When someone enters Richard Capoccia’s shop, they tell him about their dreams. Those fantasies usually involve driving a Ferrari, and lucky for them Richard can make those dreams come true.
Richard and his partner Fernando Torres are master technicians and factory-trained to service Ferraris. They’re also co-owners of Competizione and Sports Cars in Gaithersburg. (“Competizione” translates to “competition.”)
“When people come to my shop, usually they have heard of us from word of mouth,” Richard says. “We start talking about what they are looking for and I ask them what they had previously. Most of them say they had a Mercedes, Porsche or BMW but their dream is to have a Ferrari.”
Although Richard admits his is a niche business, he says there are a lot of Ferraris in the DMV. “Also,” he adds, “we get cars from all over the country. People ship their cars to us for mechanical work and restoration. We provide the personalized service of a small European shop along with the high-tech tools and equipment of a professional race team.”
Richard handles sales for the company while also remaining very hands-on in servicing the cars. In addition, he has four other technicians who are also Ferrari-factory trained.
“All of our Ferrari’s available for sale are usually locally owned and have been serviced and maintained by us for years," Richard explains. "That gives the new buyer/owner great peace of mind.”
Richard, who has been in the business for more than 30 years, explains that his is not a regular car dealership selling pre-owned vehicles. “We are an old-school shop,” he adds. “A lot of business I do is on a handshake.”
Visitors enter the reception area and then go into the workshop. “They see it’s clean and not a regular mechanic shop. They feel very comfortable,” says Richard, adding that his clients are given his cell number and can reach him 24/7. “A lot of my clients have become my friends over the years. They trust me.”