Stay on the Leading Edge: Steve Mancinelli on EVs, Training, and Old-School Service Done Right

Steve Mancinelli is a third-generation shop owner who's spent more than half a century in the automotive industry and he's still pushing his team to stay ahead of where the market is going. Steve runs Mancinelli's Auto Repair Center in downtown Denver, a family shop that's operated out of the same location since 1950. In this episode, Steve shares how a shop with deep roots avoids getting stuck in the past, by combining old-school relationship service with modern execution: thorough digital inspections, factory-level tooling, and a serious commitment to ongoing training (including 60+ hours per tech each year). You'll also hear Steve's personal turning point, he originally considered becoming a doctor, but realized he couldn't separate the emotion from the work. Instead, he brought that same care into the bays and built a reputation for solving the vehicles other places can't, especially late-model European and electrified (hybrid/EV) platforms. If you want a real look at what "staying relevant" actually means for independent shops, without losing the human side, this episode is packed with perspective. Links: Honest Mechanic Marketing (HMM): https://honestmechanicmarketing.com/ Steve's shop: https://mancinellis.com/