About Us
Our team is our most valuable resource and the main reason for our success. Learn
more about their accomplishments and the deep experience they offer.
Corporate Bio
Eco-Classic Cars is a company that converts cars and trucks from internal combustion
engines to 100% electric vehicles. The company owners are Duke Altschuler and Melisse
Perré. Duke Altschuler, Managing Partner of CTAP LLC, a distributor of OCTG pipe,
earned a degree in engineering and an M.B.A before successfully building his own
company over a 24 year period. After building a business and career based on oil,
Duke decided it was time to turn his attention towards “off-oil” development, where
he and his wife, Melisse Perré, founded a classic car restoration company, Eco Classic
Cars, LLC. Melisse spent 20 years working for a local builder: a pioneer in green
building and smart growth before joining the company. She finished her career with
as Director of Finance. All told, both have close to a half-century of diversified
experiences to benefit their growing company. Eco Classic Car’s vision is for all
garages to be “plug-in ready” for an electric vehicle – preferably converted or
purchased from our shop.
The expert staff at Duke's Garage is group of true car enthusiasts, consisting
of both employees who have made car restoration a life-long career, and those who
plan on it. Consequently the team shares a sense of quality, passion and purpose
when handling cars and is ready and anxious to embark in the EV world.
What We Have Done
The first car included in the Eco Classic line is a 1965 all electric Ford Mustang
Convertible. This car is powered by two super charged high-torque direct current
motors and the energy storage is a light-weight 144-volt lithium ion battery pack,
supplied by Boundless Corporation, a Boulder based company. The Mustang is fully
restored, a beautiful olive green color was chosen for the exterior and tan colored
earth-friendly hemp was chosen for the interior with recycled foam seats.
Through trial and error we have moved to lighter cars and trucks with AC motors
and lithium ion battery technology. We are excited about the progress we’ve made
towards affordable conversions while taking advantage of Colorado State tax credits
and other possible rebates. We feel optimistic about our ability to offer consumers
used all electric vehicles achieving a net purchase price of under $25,000. We are
currently converting five cars, owned by Duke’s Garage, parent company to Eco Classic
Cars. They include: Three VW Bugs, a 1975 VW Bus, and a 1969 Camaro. We also have
completed a 1995 GMC Sonoma Truck conversion using a direct current motor and lead
acid batteries
Where We Are Going
Duke's Garage continues development work on light trucks and foresees the possibility
of capturing fleet conversions for city and county municipalities. We will also
continue to expand our offerings of all electric classic cars.
We believe our service capabilities and work to date on used vehicles will lead
to a new electric car dealership. We are negotiating a way to tie our EV work with
local a net-zero home builders who want to package electric vehicle technology with
the sale of a renewable resource home. As infrastructure changes to accommodate
plug-ins, Eco Classics Cars would like to be involved with the early development
and possible deployment of recharging stations. In addition, we’re in the process
of developing an interactive website to draw more people to electric vehicles.
Our goal is to provide an EV for everyday commuting, aesthetically appealing and
economical to own and drive.
Melisse Perré, Co-Founder
Recent Milestones
The first car included in the Eco Classic line is a 1965 all electric Ford Mustang Convertible. This car is powered by two super charged high-torque direct current motors and the energy storage is a light-weight 144-volt lithium ion battery pack, supplied by Boundless Corporation, a Boulder based company. The Mustang is fully restored, a beautiful olive green color was chosen for the exterior and tan colored earth-friendly hemp was chosen for the interior with recycled foam seats.
Through trial and error we have moved to lighter cars and trucks with AC motors and lithium ion battery technology. We are excited about the progress we’ve made towards affordable conversions while taking advantage of Colorado State tax credits and other possible rebates. We feel optimistic about our ability to offer consumers used all electric vehicles achieving a net purchase price of under $25,000. We are currently converting five cars, owned by Duke’s Garage, parent company to Eco Classic Cars. They include: Three VW Bugs, a 1975 VW Bus, and a 1969 Camaro. We also have completed a 1995 GMC Sonoma Truck conversion using a direct current motor and lead acid batteries.