It was the late sixties in the idyllic Los Angeles suburb of Gardena, California, where just off of the sun soaked, magnolia lined sidewalks and picture perfect green lawns, stood the humble family home of Edgar and Carmen Brocke - the childhood home of Robert Brocke. Although he was just a toddler then, Robert was already developing a fascination, passion, and aptitude for all things mechanical. His father, Edgar “Eddy” A. Brocke, somehow found time to run a home based auto repair business in between supporting a large family, pursuing his passion for soccer, and working as a self taught electronics technician in the burgeoning aerospace industry.

Roughly five hundred miles to the North, nestled into a hillside in the beautiful Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California, in an historic Gold Rush era town, there was a Datsun dealership which would become forever entwined with Robert’s destiny. Nevada County Imports was located at 716 E Main St. Grass Valley, CA. The dealership sold and serviced Datsun, MG and Austin Healey models. The business and land was owned by Datsun enthusiast and amateur race car driver Harry Stewart.

In 1976 the Brocke family pulled up stakes, left the suburbs behind, and moved to the country - Grass Valley, California. In the early nineteen eighties, Robert started his first job in the automotive industry at Grass Valley Datsun. (In 1980 the Nevada County Imports dealership had been purchased by Don Neronde Sr. and had been renamed Grass Valley Datsun). Job placement was through the local ROP (Regional Occupancy Program) and the Nevada Union High School Auto Shop. After working at the dealership every afternoon through his Junior and Senior high school years, Robert was then hired on full time as a Lot Attendant or “Lot Boy” as they were then referred to in the industry. As he proved himself and worked his way up from the entry level position, he went on to become one of the dealership’s most highly skilled Nissan factory trained Technicians, as well as achieving full certification as an ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician.

In November of 1989, with a loan from his father, Robert founded Foothill Small Car in a one bay shop, as a one man operation. The name was later changed to Foothill Car Care to be more inclusive of domestic makes and models.

As the business grew and thrived, it naturally outgrew the original location and was moved to a much larger shop building within the same complex. When the lease came up for renewal and the landlord wasn’t interested in selling, Robert was given the opportunity to return to his roots by leasing and eventually purchasing the shop’s current location from the Stewart family - The very dealership location where he got his start in the industry. Foothill Car Care now has eight full time employees, seven service bays, an RV lift, and a 4-wheel computerized alignment rack. Complimentary shuttle service is offered as a customer courtesy.

“I never thought I’d own the building where I started my career. This place has a lot of history, making automotive music in here in one form or another since the late nineteen forties.” - Robert Brocke