All work is performed by Mathieu J. Cama. His interest in automobiles dates from his earliest of days. At the tender age of two and a half he attempted to drive the family's 1963 Morgan Plus Four out of the driveway. Thankfully his father caught up to him before any damage was done. Throughout his childhood the family never had a moments peace whenever a classic automobile was to be seen.
At the age of 11, he approached the shop owner of a well known Mercedes specialty shop in his hometown for a job. After a thorough scrutinizing the decision was made to hire him for the hefty sum of $5.00/day. For this, Mat was allowed to pump petrol, and assist in repair jobs by passing tools, holding parts, and cleaning up. His employer received factory training in Germany by Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen in the late 1950s. As time went on, Mat was performing complete brake jobs, minor suspension work, and various interior related jobs by the age of 13. Also at 13, he disassembled his first parts car, a 1970 280s. Throughout high school and college he worked in the same shop and learned the trade beginning as an apprentice and working through the ranks. At 15 he rebuilt his first Volkswagen motor. By 16 he was rebuilding a Porsche 356 1600N motor. At 17 he rebuilt his first Mercedes, a 1961 220Sb, undertaking a near complete mechanical restoration.
During college breaks, Mat worked for a variety of different shops working to broaden his experiences. Over this time Mat has had the privilege of working on some rather prestigious vehicles. To name a few highlights: the Mercedes model 600 used in the movie "Trading Places", a variety of w111 coupes, convertibles and sedans, various w113s, a Mercedes factory executive custom built 6.9, various Porsche 356s and early 911s, numerous vintage MGs and Triumphs, and a Model A Ford.
One notable shop specialized in the rebuilding of mechanical fuel injection pumps and injectors. Beginning as an apprentice in this field, he worked his way up to performing a variety of different tasks which have given him invaluable experience with diagnosing and resolving mechanical fuel injection issues on both petrol and diesel motors.
In college Mat led the team to build an SAE MiniBaja vehicle and attended a national competition with it. The vehicle was the first in the school's history to attend competition and to remain functional throughout and afterwards. The following year he acted as a mechanical advisor to the SAE Hybrid Electric Vehicle project. In 1997, Mat graduated from college with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. His aim was to use this degree coupled with his passion for vintage automobiles and racing. His dream is still to race on a professional level.
Following university, he worked for a prominent European automotive repair shop south of Atlanta, learning the intricate computer systems of at the time late model BMWs. Needless to say, this did not fill the void in his soul that the vintage cars did.
After a foray in the corporate world working as a network administrator and support manager for a Fortune 50 company, Mat decided it was time to return to his passion. Having founded KarlHeinz Auto Werke and working out of his house for numerous years Mat built the foundations of what was to become Old World Automotive.
During the Summer of 2004 he worked with a customer to ready a 1938 Mercedes 320L Pullman for use in a World War II reenactment. In doing so, best vehicle of show was unanimously awarded to the duo. Also during that year the complete rebuilding of the m100 motor for a 1971 300sel 6.3 was performed.
In the Fall of 2004, steps were taken to expand his facility. A suitable space was sought, equipment was allocated, regulations were researched, and before the year's end Old World Auto was opened. This facility is designed to take into account the need for mechanical restoration and advanced repair. A variety of specialty tools and equipment have been sourced to meet the rigors of this work. Mat, being a certified concours judge by the Mercedes Benz Club of America, intends to use his knowledge to produce the finest work possible, refusing to compromise quality, while making these fine automobiles run as they were designed to. His mantra is "do the job once and do it right."
Education:
Archbishop Stepinac High School 1992 White Plains, NY
BS Mechanical Engineering Alfred University 1997 Alfred, NY
Mercedes-Benz Concours Judge MBCA Judging School 2004 Jekyll Island, GA
Automotive Work History:
1986-1987 P&J Service Center Brewster, NY (formerly Autobahn Classics of New Rochelle, NY)
1987 Autobahn Recycling Irvington, NY
1988-1995 AutoBarn Brewster, NY
1990 Import Haus Tarrytown, NY
1993-1995 Yankee Diesel Danbury, CT
1996 B&B Automotive Danbury, CT
1997 Fayette Imports Fayetteville, GA
1998-2004 KarlHeinz Auto Werke Lawrenceville, GA
2004-Today Old World Automotive Lawrenceville, GA