After touring the show and seeing most of what the various manufacturers had to offer, looking for gems, I got off the beaten path and entered the aftermarket world of, collectors, hot-rodders, and car enthusiasts. The Academy of Arts University’s classic car exhibit was impressive. There I encountered vintage AMGs, Aston Martins, and Bugattis.
The shop opened its doors in 2000 in Burlingame. Owner Zim Gwee said that at first, he worked alone but that later he had become so busy with customers, he had to hire more workers. Now he has a team of around seven technicians plus a car detailer. He also has an office and sales staff.
At $400 to $800 per class, Topline’s technicians are kept up to speed, so to speak, on the latest specifications in development and design, from hybrid systems to GM engines. Topline services all cars, from U.S. made to Japanese imports to Ferraris, although they tend to be more specialized in European models such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and Audi. Their technicians also service Acura, Infiniti, and Toyota, among others.
In addition to being directly trained, for example, by Mercedes and BMW, Topline’s mechanics also receive training from aftermarket parts dealers like Bosch who also directly supply parts to Mercedes Benz and other European automakers. According to Mr. Gwee, his technicians have received training on model years 2010 and 2011, so they can already repair newer cars with a check engine light on, for example. They can diagnose new cars’ suspension problems, or track down the cause of a noise.
A carrier normally transports expensive cars to the shop. Customers for racing cars like the Porsches have their own special carriers that they use. For sport cars such as Corvettes and Ferraris, Topline uses a flatbed and the client usually pays for the transportation. For car shows such as this one in San Francisco, Topline arranges its own transportation.
Topline manages to retain many customers for the long term because, as Mr. Gwee states, “We are a one-stop shop.” According to Mr. Gwee, not many shops, in fact not many dealers in California can make this claim. “As an example,” he said, “You can go to Topline for an oil change, tires, alignment, check engine light, suspension, a leaking sunroof, a chipped windscreen … even a ding can be fixed in house. If your car has a scratch, we can fix that. If you want it to go faster, we can do that … people call me the Car Doctor.”
Mr. Gwee describes himself as energetic, honest, and ready to offer help. He comes from a large family: he is the 17th son of 19 siblings. He has about eight brothers and sisters here in the U.S. involved in various businesses, while the remaining siblings are in Malaysia, also involved in business. He attributes his character to having grown up in such a large family. Mr. Gwee believes that in doing business or in friendship, one should always be ready and willing to offer help, since one never knows when one would also need help.
“The future is changing,” said Mr. Gwee, “The way cars are serviced is also changing. Now there are electric cars; we brought a Tesla to the show. Some cars are now advertised as being maintenance free; some need maintenance only after 50,000 miles or even 100,000 miles.”
In Mr. Gwee’s view, although the ads may state that the car is maintenance free, this does not necessarily mean that the tires and brakes are safe every day. “I advise anyone out there who drives to perform a safety check on their car every six months or at least every year. That’s why we are here. Every car that comes in is given a 100-point checkup. We check the tires, brakes, and we also verify that there are no major leaks.” “A safe car,” he continued, “is more important than anything else that we can do for the customer.”
