You might not even notice it as you drive down North Pearl Street on the Northern end of downtown Albany if you weren’t paying attention, and that is how they like it. Tucked away on the corner of Tivoli Street in the old industrial neighborhood that once housed many textile mills and various warehouses is a former carriage house that once was home to the horse stables for Freihofer’s Bakery.

Today this building is home to a different type of horses, specifically the kind of horses that are kept under the hoods of all types of automobiles made in Germany. Rick Dobush bought the building in 1999 in order to house his expanding auto repair business. Not just any type of auto repair however, as suggested by the name of his shop, R&D Automotive - Bavarian Rocket Scientists, LLC focuses his expertise solely on the makes from Deutschland. While he admittedly prefers Porsches for the race track like his speed yellow #153 1973 Carrera RS, when it comes to daily drivers he feels nothing beats the quality of vehicles manufactured by Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen and of course Porsche. With over 30 years of experience working with German cars, Rick is also well known for sharing his knowledge in various enthusiast circles.