OUR TEAM

Frank Buonanno

CEO/Founder/Owner
Master Restorer, Master Engine Builder, Master Mechanic

Born with a natural talent and curiosity, Frank built his first car from salvaged parts when he was just 16. For his next project, he decided to rebuild the complex V-12 engine in his father's Ferrari 212 Inter. When it came to setting the timing, young Frank couldn't make out the markings written in Italian, so his dad enlisted the help of Alberto Pedretti and Alfredo Caiti of Luigi Chinetti Motors located in Manhattan. When the two master Ferrari mechanics inspected the work the teenager had done on the engine, they immediately offered him a position at Modena Sportscars, the new Ferrari shop they were opening across the street from Chinetti's facility.

After developing his skills under Alberto's guidance for the next several years, (Alberto ultimately went on to international fame as a key member of Chinetti's North American Racing Team), Frank decided to pursue a career in aeronautics and enrolled at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute in Miami before transferring to the Aeronautical Engineering School at Saint Louis University. It was there he earned his FAA Airframe and Powerplants license. Despite his significant academic accomplishments, Frank soon realized his true love was exotic automobiles not airplanes and he returned to Modena Sportscars and the Ferrari automobiles he cherished. The following years proved to be an invaluable learning experience and Frank quickly established himself as a master mechanic capable of repairing and rebuilding even the most sophisticated Ferrari engines, gearboxes and electrical systems.

As we all know life can be filled with surprises. Well, a draft notice appearing in his mailbox one day certainly surprised Frank. His experience as a paratrooper in the famous 82nd Airborne Division was one that taught him a great deal about the importance of discipline, preparation and training. After honorably serving his country and returning to civilian life, Frank was employed as a technical representative for Lamborghini automobiles but he longed to work with his hands again on world-class exotic cars. Orange Motors, a factory-authorized Ferrari dealership in Miami soon provided Frank with the opportunity he'd been looking and he went on to work as one of their senior mechanics for the next 20 years.

Inspired to finally own his own business, Frank ultimately left the dealership and founded the Coachman repair and restoration shop in south Miami. His English partner in the new venture was a master mechanic specializing in British automobiles while Frank attended to all of the Italian machines. Always anxious to broaden his knowledge and expand his small company, Frank soon turned his attention to repairing and restoring cars constructed by Mercede-Benz, Aston-Martin, Jaguar, Porsche and other brands at the request of his loyal clients.

Connecticut was the next stop in Frank's business career after deciding to sell the shop in Miami and move his wife and two young children closer to his elderly parents in Westchester County, New York. Landing a master mechanic's position at European Racing & Restoration, Frank worked hard at his beloved craft for the next several years but once again longed to own and operate his own business. In 1991, he founded Black Horse Garage as a restoration and repair facility dedicated to working on a wide range of European and American collector cars.

Today, almost twenty years later, Frank's dreams for Black Horse Garage have become a reality. Joined by his capable son, John, who now manages day-to-day operations of the expanding business, he continues to utilize his mastery of automotive systems and aeronautical training to diagnose and properly repair even the most complex mechanical problems. On those rare occasions when he's not building a vintage engine or restoring a collector car, he enjoys spending time with his family, sailing and building exquisite wooden boats.

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