The art of the wheel
Miami auto designer Alex Vega has a reality show.
Alex Vega is the Miami auto designer to sports stars and celebrities.
He customizes highend cars into whatever his clients desire.
“A lot ofmy high-end clients like to change their cars. They might want their car red today and black tomorrow,” says Vega, on his new reality show, “The Auto Firm with Alex Vega,” which airs on the Discovery Communications-owned Velocity cable network. The show, which debuts 10 p.m. July 5, follows his auto transformations inside his West Kendall body shop.
“In Miami, it’s all about style,” he narrates in a preview. “I design cars for clients that want to stand out from the crowd.”
The program is like the auto version of a makeover show. Vega meets with clients, from Major League Baseball players to musicians, to discuss which cosmetic and mechanical changes they want for their high-end cars, which range from Ferraris to Mercedes.
In one episode, Vega and his crew take a black Ferrari 488 GTB owned by Cleveland Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco and wrap it in a red metallic color with custom black wheels. The episode shows the meticulous, step-by-step process.
It also shows how Vega’s employees trick out a 1975 International Harvester Scout for a father who wants to surprise his 16-year-old son, who has Asperger’s syndrome and is a cancer survivor. They add Kevlar paint, a stateof-the-art sound system, aswell as install glowing LED lights under the car and lift the vehicle with new rims.
“There is never a challenge I say no to,” Vega says on the show, which also features postcard views of Miami and Miami Beach.
This season’s eightepisode series includes custom jobs for New York Mets player Yoenis Cespedes, singer Teyana Taylor and Zumba creator Beto Perez. (Be on the look out for singer Mark Anthony chatting with Vega inside a van in an upcoming episode.)
Here are some fun facts about Vega, 42, and his auto love. Love of cars As a kid in Miami, Vega enjoyed watching classic TV shows and movies that involved vehicles: “Knight Rider,” “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Back to the Future.” The South Miami Senior High School graduate began as a salesman at Firestone beforemoving into customizing people’s cars and creating a name for himself in the Miami auto scene.
“I look at the car like a canvas and bring it to life,” he says. Family business In 2010, Vega launched The Auto Firm. This past year, he moved the business fromhis Doral garage to a bigger location in West Kendall, at 12248 SW 133rd Court.
He runs the business with wife Amy, who handles the financials, and their sons, Alex Vega Jr. and Adriel Vega, who work on the cars. His niece, Desiree Alvarez Vega, works there too as a purchasing manager. Famous faces Viewers of the show will be able to see office photos of Vega with his celebrity clients, including hip-hop artist Lil Wayne, boxer Floyd Mayweather and former National Football League player Chad Johnson.