Praise on social media from Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds has sent interest in an electric motorcycle manufacturing company “into overdrive”, it said.
The star and co-owner of Wrexham posted about Coventry-based company Arc saying their Vector model was “the coolest bike” he had ever ridden. Chairman, Mark Truman, said the company had supplied the actor with a custom-made model last year.
Recent posts on Instagram by Reynolds had “sent our channels crazy,” he said.
The company which claims it produces “the world's most advanced motorcycles,” said the personalised Vector model, costing between £100,000 and £150,000 had been delivered in November and the star stayed in touch.
He was a “very down to earth guy,” said Mr Truman, “he was very clear he wanted to pay full price, didn't want to jump the queue”.
The actor had requested the use of flax – a hemp-like material – to be used throughout the battery-powered bike's design. The Deadpool star posted his praise ahead of the company's launch into the North American market and appearance at the Salon Prive motor show.
Reynolds told us the bike “blew his mind”, said Mr Truman.
“When he was a little kid, he'd imagined what it would be like to be Superman flying just above the ground and this was the closest he'd ever get.”
The actor posted to his 50 million Instagram followers and said he had “no stake or connection” to the company and had “never stopped giggling the whole ride”. As a result the company saw an increase in engagement of “around 1,200 per cent” via its social media feeds and a “huge amount” of sales enquiries, added Mr Truman.
The posts “absolutely mean the earth,” he added.
“We could never afford to pay him for celebrity endorsement he's just a completely authentic customer who purchased a bike.”
— CutC by bbc.com
