When Karl Foitek and his wife opened the Foitek Garage in Zurich in 1962, he had already made a name for himself as a racing and sportscar driver and while the entrepreneur always had a passion for fast Italian cars, brands such as Lotus and Jaguar were also represented in the garage. By the end of the Eighties, his three sons Reto, Frank and Gregor were taking an active role in the company.  In 2004, the Foitek Garage was sold but, in 2008, the brothers opened Foitek Automobile AG in Altendorf. The now 82-year-old Karl Foitek is still a consultant to his boys, providing help and encouragement, and his trophies and photographs give the showroom a special charm.

The current offerings of the family business include modern Ferraris and Maseratis, sitting alongside such rare classics as a 1978 Maserati Kyalami 4.2 with elegant brown metallic paintwork. There’s also the latest Maserati Ghibli to consider, which must raise a few eyebrows: who would have thought, when the Foitek Garage was first conceived, that one day there would be a Maserati with optional 4WD, an eight-speed auto gearbox and a diesel engine?

Photos: Jan Baedeker