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Classic Driver Dealer: Specialist Cars of Malton

Classic Driver Dealer: Specialist Cars of Malton Take a look at the Specialist Cars website and, as a Porsche enthusiast, you’ll be impressed by the sheer range of cars. There’s everything from a Guards Red Carrera GT – quite possibly the last new, unregistered red model in the world – in stock, and yours for a touch under £300k, right through to the more affordable Porsches. Such as the 25 examples of 911 (3.0 RSR, 997 Turbo Convertible, 935 ‘Flatnose’, 993 RS, 996 GT2 and so on…) to the Boxster, Cayman, Cayenne: you name it, you’ll probably find it here.

The variety of Porsches in stock is quite startling; and for those cynics among you who doubt that the cars are really there, sitting in the dealership waiting for a buyer, the website offers a moving panorama of the showroom. It presents a mesmeric succession of black and silver and red (and even pink), along with a promise that, if you can’t find the specific Porsche you want, the team at Specialist Cars will track it down for you.

But the likelihood is that you’ll find the model you’re after, already itemised. For those with less money to spend but no less of a passion for Porsche, there are the more affordable classics, too – such as 928 and 968 – all of them individually pictured and priced.

Classic Driver Dealer: Specialist Cars of Malton Classic Driver Dealer: Specialist Cars of Malton

But what of the company itself? Based in Malton, North Yorkshire, Specialist Cars – set up some 30 years ago – enjoys a relaxed and informal atmosphere. “We’re friendly and down-to-earth,” says Managing Director John Hawkins, “but we take the cars very seriously. Everyone who works here is a Porsche enthusiast. More than that; we live and breathe Porsche and we’re extremely fussy about the cars we sell. Fastidious.”

Alongside Hawkins and his sales manager Don Cass, there’s a parts and service manager plus six specialist technicians. As well as servicing, paintwork, restoration and valeting, Specialist Cars has tuning expertise which enables them to offer a 650bhp 996 GT2 RS (their own model designation).

Classic Driver Dealer: Specialist Cars of Malton Classic Driver Dealer: Specialist Cars of Malton

It’s also clear from their website that the Malton outfit takes a strong interest in the heritage of the marque. There’s a large section of the site dedicated to the history of Porsche, often giving year-by-year details on individual models. John Hawkins is fairly outspoken in his views on the marque in recent years: “Porsche has been making too many cars. The sheer volume of new Porsches produced today has diluted the brand and, whereas you could buy a 993 in the late 1990s and get your money back on it a year later, that’s no longer the case.”

Of course, while this brand dilution might upset the cognoscenti, it does mean that Porsche ownership is now available to a much wider audience – who will want as much protection from the potential pitfalls as possible. Says Hawkins: “We’re not the cheapest in the market but we genuinely believe we’re the best. The warranty and guarantee we offer on every car is such that the first year’s ownership is effectively free. Guaranteed. We can’t promise that nothing will ever go wrong but, if it does, we’ll sort it out. We look after people; that’s what sets us apart.”

If you plan to be in the North Yorkshire region over the Easter weekend, you might want to drop into Specialist Cars’ ‘open’ weekend, from 21-24 March.

See www.specialistcarsltd.co.uk.

Please click HERE to see all the Specialist Cars of Malton Ltd cars for sale in the Classic Driver car database.

Specialist Cars of Malton Ltd
Malton
Yorkshire
Phone: +44 (0)844 7000 997
Fax: +44(0)844 7000 959
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.specialistcarsltd.co.uk


Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Specialist Cars of Malton



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