From a young age, Darin Roberge has loved all cool things on wheels. Fueled by his passion for classic and exotic cars, Roberge began his career journey in 2014 at top collector automobile auction company Russo and Steele. During his tenure running the marketing and media departments there, he identified gaps within the car marketing landscape. During the Russo and Steele Collector Automobile Auction’s Monterey, California, Car Week, he took a more action-based approach to promoting the event, revolutionizing the field by introducing more imaginative marketing strategies that resembled rock festivals or sporting events than standard, stuffy old car shows. His melding of these unlikely worlds and his ability to imagine and then create the products that properly presented this, set him on the path to success in collector car marketing and brought forth changes to the industry that are still being built upon today.
The demanding auction house lifestyle took a heavy toll on Roberge mentally and physically, prompting a medical consultation that cautioned him about the potential life-threatening consequences of a continued journey down this path. Recognizing the demand for comprehensive marketing services and driven by his unwavering passion to remain a part of the collector car world, Roberge made the decision to depart from Russo and Steele and venture out on his own.
Through his commitment and the cultivation of valuable relationships, Roberge founded Motorwerks Marketing in 2017, of which he is president and CEO. Motorwerks is an esteemed full-service marketing and creative agency offering Fortune 500-level services for small to medium-sized businesses that are most common in the classic, collector and specialty automotive industry.
“We utilize top-level creative and technical marketing measures, along with our deep knowledge of the various automotive marketplaces, to create products and services that have been very difficult for other companies to copy and compete with,” says Roberge. “It’s a multifaceted approach that is designed with the enthusiast in mind, and it’s a combination that has worked extremely well for our clients.”
However, Roberge had to overcome great challenges while establishing his business. One major setback was the destruction of his main office, caused by a construction accident, forcing his team to operate out of a hotel for nearly a year. Rather than letting this devastation deter his progress, Roberge used the inconvenience to his advantage and strengthened his culture, systems and overall approach. During this period of displacement, he concentrated on fostering a strong sense of unity and resilience within his team, encouraging them to band together and tackle challenges collectively as one.
Roberge follows what he references as the Carroll Shelby rule: Hire good people, treat them well and stay out of their way. He claims he doesn’t have employees or staff, he has team members. Their expertise is the most critical part of the process and so, largely, he’s there to offer support. This in turn helps them to support him, as they don’t get burned out but remain invested and passionate about the mission and take ownership of their contributions. This leads to a very high level of work, which is what Motorwerks is known for, and it creates an environment where everyone can support each other across the board, which helps the company to accomplish more. The results of this not only benefit the team, creating an environment where everyone enjoys coming to work, but it produces fast, high-performing products and services for its clients as well.
“We have always been very hardworking, tough individuals, and the way our day-to-day workflow operates requires it. That’s ultimately why we’ve been successful overall,” Roberge says. “We are a team that get things done.”
Roberge’s passions extend beyond automobiles. He has actively engaged in numerous philanthropic pursuits, serving more than 40 diverse nonprofit organizations. As a result, Motorwerks has helped raise more than $20 million since 2019, supporting a wide range of causes that include cancer research, auto museum and preservation organizations, children’s charities, environmental and ecological initiatives, military and veterans support, education institutions and more.
Roberge’s unyielding determination and tenacity when creating Motorwerks Marketing has led to its rapid ascent in just six years. Today, it stands as one of the most prolific agencies in the classic, collector and specialty automotive industry, a dominant force that influences and shapes the field daily.
“If you’re a good person, you work hard, produce results and go into the trenches with people that have your back day in and day out, you’ll be successful and they will be, too,” Roberge says.
What Drives Darin Roberge?
Darin Roberge was raised to be a lover of all things on wheels, influenced by visits to his grandfather’s motorcycle dealership and the exciting automotive adventures he shared with his uncle, a former European Motocross Champion.
In addition to founding Motorwerks, Roberge is also a well-known collector-car market analyst and expert and hosts a podcast and YouTube show for a major collector car magazine.
Did You Know: There is about $80 billion in collector vehicle transactions globally each year. This includes live and online auctions, as well as private vehicle and dealer sales. The United States is the world’s largest marketplace, with revenue approaching $15 billion.
Photo courtesy of Motorwerks Marketing
