The team traces its origins to H.J. Pfaff Motors, a Volkswagen dealership founded by Hans J. Pfaff in 1964 in Toronto. The business added a Porsche franchise in 1966, and the Pfaff family's connection to Porsche became central to the dealership group's identity over the following decades. Chris Pfaff, Hans J. Pfaff's son, assumed control of Pfaff Automotive Partners in 1986 and in 2016 was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame for his contribution to the development of Canadian racing talent. Steve Bortolotti, previously involved with Pfaff Tuning, became General Manager of Motorsport following the team's restructuring in 2014–2015.
Pfaff Motors entered the inaugural Rothmans Porsche Challenge — the Porsche 944 single-make series founded by Jack Christie and co-sponsored by Rothmans International — in 1986, competing in the series until it ended in 1990. Scott Goodyear, who later built a prominent career in North American open-wheel racing, won the championship for Pfaff in 1988.
The team subsequently entered the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Canada series from 2012 until that series concluded in 2019. Pfaff then moved to international competition in the IMSA SportsCar Championship when the replacement Porsche Carrera Cup North America launched in 2021, having already outgrown the domestic single-make environment.
Pfaff joined the Pirelli World Challenge in 2018 with factory support from Porsche Motorsport North America, fielding Scott Hargrove — the 2017 Cup Challenge Canada champion — alongside a GT4 class entry. From 2019, the team competed in the full IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar including the 24 Hours of Daytona, running a Porsche 911 GT3 R.
The team developed a distinctive visual identity built around a plaid-patterned livery. The concept originated informally in the team workshop: the car for the 2020 Daytona 24 Hours arrived late, requiring the crew to work through the Christmas holidays to meet logistics deadlines, and marketing director Laurence Yap proposed wrapping the car in a plaid pattern to match the plaid shirts worn throughout those sessions. The "Plaid Porsche" livery ran from 2019 to 2023 and became one of the more recognisable entries in the paddock.
During the COVID-19-disrupted 2020 season, Pfaff redirected resources to the Canadian Touring Car Championship, using IMSA regular Zacharie Robichon in a coaching role alongside 17-year-old Zachary Vanier, who secured the championship title.
In October 2023, Pfaff announced a switch from Porsche to McLaren, campaigning a 720S GT3 Evo as an official manufacturer-nominated entry in the GTD Pro class. The move required adapting the team's livery identity; designers Dakins Design introduced a "ghost plaid" treatment within a McLaren papaya and blue scheme.
In 2025, the team switched again, purchasing a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 to continue in the GTD Pro class. With the Lamborghini came a return to the full plaid livery that had defined the Porsche years.
Pfaff Motorsports represents a model of organic development from a manufacturer dealership into a professional international racing operation. The team's close multi-decade relationship with Porsche, its production of Canadian racing talent through the single-make years, and its prominent plaid livery all contributed to a distinctive identity within North American GT racing. The team's sustained presence at the front of the GTD Pro field confirmed it as one of Canada's most successful exports to top-level international sportscar competition.