2023-08-27 09:30:00
Passionate regarding Porsche, Vincent Laudisoit opened his business specializing in 911s in Belgium in 2016. He offers his customers an impressive stock of spare parts and has a constantly changing collection of around fifty cars in his garage. .
Par
Vincent Foultier
Published on 27/08/2023 – 11:30
In Belgium, a Porsche 911 specialist offers all kinds of spare parts.
Vincent Laudisoit
2023 is the year of festivities at Porsche. In addition to its 75th anniversary, the Stuttgart firm is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its legendary 911. Through six decades, eight generations and multiple variations, more than a million copies have been produced of the sports coupe. It is also and above all the best-selling sports car in the world. Crossing a Porsche 911 in the street is therefore commonplace, especially in Belgium. The country saw a record order rate of 911 in 2022 with almost one copy sold for 100 cars (3,309 copies for 366,000 copies in total). It is also the European nation where the density of Porsches per square kilometer is the highest. Paradoxically, Belgium has only 9 Porsche dealerships on its land, once morest more than thirty in France. Nothing to worry the owners of 911 for as much. They can count on Vincent Laudisoit, a brand enthusiast from an early age. In 2016, in a corner of the Wallonia region, he opened a workshop made up exclusively of models and spare parts from the Stuttgart brand. In other words, the toy store for purists.
12,000 m² of rooms
In the district of Petit-Roeulx-lez-Nivelles, in the municipality of Seneffe (11,400 inhabitants), a 10,000 m² floor welcomes several dozen 911s in all kinds of condition. Inside, a 2,000 m² building houses others. In total, Vincent has a constantly changing stock of around 50 cars. Among them are three GT3 RS of the generations 996 (1997-2005), 997 (2004-2012) and 991 (2011-2018) as well as a 992 Turbo S (2020). “These are the most expensive recent models I have in stock”he describes to us. But Vincent’s specialty is the first 2.0. He explains to us that he “sold a large number of models from the years 1965 and 1966”. Its stock of spare parts for models from that era is impressive. They are the ones most requested by customers. Vincent regularly resells it to teams in the Peter Auto 2.0 Cup, a competition reserved for short-chassis 2-litre Porsche 911s that comply with FIA regulations before 1966.
Media Image
Image
This Porsche 911 GT3 RS went off the track during a lap on the circuit.
Vincent Laudisoit
Spare parts, Vincent does not even count them anymore. Dozens of racks are overflowing with mechanism and body parts. Mirrors, doors, hoods, fenders, bumpers, steering wheels, dashboards, seats, engines, gearboxes, electrical wiring and many more… Enough to rebuild entire Porsches. But contrary to what one might imagine, the main activity of the company is not the restoration of vehicles. “7 years ago (in 2016), I decided to devote my professional activity to the sale of parts and cars to be restored. But I’m not working on it”, announces Vincent. He has already sold a 911 model to be restored for €150,000. Most of its customers call on it mainly for spare parts. Some pay around €12,000 before starting their restoration project. However, and like all good enthusiasts, this former mechanic can’t help getting his hands dirty. He told us that he was restoring one of the first 100 911s built. This is a model produced in October 1964, the very first having been assembled in September of the same year.
Incredible stories
Brought to cross the roads of Europe, and particularly of France, Vincent is full of often captivating and incredible stories to tell. He told us regarding some of them. He unearthed a Porsche 911 Carrera Targa 2.7 that had belonged to the Belgian Police. The latter had ordered 20 copies of this model in the 1970s. An extremely rare discovery, especially since only 11 copies have been found.. One of them was also sold at auction during the Salon Rétromobile 2023. Artcurial had hit the hammer following an offer of €131,120. Another story, one day, when he goes to a barn to retrieve a car, he discovers that the latter is inaccessible. The reason for this is totally unusual. Its owner had built a solid building around the barn, without thinking of leaving a large enough opening. It was therefore necessary to destroy one of the walls of the building to get the vehicle out. It makes you wonder how can you forget that such a treasure is sleeping in your garage?
Media Image
Image
The owner of this orange Porsche 356 did not want to part with his model in memory of his flirtatious years.
Vincent Laudisoit
This one is more fun and should bring back good memories for some. Before selling it, the owner of this orange Porsche 356 had kept it for the simple and good reason that this car was the one with which he was going to flirt with girls. Yes gentlemen, a nice car can help you capsize the hearts of ladies. For others, it is simply impossible to separate from one’s role model. It then ends up scattered in spare parts all over the house. The Maisons du Monde store has a sofa like the front of an old Ambassador, so why not you? In a completely different genre, if curiosity is often perceived as an ugly flaw, it can sometimes create unexpected situations. In an airport, a man who listened to Vincent’s telephone conversation turned out to be the holder of a collection of vehicles. He therefore decided to invite our man of the day to discover it. And then, it is not uncommon for personalities, owners of Porsche models, to visit his workshop in Belgium while wishing to remain incognito. Amateur of all these beautiful encounters, Vincent tells “go often to a place for a specific thing, and come back with a head full of treasures”.
Expansion project in sight
The craze aroused by vintage cars pushed Vincent Laudisoit to develop his business. It is already beginning to open up abroad thanks to its communication campaigns on social networks and word-of-mouth. It also aims to further expand to water-cooled 996 generation as well as front engine models (924, 928, 944 and 968). He noticed that these models are popular once more and are attracting strong interest from individuals. A feeling shared with the 911 type 997 and Boxster, youngtimers who are fast approaching the circle of collector vehicles.
Tags
1693130201
#Ali #Babas #cave #opens #doors #Belgium
