THE BEGINNING

Our motoring tale begins around 50 years ago, when Tim’s father, John, was cutting his teeth as an accountant at Williams Hunt, one of South Africa’s oldest vehicle dealers. Long before the Porsche bug bit, John was a big fan of the MG brand, and in the 1950s he courted his soon-to-be-wife Judy in a two-seater MGA. John’s automotive tastes began to change when Tim was born and the MG was traded for a far more 'practical' Fiat 500 Abarth.

At this point, John had left Williams Hunt and bought into a Shell garage which sold fuel and carried out vehicle servicing under the Servishell banner. The garage brought John closer to his passion for cars. He absorbed all the information he could, immersing himself in books and manuals, and acquiring as much information as possible from anyone willing to share it.

During this period the Fiat made way for an Alfa Romeo, but as time went on, John became more drawn to the Porsche brand. In the late 1970s, he bought his first – a 356 – and soon after a 911. John’s fascination and obsession with the German marque had begun.

The Shell garage kept servicing all types of cars, but John’s passion for Porsches only grew. At this time John was taking part in numerous Porsche club activities, and subsequently club members began bringing their cars to him for maintenance and repair work.

NEW BUSINESS

During the ’80s, the workshop business continued to grow, which prompted a move to a larger Mobil location complete with showroom space. Now John could sell cars too.

While all this was happening, Tim had gone through school and then served time in the South African Defence Force. Once his military service was up, Tim joined his father at the family business and completed his mechanic apprenticeship, working under his uncle Robert Abbot. In 1987, Tim took over the role as workshop foreman.