The Avant-Garde Story

After decades in the high-end car business, we decided that there had to be a better way to market and maintain high-end vehicles for collectors and enthusiasts—so we established the Avant-Garde Collection, a dynamic collection of vintage, exotic, and collectible vehicles, supported by our in-house sales, marketing, and service expertise.

Avant-Garde’s remarkability is the product of our team’s collective experience and enthusiasm for specialty vehicles, our in-depth knowledge of countless marques and models, our attention to detail, and our focused attention to each client’s needs. The proof is in the lasting relationships and community we build with our clients, whether local or on the other side of the globe.

 

The Avant-Garde Difference

Avant-Garde is well-known as an award-winning, top seller (@911r) on Bring a Trailer. We have also sold cars at all of the major automotive auction houses, as well as other various sales channels, including local private sales. Regardless of the sales channel, we provide turnkey sales management for our clients, handling the process from start to finish. We conduct extensive research and a thorough evaluation of a vehicle’s history, documentation, and condition, using our in-house knowledge and network of experts to inform selection and valuation. We present cars in an unparalleled fashion, with a comprehensive history, descriptions, photos, and video for each vehicle. We want to put buyers in the virtual driver’s seat so they can experience a vehicle as if they were present, giving them confidence in their purchase. Quite frankly, we do more than any online service and much more than a traditional auction house.

Our in-house mechanical capabilities allow us to simplify the vehicle sales preparation process, and our experienced service technicians have the tools and expertise to service most makes and models, including most European and exotic cars. We do everything from oil changes and other basic services to alignment, performance upgrades, rebuilds, race car preparation, and restorations. 

We have learned through experience that if you really want things done correctly, you do them yourself. As our client, you deal directly with our management team. There are no salesmen involved, and we give you 100% of our attention. We also provide excellent after-sale support: We are here for you throughout the entire process, even after the transaction takes place.

The Avant-Garde Team

 

Matt

Matt has been a true car enthusiast since he was young. He has a soft spot for Porsches, but he also enjoys a variety of makes. Matt’s passion is racing, with several championships under his belt, including five podiums in the Rose Cup—three of which were on the top step. He can be found at the track racing various cars, and he is always happy to support a fellow racer in need. Matt’s career in the high-end car business includes a stint as general manager at the oldest Ferrari dealership in the U.S., time as a dealer principal at a Lamborghini dealership, and extensive experience in independent specialty car sales. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone with more experience in luxury, exotic, and classic automobile sales. With his wealth of automotive knowledge, from sales to racing to the mechanical bits, Matt is accessible and ready to assist.

 

 

Josh

Raised in the jungles of Indonesia by an aircraft mechanic father and a photographer mother, Josh learned to appreciate all things mechanical and artistic at an early age. Motorbikes consumed his life for many years, highlighted by a 17-year road-racing career on both the local and national scenes. Josh has also brokered many high-end car deals over the years, with a very satisfied customer base. Josh’s enthusiasm for photography and fine automobiles, including researching and expressing a vehicle’s most intricate details in words and imagery, have provided the creative foundation for Avant-Garde's aesthetic and presentation. After establishing Avant-Garde with Matt, Josh founded The Image Engine, a complete studio and photography service focused on the automotive space. Josh and The Image Engine are Avant-Garde's exclusive photography partner. 

 

 

Chris

Chris is a Porsche Factory-Trained, Carrera GT-Certified, air-cooled expert technician. He has been in the auto repair business since his late teens, and he was already building air-cooled Porsche 911 engines by the age of 21. With expertise that extends beyond Porsches, he has built and maintained various rare and exotic cars for a number of big names in his career. In addition to cars, Chris has a real passion for bicycles, and he was heavily in the BMX scene for many years, both building and racing bikes. Beyond his love for mechanical things, he is also a total foodie and has been involved in a number of specialty food-related projects. Chris is a highly skilled technician with excellent attention to detail.

 

 

Kyle

Kyle was born in Beaverton, Oregon, and spent the majority of his youth dreaming of the cars he works on today. He started working on ATVs and motorcycles with his late stepfather, but it wasn’t until the acquisition of a Porsche 944 that his true passion for wrenching on automobiles was found. Keeping the 944 going turned Kyle down a path of automotive industry success: he went to Universal Technical Institute, in Arizona, then the Porsche PTAP Program, in Pennsylvania, both of which guided him through four years of grueling Porsche-only dealership repairs at Porsche Beaverton. Kyle left the dealership for a change of pace and to add variety to his daily wrenching. His attention to detail, work ethic, and willingness to learn set him apart from almost anyone his age. Kyle drives a 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo, his favorite Porsche.

 

 

Lane

Lane grew up in North Carolina and has been an Oregonian since 2010. He has always appreciated cars and started working on his own project cars during high school. Lane contributes a broad professional experience and skill set to the Avant-Garde team: He has previously worked as a VW dealership service writer, has held various roles at independent Jeep and Subaru-focused shops, has worked in operations and planning in the bike industry, and has also been both a horse trainer and an auto detailer. Lane enjoys a multitude of hobbies as well, including mountain biking, cross-country skiing, blacksmithing and leatherwork, and--of course--working on his car!