Following a visit from Classic Cars magazine to Clayton Classics, we are delighted to announce that two of our projects have been shortlisted for the magazine’s annual ‘Epic Restoration of the Year’ – our 1962 Jaguar E-Type restoration and 1931 Austin Seven Swallow restoration.
Members of the public can now cast their votes for the Classic Cars Magazine Epic Restoration of the Year 2024-25, which is run in association with Machine Mart.
There are some stunning restorations included in this year’s list, so we are very proud to be listed among them and to be eligible for votes in the competition, which is open until Monday 12 May 2025.
If you did want to take part, you can visit the voting page here, and through this you will get the chance to win tools courtesy of Machine Mart.
AUSTIN SEVEN SWALLOW RESTORATION
Our Austin Seven Swallow restoration is covered in this month’s edition of Classic Cars magazine, highlighting some of the challenges we faced bringing the almost 100-year-old vehicle back to life.
After spending over 50 years locked away in a garage, we bought the Austin Seven Swallow at auction, following our years of expertise restoring and upgrading another of Swallow founder William Lyon’s iconic models – the Jaguar E-Type.
The previous owner of the Austin Swallow received it as a birthday surprise from his father in 1953, and used it as an everyday car for five years, until it was stored away in the garage of the family business in 1958.
The vehicle has Vintage status, and was part of the 3,500 Austin models produced between 1927 and 1932. The model we restored is a rare two-seater version of the Austin model, thought to have had only 800 produced – and just a fraction of these are believed to have survived after almost 100 years.
We soon realised it needed a full restoration following deterioration in storage and lots of previous modifications. Obstacles included mangled aluminium bodywork, incorrect and missing parts and panels, with special attention also given to the brakes.
Now complete with new body work and ash frame, along with a full restoration of the chassis, engine and gearbox, it has been meticulously restored it back to original condition – including the headlamps, bumpers and windscreens that all would have been featured on the original model.
JAGUAR E-TYPE RESTORATION
Looking back on our other contender for the Epic Restoration of the Year, as featured in January’s issue of Classic Cars magazine and our restoration blog here, the project started from scratch with a bodyshell that had been left abandoned since the 1970s, along with several boxes of rusty bits.
Additionally, we were lacking some of the original parts, with many surviving parts beyond saving, while there was also the obstacle of having to fix previous restoration attempts.
This particular model, with just 700 miles on the clock, also had a history worth saving as it was the 252nd right-hand-drive fixed-head ever built and previously owned by the grandson of former Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald.
It was then stripped down in the 1970s and remained in the garage until we took on the restoration. Meticulous attention to detail was given to the bodyshell, engine and gearbox, suspension, and interior and electrics, while it was also fitted with our bespoke heating and air conditioning system.
The end result was described by Classic Cars Magazine in their article as a ‘perfect E-Type’.
VOTING NOW OPEN FOR RESTORATION OF THE YEAR
The competition is now open for public votes, and closes on 12 May 2025.
We would love your support if you would like to recognise our two restoration projects. To find out more or to see the other projects in the running this year, you can visit the voting page here.