Will Castro and Unique Autosports, a unique history

 Working nights as a valet in an upscale New York restaurant, Will Castro's love of cars blossomed.  A student at Brentwood H.S., Castro piloted every manner of luxury and sports cars, from Cadillacs, Ferraris, and Mercedes Benz to Lincolns, Porsches and BMWs, all while still a student.  His passion for cars grew into an appreciation for design, engineering and the craftsmanship behind the world's great marques. Soon, he began apprenticing at a family member's auto body shop after school to learn the finer points of the care, maintenance and customization of the vehicles he loved, and a seed was planted that would grow into one of the most successful automotive customization businesses in the world.

After Castro graduated from Brentwood, he was eager to continue his education in the automotive industry.  The entrepreneurial bug bit him early, and Islip, New York was soon home to Castro's first business, Willies Shape & Shine.

"My friends would come back from clubbing in Manhattan and tell me all about all the custom cars they were seeing - rims, custom paint jobs, custom interiors - and they encouraged me to get into the aftermarket business", Castro said.

Castro concentrated on the skills he learned at his girlfriend's (soon to be wife's) uncle's body shop, and after several years success and a growing client list, Willies Shape & Shine expanded in 1984 after Castro applied a newly-acquired trade in custom interior work and upholstery - and the second chapter of his business was born - Unique Conversions.

Over the next few years his business grew and with it, and increased demand for his full conversions took root.  In 1998, Castro changed the name of his business from Unique Conversions to Unique Autosports and moved his shop from Brentwood to Uniondale, New York.

Castro became a full-service customizer, moving into the world of ground effect kits, custom wheels and big-ticket specialty work.

"Unique's first celebrity clients were Brentwood's own Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith - the rap pioneers EPMD," said Castro.  "After Sermon signed his first record deal, he brought me a Mercedes 300 E to personalize."   Castro's craftsmanship was a hit in the rap and hip-hop communities, and his signature style became known as a hot commodity with celebrities, musicians, athletes and the elite.  Legendary rap icon Busta Rhymes now serves as one of many of Unique's "unofficial spokespeople".

"The New York Jets practiced on Long Island," Castro added.  "One day, Jets safety Erick McMillan brought a wrecked BMW to Unique Autosports, and we customized the ride to better-than-new.  That led to even more work with Jets players and other high-profile athletes around the country."  Soon, Castro and Unique Autosports were synonymous with the highest quality customizations and craftsmanship anywhere, and orders poured-in for custom after custom.

Castro's business expanded, and after building the hottest car customizing brand around, he and his team of customizing professionals soon found themselves in front of the cameras their star-studded clientele so successfully navigated.  In 2004, SPEED launched a new programming schedule, and one of its instant hits was Unique Whips, featuring Castro and his Unique Autosports crew. The show was embraced passionately by enthusiasts across the country as Castro's talents as a designer, fabricator and innovator were showcased on a wild variety of celebrity rides.

Will continues to dominate the industry, and has recently expanded his empire further, now reaching to sunny Miami, Florida with his new shop, Unique Autosports: South.  Miami's international flavor, combined with its warm climate and proximity to celebrity clientele have brought Will and his team from New York to Florida.

Unique Autosports has now grown into a highly acclaimed Miami-based brand serving a global client-base of A-list celebrities and athletes, corporate customers and automotive enthusiasts. The Unique Autosports brand family now includes projects such as:  Unique Autosports: Miami, the all-new signature cable television show premiering March 21st at 10:30 AM EST on Spike TV and produced by Facio Productions.  The show tells the Unique story, highlighting the people, places and relationships that make Unique Autosports special.  Shot at Castro's new world headquarters: Unique Autosports: South, the show will be broadcast Sundays on Spike TV's PowerBlock schedule of automotive-related programming and is shot at Unique's 47,000-square-foot car customization complex, covering Castro and his team of world-class customizers as they design and service the high end luxury and sport vehicles for Unique's star-studded clientele.  In addition, the Unique Autosports brand includes Unique Yachts, a one-of-a-kind customization program for high-end marine vessels; Unique Homes, the leader in home theatre design and construction, and a clothing line for fashion conscious fans of the brand.  For more information on Unique Autosports, please visit www.uniqueautosport.com.
 
Celebrity clientele include entertainers 50 Cent, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Pamela Anderson and Patti LaBelle; athletes LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Yao Ming; Amar'e Stoudemire, Jermaine O'Neal; CC Sabathia; Maurice Jones-Drew and A.J. Burnett, Michael Strahan; NASCAR champions Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart; author Tom Wolfe; filmmaker John Singleton and fashion icon Marc Ecko.