Joseph Leggs, a mechanic, machinist, and engine and gearbox builder, is raising awareness about the value of skilled trade careers and the need to support the next generation of hands-on workers.
Leggs has built a career in Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini service and restoration. His work includes engine building, gearbox rebuilding, machining, diagnostics, and high-performance vehicle service for street and race cars.
For him, the message is simple. Skilled trades matter.
“I had tools in my hands by the time I was eight years old,” Leggs said. “By the time I was ten, I was using power tools under supervision.”
That early exposure shaped his future. Growing up in San Diego, Leggs learned construction work from his father, who was a firefighter, paramedic, general contractor, and builder. His family also worked on their own vehicles.
“We worked on our own cars growing up,” Leggs said. “Transitioning into mechanic and machine work came easy for me because I had already been around it for so long.”
The need for skilled workers remains significant. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 70,000 openings for automotive service technicians and mechanics each year over the next decade. TechForce Foundation has also reported that the country needs more than 241,000 new technicians each year across transportation, collision, aviation, diesel, and related technical fields, while graduating far fewer.
Leggs believes one reason the trades are important is that they combine problem-solving, patience, and discipline.
“You can’t rush quality work,” he said. “Every step matters.”
His own career took shape during college, when he began an apprenticeship at a Porsche specialist shop. That experience introduced him to a higher level of precision and helped him understand the standards required in performance automotive work.
“That apprenticeship gave me exposure to a level of precision that was completely different,” Leggs said. “You learn very quickly that details matter.”
Over time, Leggs expanded his work to include Ferrari and Lamborghini service, restoration, and performance applications. He also received factory training with Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bentley.
“Every component affects something else,” he said. “You have to understand how the entire system works together.”
Leggs is using his story to highlight the importance of hands-on learning, technical education, and respect for skilled careers. He believes students and career changers should see the trades as serious, valuable, and intellectually demanding work.
“There’s always something new to understand,” Leggs said. “The day you think you know everything is the day you stop improving.”
He also wants more people to understand that automotive careers are not only about repair. In high-performance work, technicians must understand engineering, tolerances, diagnostics, materials, and long-term reliability.
For Leggs, the work is not glamorous because of the brands. It is meaningful because of the discipline behind it.
“It’s about consistency,” he said. “Doing things correctly over and over again is what produces reliable results.”
Leggs encourages more public recognition for people who build, repair, restore, and maintain complex machines. He also hopes families, schools, and communities continue to value early exposure to practical skills.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and figuring out how things work,” Leggs said. “That’s really what started everything.”
The call to action is awareness. Skilled trades remain essential to transportation, safety, restoration, and local economies. Leggs believes that respecting technical careers, recognizing hands-on talent, and supporting trade education can help more people see the long-term value of this work.
To read the full interview, visit the website here.
About Joseph Leggs
Joseph Leggs is an Escondido, California-based mechanic, machinist, and engine and gearbox builder. Born in San Diego, he began learning hands-on skills at a young age through construction work, vehicle repair, and family projects. His career includes Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini service and restoration, as well as engine building, gearbox rebuilding, machining, diagnostics, and high-performance vehicle work. He has received factory training with Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bentley.
Contact:
Info@josephleggs.com
Media Contact
Company Name: Joseph Leggs
Contact Person: Joseph Leggs
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: josephleggs.com
Media gallery
