The specialist: Vincent Laudisoit

By Mario Laguna

| 29 Jun 2023

Classic & Sports Car – The specialist: Vincent Laudisoit

Belgium has had a long love affair with Porsche.

Soon after WW2, Pierre D’Ieteren of the famous coachbuilding family went to Stuttgart and was appointed as a Porsche importer from 1950, having had a contract to bring in Volkswagen vehicles since 1948.

Then, after his father died in a car crash in 1975, Roland D’Ieteren really succeeded in making the marque popular in Belgium.

Porsche body parts are ready for a new lease of life

He sold 911s in big numbers for a relatively small country, and today the density of Porsches per square mile is higher than in any other European country.

Nevertheless, finding a large Porsche parts specialist in north Charleroi, hidden away in the rural region of Wallonia, still comes as a surprise.

It’s not exactly a remote spot on a road map, but it’s far enough away from the main tourist destinations to preserve its quiet charm.

Vincent Laudisoit’s facility has a fantastic stock of original Porsche engines

In the small neighbourhood of Petit-Roeulx-lez-Nivelles, a suburb of Seneffe (population 11,000), a derelict Porsche 911 sits forlornly outside a modern brick building that echoes the style of a traditional farm.

Open the doors and you’ll find yourself snaking between Porsches of all ages and conditions, and after a while eventually stumble across somebody delving into a pile of old conrods.

Owner Vincent Laudisoit has an office on the first floor, but is happy to leave it to give a guided tour around his fascinating collection, which ranges from complete cars and working engines to the tiniest dismantled part.

This 911 was totally destroyed in a fire

There are tonnes of electrical wiring, mirrors, steering wheels, wings, bonnets, gearboxes, dashboards, seats, instruments, doors, cylinder blocks, windows, sets of Fuchs wheels, all manner of lights and everything else you’d need to restore a 911 from the air-cooled era, regardless of year or model.

Vincent is a self-declared flat-six enthusiast – as his work van and personal car demonstrate, bearing the special numberplates VL FLAT and FLAT 6.

“I started my Porsche-only parts shop in 2016, but I’ve been working as a mechanic since I was 15 and had the chance to buy my first Porsche aged 18,” he explains.

With Vincent’s help, the fastidious restoration of this lovely Cobalt Blue 1973 911E has just been completed

As the business expands overseas with the help of the internet, Vincent has recently expanded into the 996 water-cooled generation, too.

Despite increasing EU regulation, he believes there is a bright future for the parts market, with Porsche 911s ticking all the boxes as part of the 20th century’s cultural heritage.

By tracking down derelict or crashed 911s around the world, Vincent is helping enthusiasts to restore their own Porsches to original condition on a sensible budget.

The grey 964 Carrera 4 (left) is a sound project, while the white Ruf is an unlikely spot in a scrapyard

Inside his 2000m² facility – with a further 10,000m² available outdoors – is an ever-changing stock of 60 cars, ranging from fair driving condition to hopeless cases.

Among the models to be found during our visit were a rare Grand Prix White Ruf 911 and a mint 1973 911E 2.4, which Vincent has helped a customer to restore.

The most expensive car Vincent has sold was a 911 needing restoration at €150,000, but the starting point for projects is around €12,000 – about what you’ll need to pay to purchase a complete engine, plus €5000 more to get it to top condition.

Vincent has a wide selection of targas

A straight 1995 993 Cabriolet, with a good body and full leather interior, is currently available for €28,000; this engineless car was a flood victim in Luxembourg.

A high percentage of the shells are targas, in particular among the lost causes.

Many show the curious beauty of rust, and even the wrecks betray the quality of Porsche construction.

Owners searching for that particular missing part are advised to call before dropping in, because Vincent is often away at shows and autojumbles.

Images: Mario Laguna

The knowledge

Name Vincent Laudisoit
Address Rue du Marais 3, Petit-Roeulx-lez-Nivelles, 7181 Seneffe, Belgium
Specialism Used 911 parts
Staff Four
Prices From €50 for smaller body parts to €12,000 for rough but complete cars
Tel 0032 472 33 88 80
Facebook VL-Porsche parts Belgium