I count myself incredibly fortunate to have spent my life around some of the finest cars in the world, and a wide variety of the people who own them.
I bought and sold my first Ferrari aged 20. Due to my unique upbringing, my contacts grew quickly outside of the motor racing scene as I was approached to source exotic cars for celebrities, pop and sport stars like Duran Duran, Queen, Tom Jones and many more. I have also worked with many high net worth individuals and have contacts who work with royal families in the Middle East.
I have fronted an offshore jurisdiction dealership for Bentley, Porsche and Aston Martin, undergoing all the marque training, whilst building relationships and growing the business.
You cannot be involved with performance and exotica without understanding the importance of provenance, and the value that brings, not just financial value but the pleasure of ownership which can be priceless. You also have to understand the logistics and legal implications of multi-jurisdictional transactions. For many clients, I have managed all aspects of procurement and disposal discreetly and professionally, generally through my extensive ‘off-market’ contacts.
Of course, you also have to be able to forge strong relationships with people from every walk of life in my profession. This is my forte – quickly establishing a natural, unforced connection to everyone I meet.
I have managed and presented launch events for the likes of Porsche and Aston Martin, holding court to over 200 people, and arranged special events for high net worth clients including unique driving days, rallies, Goodwood etc. I was also an early adopter of video and can manage all aspects of creating unique ‘biographies’ for major collections.
Unusual beginnings: Born 23rd October 1964, my early experiences revolved entirely around the glory days of F1 and motor racing. My father, Mike Beckwith, was a professional racing driver and race team owner so we travelled the world throughout the 60’s & early 70’s. He won the Marlboro 12 hour Sedan race at Marlboro Raceway in Marlboro, Maryland with Sir Jackie Stewart and drove with the likes of Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Ireland and many more.
Many life-long friendships were formed during this time, when the paddock were considered a close-knit family, as was my passion for high performance and exotic cars. Damon Hill, the Stewart brothers, Mark Blundell and even my Godfather is a 40 year veteran at P&A Wood. These relationships have helped forge a rewarding career.