The specialist: Cotswold Porsche Specialists

By Paul Hardiman

| 6 Aug 2021

Classic & Sports Car – The specialist: Cotswold Porsche Specialists

Running your Porsche on a sensible budget is the philosophy here.

As Cotswold Porsche Specialists founder Lee Jones puts it: “We are committed to low-cost Porsche ownership through good-value labour rates and servicing, low-cost spares and intelligently targeted repairs.”

That means being realistic about what a car needs now, and what it is likely to need in the future – diligently written out as a ‘road map’ in the boss’ own hand on the back of every invoice – and offering a choice of spares, from genuine Porsche to used.

It’s a warts-and-all review of a car they can pick away at over time. “Even cars of 10 years old have one,” says Jones. “As they get to 20 years and older, the map gets bigger.”

Fixed-price servicing and sensible labour rates keep a lid on maintenance costs for more affordable models

The supply of secondhand spares is what the business was founded on back in 2012, although things have come a long way since.

“We just expanded sideways,” Jones admits. “Now the breaking side of things is really non-existent, although we still have a healthy inventory.”

That growth encapsulates not only the servicing and repairs, but also, more lately, car sales from a separate office and storage site across the road.

The secondhand parts store remains impressive, with everything from ABS pumps and steering racks to cylinder heads and even a complete M96 engine.

There are new genuine Porsche parts racked up, too, including a job lot of factory sports exhausts for the 996 that Jones admits were too hard to resist at $5000 each. “If we haven’t got the part you are after, we can normally source it new,” he adds.

Secondhand parts supply is where it all started

There’s a fixed-price menu, which starts at £220 for a Boxster service and £649 for a clutch, with a brake-fluid change at £69 for all models.

“We do everything from changing wipers to engine rebuilds,” says Jones.“Servicing dominates and I’d say the Boxster 987 is the most common car, followed by the 986.

“We also have a reputation for fixing transaxle cars. With the upturn in values, we are seeing more and more of these.

“We still consider ourselves enthusiasts first and business owners second, so we know how Porsche customers expect to be treated.”

The latest computerised set-up sees to steering and wheel alignment

There’s a computerised four-wheel alignment set-up – “Porsches eat suspension components” – and three lifts in the workshop next door, where a 997 GT2 nestles, a Cayenne is having a misfire attended to and a 987 Boxster is in need of new coolant pipes.

Roughly 20 customer cars wait outside, including a few transaxle models, while the satellite sales office incorporates a customer pool table.

With only a 993 cabrio in stock on our visit, the showroom currently doubles as storage for Jones’ own collection, plus a ’76 Carrera 3.0 that’s in for an engine rebuild.

There is an extensive stock of genuine, OEM and used parts on site

“I’d always dreamt of owning a Porsche and bought a 964 – which is a story in itself,” says Jones.

“I then got a 924, which is what I’d wanted all along, then another, because they seemed such good value.

“My mate recorded a programme about a Porsche breaker, and once the seed was planted I’d quit my job as a chartered engineer within six months!”

Images: Luc Lacey

The knowledge

Name Cotswold Porsche Specialists
Address Orchard Industrial Estate, Toddington, Glos GL54 5EB
Specialism Cost-effective Porsche servicing, repairs and spare parts, and used Porsche sales
Staff Seven
Prices Labour rate £60 plus VAT; servicing from £220 (Boxster)
Tel 01242 620180
Web cotswoldspecialists.co.uk
Email info@cotswoldspecialists.co.uk