC is not the only one celebrating an anniversary. Indeed, the R5 celebrates its 50th anniversary, but our historical figure Roger is also celebrating his 100th anniversary. An iconic figure of our company, without whom ALEPOC would surely not exist, Roger returns to the spotlight for his centennial. Our mascot is everywhere, guiding you and telling you many stories. If you follow us on Facebook, you may have caught a glimpse of the comic strips created by FABOUN'E featuring him in a humorous daily life. If Roger still holds many secrets for you, you can listen to him telling his story with his podcast available here.

More broadly, the entire team and the actors who have been bringing ALEPOC to life daily for three years have participated in the podcast game thanks to "Les Echos de Coco". It's an opportunity to discover each person's story and find out that behind the website, there are men and women who work every day. Their voices pave the way for upcoming adventures that promise to be exciting as we continuously strive to improve ALEPOC.

With these words, we once again wish a happy birthday to ALEPOC.

Stay tuned for our upcoming adventures.

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