Auto Shop Creates Reputation of Honesty, Skill
By EMILY RAMSEY
Managing Editor
CAR FOCUSED: John and Nanette Lofton stand in the garage of Lofton Motorsports, 4122 S. Memorial Dr. The family-owned business, which opened in 2007, is a full-service auto shop and will soon begin offering performance options for those looking to increase their car’s performance.
EMILY RAMSEY for GTR Newspapers
If the two dogs that sit calmly at the front door of Lofton Motorsports don’t create a clear enough picture of the easy atmosphere of the business, it’s at least a good start. Add to that, the employees’ candid interactions with customers and the family ownership of the business, it’s no surprise that most individuals are returning customers.
John Lofton and his wife, Nanette, opened Lofton Motorsports, 4122 S. Memorial Dr., in 2007 after purchasing the business, which formerly operated as Express Tire and Auto Service.
Nanette, who holds an accounting degree from the University of Tulsa, handles the books while John can mostly be found under the hood of a car.
While it was John’s skill with cars, he’s been a mechanic for more than 20 years, and his desire to open his own garage that fueled the creation of the business, Nanette’s love of cars was far from a deterrent.
She remembers her father working on cars when she was growing up, and his love of drag racing was not lost on her.
She and John can often be found at the drag races and have passed that interest onto their son and daughter who share their parents’ love of cars and plan to inherit the family business. The kids already work at the auto shop, with the Lofton’s son preparing to enter Tulsa Tech’s automotive program in the fall.
Besides being a family-owned business, Lofton Motorsports also stands out in its employees’ and John’s ability to work on old, carbureted vehicles and knowledge of electrical work.
John was recently featured in Mustang Monthly magazine after “he did a complete motor, transmission and interior swap from a 2011 Mustang into his 2006 Mustang,” says Nanette.
Needless to say, customers feel confident in leaving their vehicle in John’s able hands, because of not just his skill but also his honesty and forthrightness-whether that’s John taking customers into the garage to show them exactly what work needs to be done on their vehicle or employees creating a checklist of a vehicle’s maintenance needs and when they need to be done. It’s no wonder that when Lofton Motorsports moved in 2010 from its original location at 39th and Harvard to its current location that the majority of the customers simply moved with them. “We have a lot of loyal customers,” Nanette says. “When a business moves, it’s typical to lose some customers, but we lost very few.”
Those customers were the very reason for the relocation of the business. “We had too much to do and not enough space,” she says. The new location tripled Lofton’s garage space.
“We’re not a high-pressure-tactic place like some places that say, ‘You need to do this, or your car’s going to fall apart.’ If that’s true, we’ll tell you,” says Nanette.
The Loftons are planning to begin offering performance options to customers who are looking to increase their car’s performance variables, in addition to their current offerings, which include general maintenance, oil changes, tire services, and other work, such as motor and transmission repair or replacement.
Updated 06-06-2014
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