The paint was hardly dry when the judging team visited Luxury Autobody, in Clifton Hill, last year. There was an unusually high standard of new shops in Victoria and the shop was pipped to the post, but not this year.
Luxury Autobody is actually quite a distressing place to visit, mangled Maseratis, scrunched Ferraris and host of other fine vehicles distressingly disfigured. Their owners however can be soothed the moment they walk into the huge reception area. There’s always a couple of exotic four wheeled beauties on display there, Ferrari factory pictures on the wall and a fine coffee bar.
Inside the workshop is also luxurious. There’s a huge and well used glass fronted aluminium repair booth which brings to mind an operating theatre. The shop is laid out in a classic u-shape with drive two drive through ovens in the centre.
Managing Director Angelo Bertuna also owns nearby Carpenters which repairs less stellar makes, while the super cars and more refined brands waft over to Luxury Autobody. The shop is factory approved for both Ferrari and Maserati and an approved repairer for Mercedez-Benz and preferred repairer for Lamborghini.
Workshop manager Frank Raco is sent off to Italy for the genuinely arduous but highly enjoyable Ferrari training that's essential to keep the shop's factory approved status.Repairs on these thoroughbreds are challenging and demand total confidence and precision – make a mistake and it will cost you dearly in replacement panels and the time they take to arrive from their motherland.
Bertuna describes his staff as “the best of the best”, which are undoubtedly easier to attract in a workshop as spacious, clean and attractive to work in.
There are also high levels of equipment as you would expect. The walls of the panel repair area are lined with attractively presented Carbench equipment, virtually in Ferrari yellow and red. Festool dust extraction is a great help in keeping the workshop so clean.
Bertuna has tapped into the DNA of these supercars marques and reflects it in every aspect of the business.