2023, the year that was.

Grab a mulled wine and pop Bublé up a notch as we review the year that was.

It's been fast, sometimes it's been furious but 2023 has been a vintage year for GQ and we would like to thank each and every one of you for trusting us with your pride and joy or project, including the most recent owners. Take a sneak peek at our new arrivals in our Q4 Movers and Shakers.

Looking back over the year, it’s been a real rollercoaster for many. Climbing Interest rates, financial forecasting doom and gloom and people getting nervous about the future, myself included – thankfully I don’t think I can lose any more hair!

I am a great believer that if people look at the tree they will hit it. Which is why I likely started all the newsletters attempting to spread positivity. “Make the future happen”, a fellow owner once said to me this year, I really liked that sentiment.

So, we rolled the dice and things progressed a little further; more ramps, fresh blood, a scheduling app, enhanced security and you guessed it – yet more insurance. It has also been a year where we stuck to our principles. If we speculated too much, it would compromise what made you trust us in the first place – simply caring correctly for your cars.

Firstly, a love story for the ages. A connection between a man and his MR2. When the MOT failures could have been longer than Santa’s naughty list, some may have lost their nerve. This edition of What’s on the ramp? is a testament that love goes beyond all boundaries. So it was up to us to be the guardians of this re-found love and uncover if she was a keeper. No pressure!

From there I finally traded my 20-year city life for a new desk – the hot desk next to you. (Photo below) Or more affectionately known as Sid.Oh, and Sid also now has a stepbrother, Eric. Who drinks E5 – Le Mans Blue photo below.

Next up is a demonstration of our carbon fibre repair service. When an owner of ours had an unfortunate meeting, and it wasn’t via Teams. Whoops! is our latest story of how we repaired what many think is irreparable damage. Avoiding a replacement part from the dealer which is more often than not either NLA or even better, more cost effective.

From bodywork repairs to your daily driver, we have been helping you with it all. As one owner took his 911 for a spin, we took the opportunity to give his daily some much-needed detail therapy. Day in the Bay covers a reminder not to ignore your workhorse as we address swirls, scratches and dents, all while you are out having your oat milk latte.

As the year wraps up, so do the presents. And this year we decided to start saying yes to those of you who wanted a more enjoyable way to sell your car, often with first refusal to buy back. Check out our Stocking Fillers, is there any room left in yours?

That just leaves me to share our Christmas opening hours and thank you once again for your trust this year, it has been an absolute pleasure supporting you.

So, from myself and the whole team here at GQ, enjoy your newsletter and have a very Merry Christmas.

Hot-desking, GQ Style!