We are delighted to announce that we have won the Classic Cars magazine ‘Epic Restoration of the Year’ for our classic restoration work bringing a 1931 Austin Seven Swallow back to life.
The level of support it received from readers was quite amazing, receiving 21 per cent of the votes among the 12 stunning restoration projects to choose from.
Judges said voters recognised the traditional coach-built craftsmanship, along with our Jaguar history.
Meanwhile, there was further cause for celebration as our meticulous work on a 1962 Jaguar E-Type was also shortlisted as a finalist.
a Winning austin swallow restoration
Mangled aluminium bodywork, together with incorrect and missing parts and panels, were just some of the challenges facing the Clayton Classics team after we bought the car at auction.
The full restoration of the rare two-seater version called upon our years of expertise restoring and upgrading another of Swallow founder William Lyon’s iconic models – the Jaguar E-Type.
A thrilled Dean Allsop, a director at Clayton Classics, said: “Our thanks go to everyone who voted for our restoration of the 1931 Austin Swallow.
“We are really pleased with how it turned out, with the new body work and ash frame, headlamps, bumpers and windscreens, that would have all been featured on the original model.
“The high level of detail to exterior, however, is just part of the story, as it also enjoyed a full restoration of the chassis, engine and gearbox, which has given new life to a very special car.”
a ‘perfect’ jaguar e-type
We are also incredibly proud of our 1962 Jaguar E-Type restoration, Clayton Classics’ second finalist shortlisted for ‘Epic Restoration of the Year’.
This project began with a bodyshell that had been left abandoned since the 1970s, along with several boxes of rusty bits.
Our team also had to contend with a lack of some of the original parts, and many surviving parts that were beyond saving, plus having to fix previous restoration attempts.
Nevertheless, our team relish a challenge and the end result, which included our bespoke heating and air conditioning system upgrade, was described by Classic Cars magazine as a ‘perfect E-Type’.
We are delighted to share that the car is now for sale in its fully restored condition, please get in touch to find out more.
on hand to help with a classic restoration
You can read all about the Epic Restoration of the Year, in association with Machine Mart, in this month’s (September) edition of Classic Cars magazine.
Meanwhile, if you want to talk to one of our classic car experts about your vehicle, whether you want to upgrade it, restore it or just have an inspection, then please get in touch.