‘Running on Fumes’ is an inside look on small businesses within the automotive industry. Between dealerships, mechanics, parts dealers, etc. I’m interviewing multiple people in order to better understand the highlights and struggles of being a small business owner.

What happens when a car brand goes under? Who maintains the vehicles and supplies the parts? It takes a lot of work and commitment to operate a business for a dead brand, and can only be done by someone who is driven by a serious passion.

Sean Pollitt, 48, started his own parts business 8 years ago. ‘Redaero Saab Parts’ is a one man team consisting of Sean himself, and is run straight out of his own home in Athol, Massachusetts. Having a passion for Saabs at an early age, Sean has helped keep thousands of peoples cars on the road by supplying them with parts of all kinds.

From stereo knobs to steering wheels, Sean has it all. Having 22 parts cars and buying out entire inventories of old Saab dealerships, any enthusiast knows this isn’t just a small collection of goodies. If it’s Saab, it’s here. Even the iconic advertisements and promotional pieces are in Sean’s stock.

Running a business that focuses solely on a brand that is no longer operating isn’t an easy task. Parts are expensive, hard to come by, and often not in the best condition. Sean has put all of his time into his business, and spends 6 days a week answering questions, finding parts, and shipping them out to customers. Redaero Saab Parts is Sean’s primary source of income, and he plans on keeping it that way for as long as he possibly can.

“Growing up with Saabs and being a lifelong driver of more than 24 of them over the years, I turned my hobby into a business when I realized that so many of these cars were just being thrown away. My goal is to save as many parts as I can to keep as many cars on the road running and looking good for as long as possible.”