About Us
With over 100 years of combined experience on antique and classic cars from around the globe, London Auto has served the DC area's unique automotive needs since 1979.
Our Story
We Are A Full Service, One-Stop-Shop For Classic Automotive Needs.
We perform alignments, suspension work, engine and transmission rebuilding, brake repair, electrical repair as well as full diagnostic repair. We carry the latest up to date software needed to work on today’s high tech cars. Our staff has well over 150 years combined experience in automotive excellence. We are capable of repairing the earliest of automobiles as well as modern autos with the latest ”On board diagnostics”.
London Auto was purchased by three former employees of Manhattan Auto in Rockville, MD in the late ‘70’s from it’s Original owner. Nick Vadala, Dean Henry, and Tom Baruch each brought a unique set of experiences and expertise which helped transform London into the shop it is today.
Dean was the oldest of the three, hailing from upstate New York, and learned his trade by working on everything and anything. Dean became a certified airplane mechanic, and would transverse the country, from Virginia to Alaska, as the on-board mechanic while fleet pilots maintained their flight hours. He eventually ended up at a Fiat dealership while still young, where he received formal automotive training. When riots erupted around the shop he was working at in D.C. in the ‘70’s, the shop owner pleaded to his mechanics for help saving the customer’s cars parked out front. Dean jumped in a big Austin Healey, and flew down Florida Ave., and continued down New York Ave. as bottles and rocks flew overhead. Dean sadly passed away on September 4, 2011.
Nick Vadala is the sole remaining owner at London Auto, a living testament to the decades of loyal customers accrued by Dean, Tom, and himself. With a passion for Fiats (he maintains an original Cinquecento and a modern 500 in his personal collection), a flare for Italian food, and a commitment to providing the same level of service London has been known for over the past 40+ years, customers can look forward to seeing Nick day in and day out.
Tom Baruch has significant motorsport experience when he came to London and led many of the early track-conversions, training the staff along the way in the proper mechanics of preparing track cars. He came to London after working at both Manhattan Auto and a Fiat dealership in Chicago, and is a former track instructor for local BMW Clubs.
