Let’s just be clear from the start – John Maas is going to hate the first few paragraphs of this article. That’s because they don’t focus on his years as a successful mechanic in Ashburn, or the booming business he has built at the Ashburn Sunoco, or even the fact that his shop won the Best Auto Repair category in our Best of Ashburn 2025 competition.
Instead, we’re going to talk about his uncanny resemblance to the famous cover model Fabio.
“So, we ran an ad in one of the 55-and-older communities. And I snapped a picture of him and the whole ad is just his face,” said Janessa Maas, John’s wife and business partner. “And he’s got these beautiful blue eyes and his long hair. He’s stunning. And that’s the whole ad.”
Within days, a local man came into the shop who happened to live in that senior community, and he recognized John’s face.
“And John was like, ‘Yeah, I know. It’s in the magazine,’ and the man said, ‘No, it’s on everybody’s refrigerator.’ I guess they had clipped out his little face and put it on their refrigerators,” Janessa said with a laugh. “We all make fun of John.”
All kidding aside, John and Jenessa Maas have built something pretty impressive right in the heart of Ashburn Village – a mom-and-pop car repair shop that has earned a fair amount of faith and trust in a field not always known for that.
To read the rest of the story – including the rough early days they experienced, how the shop grew, and the best and worst things a car owner can do – click here and head over to the Ashburn Magazine website.