TLG Auto … “Doing it the factory way since 1978.”
Founded in 1978 by Tony and Lois Gerace, TLG was formed in response to the impersonal experience offered by Porsche dealerships in the Los Angeles area. Tony and Lois wanted to provide their clients with the type of personal, detail-oriented service that just can’t be found at a large dealership. The focus since day one has been on building lasting relationships with clients, something that can only be done by providing them with the highest level of personalized care for their Porsche each and every time it rolls through the door.
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Tony has been one of the top professional Porsche mechanics in California for close to four decades.
Tony’s first job as a Porsche mechanic was at a New York Porsche dealership back in the early 70s. In February of 1975 Tony took a vacation, driving his 912-powered 1962 VW ragtop Beetle across the country, to California. When he arrived in Los Angeles it was a balmy 70 degrees and sunny … it was a Friday.
By Monday morning Tony had quit his job in New York and started work as a Porsche mechanic at Merlin-Olsen Porsche/Audi in Encino. He worked there until 1977 when he made the move to Follmer Porsche-Audi. Often called upon to handle the “impossible jobs,” Tony excelled at his profession and quickly earned himself a reputation as the go-to guy for mechanical fuel injection and Weber carburetors. While working in the dealer network, Tony received factory training on engine and transmission rebuilding; he has literally built hundreds of motors and transmissions for both street cars and race cars over his 40+ year career.
Tony’s stint at Follmer was short-lived as he quickly realized his talent would be put to better use if he was working for himself. It was then that he decided to open his own Porsche repair business. In the summer of 1978, TLG was born.
Tony passed away in March of 2017 after a year-long battle with cancer. He is dearly missed every day not only by his family, but by his friends and clients in the worldwide Porsche community. However, TLG Auto continues to thrive in Tony’s absence. The torch is being carried by Tony’s son, Marco, and the rest of the TLG team.
Marco was born into Porsches. His father, Tony, brought him to work in a bassinet when he was only a few months old, placing him on the workbench while he went about working on his customer’s cars. To say that Marco’s got Porsche in his blood would be an understatement.
Marco’s been learning the family business with the help of his father since day one. Having been in and around Porsches his whole life, working at TLG alongside his father is a natural progression for the younger Gerace. And although he grew up working in the shop throughout his childhood, Marco’s career with TLG Auto officially began after he graduated from American University in 2002.
Since joining TLG, Marco has immersed himself in the business with the singular goal of bringing TLG into the future and providing Porsche owners with another 40+ years of superior, personalized service for their Porsche cars.