Meet the dealer: Machines with a Mission

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If you’re looking to buy a historic car, PostWarClassic.com has something for you. Among our thousands of classified and dealer advertisements, what you’re seeking is probably there. What if you’re seeking an historic racing car, though? They might be a little harder to find, but they are out there, and Machines with a Mission in Lanaken, Belgium, is one of the leading purveyors.

The company was founded by Mike van Thiel, himself a racing driver, in 2016. The rationale was simple: after 35 years working in the tech industry, while going racing and rallying in his spare time, Mike just wanted to enjoy life a little more by turning his hobby into his business.

His passion for motor sport has been lifelong, as he relates: “My father was an amateur rally navigator, but he stopped doing that when a friend was killed in a rally. With four sons, he decided it was too dangerous and he channelled his energy into restoring a 1929 Chevrolet phaeton. When I was 16, I persuaded him to buy an MG TD, which we jointly restored. After that, my three brothers and I raced and rallied a pair of Mini Cooper Ss as one team. We won our class in the 1991 and 1992 F.I.A. historic saloon car championship, but then my brothers’ attention turned to other matters, like raising a family. I continued in motor sport by doing the Carrera Panamericana with a Porsche, the East African Safari Rally and many other events as either a driver or navigator.”

Even after setting up Machines with a Mission, he continues to take to the track when the opportunity presents itself. “I typically participate in Peter Auto events, and at the Le Mans Classic and Goodwood, and in the occasional rally. I’ve recently returned from the races at Dijon, where a co-drove an E-type with my old friend Roland Zoomers. Last season I drove a Mustang at Goodwood, a Morgan at Le Mans, an Austin-Healey at Zandvoort, a Jaguar E-type at Spa and my own sports car at Zandvoort, and now I’m looking forward to doing the Spa Rally in a V8 MGB.”

It would be fair to say that Mike knows his way round a racing car pretty well, and has all the necessary expertise for handling them on a daily basis. As for the sort of cars he handles, they can be just about anything, from any era, provided they’re at home on the race track or rally stage. Machines with a Mission typically contains 25 to 30 cars at any one time, all of them in ready-to-race condition. Expect to find plenty of Mike’s favourite cars, those from the “golden days” of GT racing in the late ’90s and early 2000s, such as the Dodge Viper GT1/2, Saleen S-7R GT1, Chevrolet Corvette GT1 and Marcos Mantara LM600 GT2. So far, Machines with a Mission has helped no fewer than six Vipers to find a new home.

If you’re seeking something particularly hard to find, and you don’t see it at first glance, a telephone call to Machines with a Mission might be worth your while. “There are always many cars for sale away from the open market, so anyone looking for something special should give me a call. I have many clients who are looking for a specific competition car and I can find anything through my network. I have found many, ranging from a rare MGB to a Spice Group C car.”

While business is strong, Mike currently has his eyes on the American market, where he believes interest in historic competition cars is on a course to greatly exceed the interest in Europe: “I see a major problem approaching European collectors. The typical collector is aged over 65 and the new European generation is not interested in these cars. I am offering a bespoke service to sell these cars to other continents, mainly the strong American market, using online platforms. My latest success was a Ferrari 550 Maranello I sold for $182,000, a price which it would be impossible to get in Europe.”

Besides having an eye for fine cars, Mike is clearly well switched-on to market trends, too. If you’re looking to get into historic competition for the first time, or you’re already an experienced driver and you just fancy a change of wheels, he should be able to find the right car for you. Mike attends a lot of historic race meetings where it is possible to speak to him in person, but the best way to get in touch is by calling +31 6 52692069 or visiting www.machineswithamission.com.

Click here to see what’s in stock.

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