A DISAPPOINTING GIFT prompted Nathan Redfeam, a cofounder of the Harrington Group, to go into the business of building and selling fully functional half-size automobiles—or, as the company calls them, Junior Cars ($10,995 to $12,399). Years ago, he surprised his nephew with a toy version of a classic car. The car was expensive, but to Redfeam’s chagrin, its quality was poor. Redfeam, who had been involved with classic cars since he was a teenager growing up in Wales—repairing, restoring, buying, and selling them at various times—decided that he could build a better toy. Also, he figured, constructing the mini cars would help prepare the Harrington Group’s staff for his long-range plans of producing full-size electric cars.
Junior Cars is one of several ventures that Redfeam operates through the Harrington Group,…