(Editor’s Note: Covenant Concept’s display is constantly changing as cars come and go. Most of these photos were taken on the day this article was published. When our contributor Jay Kew visited Covenant Concept a few days prior, the display was different. Hence these updated photos may not exactly match Jay’s previous experience at Covenant Concept)

By this same token, it’s fairly obvious when a bean counter is running operations and passion has to take a back-seat to practicality, as opposed to someone who is truly enthusiastic about a topic.

In the case of the latter, the vibes are always different and this is arguably how you connect and resonate with fellow enthusiasts, especially if Covenant Concept’s “garage life” space is anything to go by.

As with many niche interests, the specialist car scene is a hard one to crack. After all, petrolheads value authenticity above all else, least of all if they are buying a car in one of the most expensive countries in the world for car ownership – Singapore.

You can’t play-act at being an enthusiast, because it requires a degree of sartorial sensitivity that isn’t easy to cultivate, especially if you don’t have a nuanced sense for the analogue and high-octane petrol coursing through your veins.

These aren’t mass market, synthetic appliances you’re pushing, because a dealer in the “fun car” sphere is fueling an addiction for analogue feel, which is far more compulsive than soulless A-to-B commuting.

Decor, ambience and car choice are just a few of the elements to set the stage and play to one’s emotions. After all, we are all just big children at heart and there’s nothing more thrilling than to see our 1:18 fantasies come to 1:1 life.

Comprising brothers, Abel (38yo) and Amos (35yo), together with their 47-year-old cousin Steven, Covenant Concept balks at being regarded as just another car dealer.

“Covenant Concept is not just in the automobile trading business,” Abel tells us.

“ We connect people through our space, bring communities closer and inspire the next generation of budding enthusiasts by sharing what we love.”

What brought the trio together? “When Covid shut down the world, it was a good time to reflect on our purpose in life and take stock of what we all wanted to achieve. We decided to dream big when we set off on this journey, especially since we didn’t have to deal with the constraints/red tape typically found in a corporate environment,” Abel says.

Covenant Concept’s space is not unlike a “man-cave”, and comes complete with fully-stocked lounge area, as well as a Bat Cave-inspired “jewel-case” exhibition box that features mirrors and perfect studio lighting in which to park the car of the moment.

The decor is inspired by Petrolicious’ “Drive Tastefully” mantra, with rare car parts, coffee table books, wall-art and model cars mixing it up for your viewing pleasure.

There is space for four cars inside, with another two to three outside. The display cars are in constant rotation to keep things fresh. When we visited, a Spoon-liveried DC2R was in the “toy-box”, while the main area showcased a Mazda RX-7 Spirit R, Toyota iQ and Abel’s personal Datsun Z.

Abel smiles, “We wanted a space in which petrolheads can feel right at home, and be inspired by respecting and revisiting the most superlative engineering creations and designs in the automotive world. These little sparks keep the flame going, so it’s never a boring day at work.”

Covenant Concept Pte Ltd is located at 23 Leonie Hill, Singapore 239224. Their phone number is +65 9646 5416. They also have a secondary location at 1 Kampong Ampat S (368314)