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RK Collection LLC (RKC) was conceived, founded and built by Robert Kauffman and Rich Kraus beginning in 2006.  RKC’s vision is to be:

“The nation’s premier restorer, reseller and provider of American muscle cars, resto-mods and hot rods and services for them.”

Today, RKC is meeting its customers’ needs as a full-service collectable car sales, consignment sale, restoration, performance upgrade, fabrication, engine/transmission/rear end building and paint and bodywork facility.

We will continue to strive to provide real value and make every customers’ experience with us the best it can be by providing, building or selling high quality vehicles, executing well engineered and constructed performance upgrades/builds and fabrication projects and by reaching for the very highest level of show-quality paint and bodywork services.

OUR PEOPLE:

Corporate Staff:

Rob Kauffman:  Owner and Chief Executive Officer
Rob Kauffman is the founder and CEO of RK Collection LLC.  Additionally Rob is also a founding principal of Fortress Investment Group, a NYSE listed global fund manager, and is responsible for their European operations. However, he has always had a significant interest in all things automotive, motorcycling and racing related.  In 2006, he decided to create what would become RK Collection LLC with the goal of creating an enterprise which would produce some of the nation’s best restored and most sought after muscle and collectible cars.  Over the past few years he has successfully guided RKC towards this goal and into creating award-winning, custom high-performance vehicles.  In addition to RKC, Rob also has a significant interest in the world of NASCAR as a part owner in Michael Waltrip Racing in Cornelius, NC.

Richard Kraus: President and Chief Operations Officer
Rich Kraus is originally from Mahopac, NY.  He is President and COO of RK Collection LLC.  Throughout most of his childhood he was involved with muscle car, high-performance car & motorcycle mechanical issues & performance modifications.  He experienced a significant delay in his efforts to build some of the nation’s best high performance vehicles by spending 23 years in the US Marine Corps and US Air Force, eventually retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel after leading, managing and providing discipline for entities as large as 525 persons.  In 2006, he co-designed and co-founded RK Collection and has built the enterprise into one of the nation’s premier providers of vehicle performance modification services and superbly restored muscle cars, resto mods and hot rods.
BA, Western CT State University, 1988.
MA, Webster University, 1995.

Marcia Aquilano: Office Manager/Bookeeper
Marcia comes to us from Hawthorne, NY.  After earning her BS from Mercy College, Marcia performed as a bookkeeper, office manager and accountant in various small-to mid-size firms in the New York City metro area for 25 years.  She also developed and maintained her own financial consulting business.  Somewhere along the way, Marcia learned to drive a standard transmission on a cross-ram, dual-quad 1969 Camaro Z/28.  She came full circle back to the muscle car world when she joined RKC in mid 2007 and now brings her wealth of experience to us.  She specializes in financial, bookkeeping, benefits, insurance and office management issues for us and our customers.

Katie Morgan Rupp: Administrative Assistant/Reception
Katie comes to us from Danbury, CT.  She graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a BS in Justice and Law Administration.  Katie gained unique automobile dealership, office and people skills and state motor vehicle and dealership procedures and laws experience by working as administrative assistant and scheduler with Porsche, Audi, BMW and Volkswagen dealerships in the Danbury, CT area.  Katie assists in all RKC’s corporate business practices and specializes in vehicle title, licensing, research and customer liaising. Katie is glad to be your point of contact for any and all questions and in any other way she can assist you to make your experience with RK Collection the best it can be!

SHOP STAFF:

Tom Farrell:  Master Fabricationist & Lead Restoration Tech
Tom Farrell comes to us from New Orleans, LA.  Early on, he spent 11 years in an oil-industry related repair, fabrication and large-engine repair business as an apprentice, supervisor and finally resident expert.  During this period, he became highly experienced in custom metal machining & fabrication and adaptation & painting of all manner of parts and frames.  Concurrently, he elevated his all-source welding and metal repair skills to a level of quality rarely seen anywhere in the world.  In 1992, he joined the NASCAR race world and served with Allen Dillard Motors’ Race Team, Carl Yarborough Racing and finally Penske Racing.  From 1995 to early 2007, Tom specialized in NASCAR race vehicle design and fabrication for Penske Racing.  For the past decade, he has also specialized in restoration & mechanical repair of vintage Ferrari cars.  Tom joined RKC in February 2007, bringing 28 years of experience in shaping metal (i.e. custom welding, frame, roll cage, exhaust, header, CNC design, etc) working fiberglass, carbon fiber and composites.

William “Wally” Roberts: Master Mechanic and Engine/Trans/Rear Builder & Lead Mechanical Restoration Tech
William “Wally” Roberts comes to us from Melrose, Mass.  He holds the A.S.E. Master Auto Technician & A.S.E. Certified Engine Assembly Specialist ratings and has been continuously certified a Master Mechanic since 1974.  He worked in various GM dealerships from 1968 to 1989 and also earned the title “GM Certified Master Technician” in 1983.  He founded and operated BRE Transmissions from 1989 to 1997, adding incredibly in-depth auto and manual transmission repair, restoration and design to his already formidable mechanical experience.  From 1997 to 2001, Wally built, tuned, and maintained NASCAR race engines for Roush Racing.  From 2001 to mid 2007, he designed, built and marketed his own line of race engines and continued to restore and repair all makes of transmissions.  He maintains a tight bond with engine/trans/drivetrain building technology, by constructing, driving and maintaining his own NHRA Super Comp-class dragster and was also a competition licensing instructor for Doug Foley’s Drag Racing School in New Jersey.  Wally Roberts joined RKC in mid 2007, bringing 40 years of engine, transmission and driveline building and maintaining skills.

Hugo Tinajero:  Restoration Tech/Fabrication/Mechanic
Hugo comes to us from Danville, Indiana.  He was formally trained at Lincoln Auto Tech Institute of Indianapolis, IN from 2004-2005.  He performed as a line technician, minor maintenance tech and service advisor for Chevrolet from 2005-2007.  Hugo joined RKC in December 2007 and quickly gained very significant welding, fabrication, restoration, mechanical electrical and final-stage paint and body experience.

Tyler Walker:  Paint and Bodywork Tech/Restoration/Fabrication
Tyler comes to us from Landis, NC.  He began performing bodywork, painting and various mechanical practices in 2000.  Tyler received formal automotive training at NASCAR Technical Institute from 2004-2005.  He served with Nimco Mortorsports’ NASCAR Busch Cup race team, Automotion Paint and Body Corp., and Jr. Motorsports Racing performing painting, bodywork, assembly, fabrication and mechanical work from 2005-2009.  Tyler joined RKC as our primary painter and bodyworker in February 2009 and brings 9 years of paint, bodywork and varied other automotive experience to us.

Corey Rupp:  Restoration Tech/Mechanic
Corey comes to us from Windsor, CT.  From 1999-2009 he worked for Dayhill Automotive NAPA Service Center and at Chevrolet dealership as an automotive technician, performing everything from light maintenance to electrical troubleshooting, to engine, drivetrain and computer diagnostics, assessment and repair.  Corey joined RKC in March 2009, bringing 10 years of varied automotive expertise.