Episode 4. Max Girardo: Fuelling Dreams

There are few, if any, who know and understand cars as well as Max Girardo, but this man’s expertise goes far beyond torque and horsepower. Max’s other specialism is people, and it’s this that has informed the classic car specialist and auctioneer in matching his extraordinary global client base to some of the most desirable vehicles in the world.

As anyone who has ventured into the collectable car scene will know, there is one man at its heart who – should you be looking to source, sell or simply reminisce about your latest rally – is the man at its heart. Italian From his early days as car specialist at Bonhams in the 1990s to running the remarkable auto auctions at Sothebys, Max Girardo has enjoyed what he describes as the best job in the world: advising on, sourcing and selling – with more than a little actual driving thrown in – incredible, rare and collectable classic cars. Girardo, born to Italian parents in Australia, speaks four languages and has lived in Italy, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Monaco and London. He helped to launch CARS Europe, a logistics company that transports high-value vehicles around the world, and he is also is an accomplished vintage racer.

After a decade with RM Sotheby’s, much of it as the company’s auctioneer, in 2016 Max decided that ‘less is more’ – and that he wanted to be able to spend more time with fewer clients and only the most astonishing cars. He struck out on his own and founded Girardo & Co, today based on Belchers Farm in Oxfordshire, with a facility in Turin. Dealing with clients from around the world – whether captains of industry, well-known actors or passionate niche collectors, Max credits his success to the personal connections he makes along the way as much as to his thorough understanding of (and enthusiasm for) the cars themselves. Both, he explains, have reams of wonderful stories to tell.

In this conversation with The Last Drop’s Rebecca Jago, it’s clear that – whether it’s collectable cars or rare whisky – the message is the same: these treasures exist to be enjoyed and shared. True luxury, perhaps, is the ability to bring people together through the medium of truly remarkable finds.