DEALER TALK: TJS GERMAN SPORTS CARS
On selling his fashion business in 1996 Thomas Schmitz bought a 964 911 RS, which led to him establishing himself in Nord Rhein Westfalen in north west Germany as a specialist in “lightweight” Porsches. Nonetheless he recommends you buy the Porsche you love, not the one you hope will appreciate most
How long have you been in the Porsche business? Since 1996 as a proper, fulltime business selling Porsches (after I sold my fashion distribution company), but as a Porsche driver and hobby trader since 1992.
What Porsches do you specialise in? Basically very high quality cars from the low production, special air-cooled series like the RS, RSR, Turbo 3.6, Turbo S lightweight and GT2. But recently we have also been offering special water-cooled models like the 996 and 997 GT3 and GT2. What’s your cheapest, and most expensive Porsche presently in stock? The cheapest is a great 1997 993 Carrera S in manual form and with 95,700km (59,800 miles), built to order for a Porsche factory manager in a special paint colour/interior combination (black metallic over cognac brown). It’s priced at €99,000 (about £88,000). Our most expensive is one of only 21 993 GT2 Evo road cars from 1998, in glacier white (only two were made in this colour) and with 20,700km (12,900 miles). We’re asking €1.55m (£1.38m). What would you recommend as the best “first Porsche” to buy? A very difficult question, and for us almost impossible to answer. From my point of view it needs to be an air-cooled model for an owner to understand and feel what Porsche really is about. A 911 Carrera 3.2 from the 1980s is bullet-proof and not too expensive, so I would recommend that, even although there are more exotic and exciting models out there – you should come to these later in your Porsche career. Where do you get your stock from? As a result of hard work searching the market exhaustively, from old customers, via recommendation from customers, and collectors and friends. What warranty do you give? None! We sell seriously good cars which are totally checked over and serviced at Porsche before they leave for the new owner. If something happens afterwards I don’t run away or find silly excuses – I sort it out! That’s our kind of warranty. What’s ‘hot’ at themoment? Very high quality, low-mileage cars for collectors, and on the other side, racing cars with race history. What’s best value at the moment? From my point of view it is what your heart tells you and what you really want, as you can never lose that way. Even if the car’s market value goes down you will still have enjoyment and fun in your Porsche life. That is the most important thing and can’t be bought by the dollar, pound sterling or euro.
Name cars you recently sold that you would happily have kept for yourself Almost every 964 RS, 993 RS or 964 Turbo S and 993 GT2 I’ve sold in the last two to three years, but especially a pale yellow 993 GT2 and a white 964 RSR 3.8 as well as a mint green 964 RS 3.8 Clubsport. What car do you drive everyday? Honestly? A new Range Rover 4.4 diesel. Porsches are fun and hobby cars for me. What are your plans for the future? That very much depends on what my son Robin and my daughter Elena want to do. If one of them want to continue my business and run it, I will stand by their side to help and work with them. Otherwise I may sell the business in a couple of years’ time and try to stay healthy, enjoy life and drive aircooled Porsches! Contact Thomas J. Schmitz German Sports Cars Gmbh Gildeweg 5 48291 Telgte Germany +49 2504 2741 germansportscars.net