Some people are destined for the car world thanks to one or two formative moments that revved up their childhood. For Bobby Ullmann, Berg Performance’s Porsche specialist, all early avenues led to automotive obsession, starting with attending every car show and auto swap meet in the Northeast. Ambling through the endless aisles of cars, his dad would quiz him on each of the names. This education offset traditional school, where Bobby earned straight As so that the Friday reward trips to Toys”R”Us kept on coming. His pick every week? Hot Wheels, naturally.

The day his father gifted him a Manco Minibike, however, was the game and life changer. From there on, anything gas powered on wheels was his singular focus as he approached age 16 and the dream of legally driving at last. Bobby’s first car, a 1991 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Convertible, kickstarted his muscle car phase, but his interests quickly gave way to mini trucks when he came across a Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup—and down the Volkswagen rabbit hole he went. Bobby’s 20s were marked by owning one Rabbit after another, making Rabbit friends and some incredible memories at car shows across the Southeast.

To this point, Bobby had given many different career pathways a go before his realization: He wouldn’t be happy doing anything but pursuing his passion. So he messaged a local Porsche race and restoration shop, and two weeks later, he was hired and on the first rung of his journey up the ladder. In two years, Bobby went from cleaning race car chassis to rebuilding them. He took that confidence to the bank and opened his own Porsche shop with his mentor. Here, Bobby found his ultimate passion in classic car restoration and further tailored his skillset to the point of getting several ground-up restorations under his belt, plus endless hours of experience in the aircooled and watercooled 911 field.

As it does for many, the West was calling out to Bobby and his partner for a change of scenery and lifestyle. Serendipitously, Berg was on the hunt for a Porsche technician, which brought the couple to Colorado from Florida and onto their next chapter. Bobby is proud to be one of the main faces of Berg’s Porsche department and part of a team made up of extraordinary people who deliver what dealerships lack: trust and open communication.

Bobby currently owns a Sunbrite Yellow 1980 Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup that he wrenches on every Saturday—the most recent mods include building a 24v VR6 to swap into the truck and upgrading brakes, wheels and suspension. While there are no surprises there, he thinks some may be shocked to learn that his daily driver is a 2013 Mini John Cooper Works. A true enthusiast and lover of the hot hatch era, Bobby likens the Mini to the 911—both of which have stayed true to their original heritage in the styling and purpose department. Along those lines, Bobby’s heart is set on one day owning a 997 GT3, a Porsche he called not obnoxiously fast, not obnoxiously styled, but a perfectly well-rounded machine.