MARKET PLACE

As a school leaver, Ray Northway was taken on as an apprentice for Porsche in the UK. He’s been with the marque ever since, though for over 25 years running his own business not far from Porsche in Reading

Tried & tested, plus dealer and auction talk

How long have you been in the Porsche business?

I was lucky enough to walk straight out of school at 17 and into Porsche Cars Great Britain in the first year they decided to take on an apprentice technician. I already had a job lined up at a local Vw/audi main dealer, but didn’t have to think very long about which cars I would like to work with. I undertook a five-year apprenticeship and stayed on for around another five years, moving with them to the current site they share with Porsche Centre Reading, before setting up on my own.

What Porsches do you specialise in?

We service and repair as well as sell, and cover post-1978 cars, the 911SC and the early frontengined, water-cooled cars right through to the current models, usually once they are two to three years old. We rebuild airand water-cooled engines, and manual transmissions from the 911SC, Carrera 3.2, 964, 993, 996 and 997, and with four fulltime technicians plus myself have a busy shop, and always a lead time of a few weeks. We also sell pretty much all Porsches with the exception of early Cayennes and Panameras.

What’s your cheapest, and most expensive Porsche presently in stock?

The cheapest is a mint 2008 Boxster S Sport Edition at £20,995 that has only done 22,000 miles and has a great spec. The most expensive is a 993 Turbo S at £235,000, a UKsupplied car and one of only a few to be delivered in 1998.

What would you recommend as the best “first Porsche” to buy?

A good 996 is a great entry-level Porsche, and can be used sparingly or regularly. It does seem a little crazy that a few years ago air-cooled cars were under £20,000, but the 996 is now the only 911 you can buy for this price.

Where do you get your stock from?

We have a big customer base through our 25 plus years of servicing, so that usually means I can buy cars I know from people I know. It seems that cars are upgraded more often now, and people tend to move houses and jobs more, which can lead to a sale. I also buy from other traders and nonPorsche main dealers locally that know what models we like and can pay well for.

What warranty do you give, or sell?

Every Porsche we sell has a warranty, six or 12 months depending on its price and age, and this can be extended by the new owner for up to two years. We will always try and carry out any repairs in-house if the car is local.

What’s “hot” at the moment?

Gen 2 997s are good news. The post-2009 997 seems to be the same money now as it was two years ago, so with great reliability and no depreciation it’s an excellent buy. Good, late, manual 996 Carreras are harder to find that you might imagine, so they do not hang around long.

What’s best value at the moment?

Much as I like air-cooled cars, in terms of value they can be costly if you get it wrong. Of course, if you have owned one for many years then they have proven to be great value. The 2012 981 Boxster/cayman and 991s I think are the best value if you can stretch to them, as they are around half the cost of a new car, look almost identical and really feel and drive like a more modern car compared to previous models.

Name a car that you recently sold, that you would happily have kept for yourself

I had a 993 3.8 RS that I wish I had kept, as it was fantastic. I have just sold a 991 Carrera 4S that I really liked and my daughter wanted me to keep.

What car do you drive every day?

I live next door to the business so tend to use the company VW T5 transporter as it has so many uses, or a Land Cruiser, it being a bit rural here. If we buy a nice car for stock I will use it for a few days before prepping it for sale and before the “sold” slip gets to the DVLA. If we rebuild an engine, it will need miles putting on it before it goes out, and I find evenings after the traffic are great for this.

What are your plans for the future?

We have grown steadily and even though we own a pretty big site, we would need to move to take the business further. We have discussed it and while it may happen, things are far from broken at the moment so we’re happy to carry on as we are.

Contact Northway Porsche Grange Place Grange Lane Beenham Industrial Estate Bath Road Reading Berkshire RG7 5PT 0118 971 4333 northway.co.uk