An experienced team of classic car specialists
In 1916 Hermann Widler, the great-grandfather of Goodtimer founder Marcel A. Widler, founded the first automobile garage with import and trade of vehicles of the brands Fiat, Lancia, Bugatti, Dodge, Adler and Martini.
A pronounced service philosophy has made the Widler & Hürsch automobile company one of the most successful automobile companies in Switzerland at the time. Since 2004, the same philosophy has been continued under the name Goodtimer with a team of technical specialists and classic car experts with a lot of passion and heart and soul in St. Margrethen, St. Gallen.
What our customers say about us.
The team
Marcel A. Widler
Managing Director/Owner
Born into the fourth generation of one of the oldest Swiss garage families, Marcel A. Widler learned the profession of car mechanic and subsequently completed further technical training in Geneva and Paris as well as business management training in Zurich. This was followed by 6 years of development work at Renault and 18 years of international management work for Renault, Citroën and BMW.
In 2001 Widler founded the present Autofocus AG, into which Goodtimer was integrated in 2004. In 2010, a 4500m2 plot of land was purchased for the establishment of the Goodtimer Centre Eastern Switzerland.
The love of the original and the passion for the classic automobile are the driving force for the proven expert and automotive technician, who primarily takes care of the condition and value expertise of the vehicles and puts his heart and soul into the purchase and sale of classic automobiles.
Marvin Pfister
Workshop management and restoration specialist
During his apprenticeship, Mr Marvin Pfister already prepared Goodtimer's classic cars for the MFK and carried out repairs. This was followed by almost 5 years of professional experience on the Land Rover and Jaguar brands with the growing ambition to return to the original automotive technology.
Mr Marvin Pfister is responsible for the workshop and carries out revision and restoration work on classic cars. In 2020, Marvin Pfister successfully completed his further training to become a federally certified vehicle restorer and delivered one of the best project works in Switzerland.
The Goodtimer CTO's network also includes the role of a FIVA expert and training on the topics of carburettor technology, electrical engineering and breakdown assistance.
Sven Gross
Vehicle preparation and preservation
Refurbishment, metal work
Sven Gross is the metal worker at Goodtimer. Growing up in the east part of Switzerland, the Motorhead decided to become a motorcycle mechanic and then switched to metalworking. Since then, the young technician developed a sense for the exact, the creative and the beautiful. In addition to his work as a plumber, he trains himself in the use of colours and restores automobiles.
At Goodtimer, Sven Gross completes additional training in paint processing and the preservation of the substantially important components of an automobile, such as the vehicle frame and underbody sections. With this work, Mr. Gross makes a significant contribution to preserving the value of a classic automobile. The professional preservation of a valuable automobile as well as the refinishing of paint require knowledge of metal surfaces, a good eye and a lot of endurance. Sven Gross is responsible for the Restoration and Conservation department at Goodtimer.
Valentin Hofstetter
Undercarriage, train and maintenance
Valentin Hofstetter is the youngest member of the Goodtimer family. After attending athletics school, the offspring of a classic car enthusiast decided to do an apprenticeship as an automotive specialist, which he successfully completed. He then received an introduction to refrigeration technology before deciding to focus exclusively on classic car technology.
In spring 2025, Valentin will complete further training in chassis, brakes and steering and will be responsible for the wheel alignment system and the chassis and brake test bench at the Classic Car Centre Goodtimer. Valentin's medium-term goal is to obtain the Swiss Federal Diploma in Vehicle Restoration (Higher technical academy), which he will start in 2025 and the Goodtimer team will be happy to accompany and support the ambitious classic car expert.
Oliver Rottmann
Restoration, expertise, collection care
Oliver Rottmann brings a wealth of experience to the Goodtimer team. He learnt vehicle mechanics from scratch and continued his technical and commercial training for three decades. He ran several workshops and most recently a major classic car workshop for a vehicle importer before taking over the major restoration projects at Goodtimer and joining the Olditex™ care organisation
In the ‘Olditex™’ care organisation developed by Goodtimer, he is also the contact person for the care and value retention of collector's vehicles in the Zurich area and runs an additional workshop close to Winterthur.
Alexandra Sperger
Sales Administration and Management Boutique Goodtimer
After graduating from a commercial college, Alexandra Sperger worked as a management assistant and office administrator in the garage business. She uses her many years of experience in event planning, reporting and budgeting to provide administrative and sales support to Goodtimer's management and operations.
Alexandra Sperger is responsible for sales administration and event planning. She also manages the Goodtimer Boutique, which she constantly stocks with the latest fashion and accessories for convertible and sports car drivers.
Karin Widler-Gschwend
Accounting, Personnel, Advertising
At Goodtimer, she is the boss of numbers. The wife of Goodtimer's founder, she worked for over 20 years as a commercial manager and executive director in the social, health and business sectors before being asked to help Goodtimer take on the growing demands of clean accounting.
Mrs Karin Widler-Gschwend is responsible for bookkeeping and personnel administration and designs the flyers and invitation letters for advertising and events. In addition to her graphic skills, she loves handicrafts, gardening and foreign countries.
Burkhard Pieper
Photography, Event
Burkhard Pieper has spent his life doing to people what Goodtimer does to cars - mending and maintaining them so that they can lead a good and vital life. Throughout Burkhards life, he has been fascinated by classic cars, which is why he has bought countless classic cars, led the restoration process and ultimately passed them on to Goodtimer for finishing and sale.
Burkhard Pieper is the ‘Art Director’ of Goodtimer and helps in the sales department of Goodtimer and the Goodtimer Auction House to ensure that the classic car enthusiast gets to see both beautiful and true pictures of a car with history.