How it all began and why we do what we do
According to reliable sources (my mom) the first words coming out of my mouth were “Au-Au-Au”, every time my Dad pulled into the driveway with his ‘62 DKW Junior. That of course meant “Auto”, it was 1962 in Germany, and a life-long fascination with the automobile began right there, standing 2½ feet tall.
At the age of 5, I would run to every car parked along the way to see how fast it could go, by examining the speedometer, checking single or dual exhausts and explaining to Mom or Dad what model it was and why we needed to have one like that.
A bit later in life, my brother in law initiated the next “spark”. He owned and operated a number of gas stations and garages nearby, and was himself a gearhead. Not only did I “manage” a gas station after school at the age of 11, I was also exposed to fabulous cars of those times such as a Lamborghini Jarama, a 454 Coke bottle Corvette, a Porsche Carrera RS or a Ford Capri RS2600. As one can imagine, you did not often see cars like that in early 1970’s Germany and the impression it made on me lasted a lifetime.
Cars have always played a very important and special role in my life and the passion never left. From hot-rodding period 70’s German sport sedans like the Opel Kadett Rallye, my interests went to classic US cars of the 50’s and 60’s and then on to other fine European automobiles.
I bought my first “Collector Car” in 1989, a 1955 1/2ton Chevy truck, and executed my first complete restoration project to win first prizes in German US Car meets and it even made a magazine cover.
Gaining experience around the world
As a young man in the early 1990’s, I got professionally involved with the classic and collector car industry. My wife and I moved from Germany to California and I started my first company in Modesto, CA called West Coast Classics. I helped my international clients find their dream cars, and the ground work for 2shores was laid.
And today?
2shores International, Inc. was founded in 2006. After spending a few years in the Midwest we moved back to California in 2013. 2shores has gained a wonderful following and we were able to build a reputation for first class original collector cars with a heavy emphasis on air-cooled Porsches. Our commitment to quality and transparency has made our company a household name on both sides of the ocean. Our clients are everywhere in the world and so are the cars.
The collector car market is a global industry and 2shores is perfectly set up to serve our clients in this global market by working on both sides of the big pond, working on 2shores! But we are still a small show, I like it that way, because to me it is important to be involved on a personal level with my customers and the cars.
Our mission:
I like helping people find their automotive dream and at the same time, helping owners find the perfect new caretaker for their beloved automobile. It really is about automotive matchmaking on an international scale. I believe it is our generation’s mission to pass on the tradition and rich history of the automobile to the next generations. If I have young people interested in an air-cooled car that is older than they are, the job is done. It makes me happy!
2shores on German National TV
In the fall of 2021, we had the opportunity to share a 7-minute glimpse into our American life as “Germans living abroad”. German National Public TV ZDF followed us for a day and a half. With a terrific upbringing in Germany, the USA has been very good to us and we are inspired by the people of this country, to give it our very best, every single day.
Jurgen Rott