CM Motorsport offering winter discount for drivers
Cameron McLauchlan, 22, has only been in business for a few years but, as you might expect from a racing driver, he’s made a fast start in developing a reputation among specialist enthusiasts, with drivers bringing their prestige vehicles from all over the UK for some TLC.
After a spectacular career in junior karting, when he picked up the Scottish championship three times for a racing team, Cameron decided to move away from racing and go into business as a mechanic.
“When I was in the team I wasn’t always racing, so on my other weekends I would mechanic for other drivers and it just grew from there,” he said. “My father was a car enthusiast so I was always around engines, and it seemed the best idea.”
Cameron entered an apprenticeship at 17 years old and started up the business on the side, working after hours to build a clientele.
“It wasn’t ideal,” he admits. “I would work on vehicles in the street or anywhere I could. Then I was doing a job for a guy who asked where my garage was. I told him I was still looking for a place and he said he was the owner of an industrial estate and offered me the unit I’m in now.
“It’s been brilliant just having more space to take on additional work, and I’ve been able to bring in another mechanic to help me.
“CM officially opened on September 6, 2019 and I have now been trading for a year from 17 Winchester Avenue, Denny FK6 6QE.
As well as a reputation for excellent repair and servicing work, and a particular soft spot for owners of the classic Italian Abarth cars, Cameron has also become an expert at vinyl wraps and graphics.
“It’s something a bit different to do, and it’s unusual as you don’t generally find a one-stop shop that does repairs, servicing and wrapping and modifications, so that has attracted a lot of interest,” he said.
“It’s incredibly popular and the work is growing - local businesses are keen to get vehicles wrapped, as are dealerships.”
It wasn’t a straightforward skill to master however, and Cameron admits it’s something he fell into almost by accident.
“I had a friend who asked if I could vinyl wrap the roof of his car - I’d never done anything like that but I said ‘sure, no problem’. It was an absolute disaster, and eventually I had to go back to the guy and say ‘look, sorry but I just can’t do this’.
“After that I think I was a little obsessed though, and I just started doing my own car roof over and over again until I got it absolutely perfect. Then I realised I had picked up a skill that could be quite useful.
“I do all the window tinting for the Mercedes Benz dealership, and a lot more people are going for tints.”
As any new business owner knows, the first year is always the toughest - and just to make things even more challenging Cameron has had to deal with the uncertainty around the Coronavirus lockdowns.
“It’s been confusing at times, but fortunately car repair is an essential service, so I have managed to keep busy,” he said. “I think a lot of people have been saving up money to spend on their car as well - perhaps because they’ve not been able to drive as much - and so I have been getting very busy.”
Anyone wanting to find out more about the services CM Motorsport can offer should visit their Facebook page here to make an appointment.