Rated Strong
In the midst of these complex and challenging times for almost all businesses, we are very excited to share that Bridge Classic Cars has achieved
Marketing Manager - Bridge Classic Cars
In the midst of these complex and challenging times for almost all businesses, we are very excited to share that Bridge Classic Cars has achieved
Our stunning 1958 Austin-Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite has now sold out! Before that happened, Nicola Hume helped spread the word of this beautiful classic car via
When delivering classic cars, it’s always important to take extra care. Even small dings can cause much more damage than you might expect. When a
Some good progress has been made on our 1956 Jensen 541 recently. After being prepped and primed, the body and various components have been painted.
Our 1984 Suzuki GSX 400T was able to enjoy some time in the sun recently. After being in the workshop of JAL Restorations for a
If you enjoy playing along with Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, then you might be able to save some money every time you enter one of
Classic car technician Mauro has been painting the brake calipers on Director Craig’s 2015 Audi A5 Sportback. As you can see from the photos below,
Classic car technician Steve has been working on our 1956 Ford Thunderbird. During his investigation, he found that the anti-roll bar bushes were cracked and
We have recently taken delivery of some new seats for The Atelier at Bridge Classic Cars. Now that we are hosting more events, we have
Our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 has continued to be prepped for painting by classic car technician Al. The below photos show some behind-the-scenes shots of
After putting it to a vote on the Bridge Classic Cars Facebook page, it was decided that the wheels on our 1969 Morgan 4/4 1600
We have recently welcomed our 1966 Fiat 500 into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. After its owner took this beautiful classic car to a garage
Classic car technician Mauro has been refurbishing components from the engine bay of our 1996 Rover 220 Turbo. Now that the car is going back
After months of research and development, the team here at Bridge Classic Cars are extremely excited to reveal the first stage prototype of our submarine
This morning we welcomed the Mercedes-Benz club to The Atelier at Bridge Classic Cars. It was great to see so many members of the club
Princess Anne visited our neck of the woods recently, spending some time in Southwold where she went to the Adnams brewery. She visited the Suffolk
Olympian turned celebrity coach, Greg Whyte, was in Ipswich recently. As this is so local to us, we felt that we had to go and
There are always classic vehicles coming into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. However, every now and again, multiple vehicles all show up at the same
Some of the team here at Bridge Classic Cars recently had the opportunity to hear the story of Rogue Trader, Nick Leeson from the man
Classic car technician Steve has been working on our 1937 Vauxhall 25 Wingham Cabriolet. While working on this rare and extremely good-looking classic car, Steve
Five friends are soon to embark on a mammoth motorcycling challenge to raise funds for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). Ian Charlesworth, Chris Tebbit, Robert
We are very excited that our 2000 Toyota Regius will soon be arriving in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. This is a great-looking vehicle that
Classic car technicians Monty and Chris have restarted their work on our 1975 Jensen Interceptor MK3. As you can see from the images below, things
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been in the hands of classic car technician Brian. He has been working on the metal trims for the
Classic car technician Brian has been working on the interior of our 1980 Saab 99 Turbo. He first fitted the headliner board before moving on
The new wheels and tyres for our 1905 Riley 9HP have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Now that they are here, they can
Work to rebuild our 1959 Jensen 541R has continued recently with classic car technician Rob building up and fitting the front suspension. Along with the
On 29th March 1927, on Daytona Beach in Florida, Major Henry Segrave drove a Sunbeam, known as ‘The Slug’, over 200mph. This was the first
I thoroughly enjoyed the evening at Bridge Classics listening to Ed Stafford. I thought the team at Bridge Classic Cars ran a very efficient evening
Today, we delivered our 1976 Leyland Mini Clubman 1100 to lucky winner Oscar Rignell. Oscar’s winning ticket number, 2715, was randomly selected during the live
In the midst of these complex and challenging times for almost all businesses, we are very excited to share that Bridge Classic Cars has achieved noteworthy recognition from a prominent data analysis company.
They recently reached out and informed us that, among the landscape of 374 classic car specialist companies throughout the UK, we have been given the rating: STRONG.
This accolade is something the entire team is proud of. Navigating the current economic climate has undoubtedly presented its share of trials, making this recognition all the more meaningful. This acknowledgement serves as a testament to our team’s perseverance, innovative approach, and the outstanding service we provide for all of our customers.
Moving forward, we remain determined in our pursuit of excellence, continually setting benchmarks in the classic car industry and upholding the standard of being “STRONG” in every sense of the word.
Our stunning 1958 Austin-Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite has now sold out!
Before that happened, Nicola Hume helped spread the word of this beautiful classic car via her Instagram story.
When delivering classic cars, it’s always important to take extra care. Even small dings can cause much more damage than you might expect.
When a vintage Corvette was being delivered to its owner in America recently, much more care should have been taken to avoid the disaster that took place. As the classic car rolls off the back of the transporter and crashes down into the road, it certainly won’t be in the condition the owner would expect it to be in on delivery.
Shared on TikTok, the disastrous delivery can be seen below.
Some good progress has been made on our 1956 Jensen 541 recently. After being prepped and primed, the body and various components have been painted. As you can see from the images below, the new colour looks great and was the perfect choice from the owner of this classic car.
While Chris was painting our 541, classic car technician Brian was working on the interior. He cut out the under-dash panels along with the kick panels and air vent holes.
Our 1984 Suzuki GSX 400T was able to enjoy some time in the sun recently. After being in the workshop of JAL Restorations for a while, it has finally been able to be photographed outside in the sunshine!
It’s always exciting to get updates on this special project and we love seeing the bike outside and moving closer to being back out on the road again at some point in the future.
If you enjoy playing along with Bridge Classic Cars Competitions, then you might be able to save some money every time you enter one of the draws.
Our exclusive VIP membership gives you an extra 10% off all competition tickets. Whether you are buying tickets at a launch sale price, using an email coupon code, or purchasing at full price, the 10% VIP discount will automatically be applied to all of your purchases.
For just £10 a year, you can become a VIP member and save an extra 10% every time you enter one of our competitions.
If you are not already a VIP member and you enter our competitions regularly, then you could save money with our VIP membership.
Classic car technician Mauro has been painting the brake calipers on Director Craig’s 2015 Audi A5 Sportback.
As you can see from the photos below, the newly painted calipers are looking great and make this already stunning car, even more pleasing to the eye!
Classic car technician Steve has been working on our 1956 Ford Thunderbird.
During his investigation, he found that the anti-roll bar bushes were cracked and perished. This was also the case with the power steering hose. Steve also found that the right-hand exhaust manifold was cracked and leaking.
Other issues that Steve noticed included the paint peeling off the sump and the rear shackle bushes being cracked and perished.
These issues will need to be resolved before this eye-catching classic car can get back out on the road.
We have recently taken delivery of some new seats for The Atelier at Bridge Classic Cars.
Now that we are hosting more events, we have been working hard to make the building as comfortable and as welcoming as possible for everyone who attends, and the chairs are the latest addition.
The Atelier continues to transform into a stylish petrolhead location and we are looking forward to welcoming even more of you to the workshop very soon.
Our 1976 Aston Martin AMV8 has continued to be prepped for painting by classic car technician Al.
The below photos show some behind-the-scenes shots of what he has been up to as our Aston gets ready for a new coat of paint.
After putting it to a vote on the Bridge Classic Cars Facebook page, it was decided that the wheels on our 1969 Morgan 4/4 1600 should be painted silver instead of keeping them their current red colour.
The wheels have now been removed from our classic Morgan and they will soon be back on the car looking very different in their new colour scheme.
As a future competition car, it was great to put a decision like this to a public vote and we look forward to getting the freshly painted wheels back on the car very soon.
We have recently welcomed our 1966 Fiat 500 into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
After its owner took this beautiful classic car to a garage for some welding work, it has since been running badly and consistently sitting at high revs.
While it is in the workshop, our team of experienced classic car technicians will be investigating the running problems and finding the best way to resolve them ready for the vehicle to be returned to its owner.
Classic car technician Mauro has been refurbishing components from the engine bay of our 1996 Rover 220 Turbo.
Now that the car is going back together after being repainted, jobs like this make all the difference to the overall look of the vehicle. Along with the engine bay components, the wheels of our 220 Turbo have also been refurbished and are looking very good too.
To finish off the paint job, the roof of our 1996 Rover 220 Turbo was painted.
After months of research and development, the team here at Bridge Classic Cars are extremely excited to reveal the first stage prototype of our submarine car. Loosely based on an Amphicar 770, our Sub-A-Roo is now moving into the testing phase.
Once the roof is in place on this game-changing vehicle, the Sub-A-Roo will be able to stay underwater for several days without needing to resurface. Thanks to some incredible ingenuity from our team of technicians, provisions for 2 passengers for 2 days can be kept on board.
Reaching depths of up to 100 metres, underwater, the Sub-A-Roo can travel at speeds up to 20mph while a land speed of up to 35mph is also possible in the right conditions.
With a completion date planned for mid-October, mass production will hopefully begin in early 2024.
We look forward to sharing more exciting updates with you over the coming weeks and months.
This morning we welcomed the Mercedes-Benz club to The Atelier at Bridge Classic Cars.
It was great to see so many members of the club enjoy a coffee with us before going on a guided tour of the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Everyone here had a fantastic time, the atmosphere was extremely positive, and we hope to see you all again very soon.
Princess Anne visited our neck of the woods recently, spending some time in Southwold where she went to the Adnams brewery. She visited the Suffolk coast as part of the 150th anniversary of Adnams.
A day before her trip to Southwold, the Princess Royal was in Ipswich where she commissioned the Horace & Hannah, a 1906 Great Yarmouth Shrimper boat, at the Old Custom House on the Waterfront. Princess Anne also officially opened the new joint police and fire station in the town too.
On being part of the Adnams celebrations, the Princess said that she was “delighted” to be invited and she hopes to “make sure that the skillset continues to exist, not forgetting the value it has in the future, nevermind the past”
It’s always exciting to see a member of the Royal family in the local area so we were very happy that Princess Anne was putting Suffolk in the news for a few days.
Olympian turned celebrity coach, Greg Whyte, was in Ipswich recently. As this is so local to us, we felt that we had to go and listen to him speak at the Ipswich Sporting Lunch Club, hosted at local restaurant Venue 16.
Greg spoke to a large audience of local business leaders and professionals about raising funds for SportsAid.
According to their research, SportsAid has found that, before becoming a household name, talented athletes will spend 10,000 hours and thousands of pounds to make it to elite level. Without funding and support from SportsAid, this simply would not be a feasible option for many promising sports stars of the future.
SportsAid Suffolk has already raised and distributed more than £300,000 to support young people in the county.
The Ipswich Sporting Lunch Club was founded in January 2015 and is sponsored by six businesses based in Suffolk – Pound Gates Chartered Insurance Brokers, Ensors Chartered Accountants, Ellisons Solicitors, StrategiQ, Handelsbanken, and Beckett Financial Services.
There are always classic vehicles coming into the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. However, every now and again, multiple vehicles all show up at the same time.
After a successful day at auction recently, we received a delivery of several vehicles that we were very excited to welcome into the workshop. In the back of the car transporter was our 1958 Austin Healey Sprite, our 1969 Morgan 4/4 1600, and our 1998 Lotus Elise S1.
We are looking forward to sharing more information on these beautiful classic cars very soon!
Some of the team here at Bridge Classic Cars recently had the opportunity to hear the story of Rogue Trader, Nick Leeson from the man himself.
For those who don’t know, Nick Leeson is a former trader who ended up in prison after he single-handedly bankrupted Barings Bank in 1995. Although he was ultimately convicted of fraud, Nick actually started his trading career as something of a future star. After making massive profits for Barings, Nick was moved to Singapore where he made his first unauthorised trades.
Nick’s role should have been cash-neutral for his employer, meaning that any profits and losses belonged to the client’s portfolios that he was managing. Barings Bank would get a commission for any successes but they wouldn’t lose any money in the trades. However, what was actually happening is that Nick was using the bank’s money to try and recoup trading losses.
Nick used the extremely risky strategy of betting double the amount of money lost to try and get the losses back while making a profit too. This ended up with Barings Bank losing a total of £827 million in 1995. This huge amount of money was double the bank’s trading capital and proved to be the beginning of the end for the 230-year-old bank.
While in prison, Nick wrote a book called Rogue Trader which subsequently was adapted into a film starring Ewan McGregor and Anna Friel in 1999.
Obviously, the actions of Nick Leeson impacted a huge number of people and there is still a strong element of controversy and emotion that surrounds him. That being said, hearing his story and his explanation of what was going on at the time was certainly very interesting and something that the team will remember.
Classic car technician Steve has been working on our 1937 Vauxhall 25 Wingham Cabriolet. While working on this rare and extremely good-looking classic car, Steve replaced the bottom radiator hose. He also went on to check and clean the brakes to ensure these are working exactly as they should be when our Wingham gets back out on the road.
Five friends are soon to embark on a mammoth motorcycling challenge to raise funds for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). Ian Charlesworth, Chris Tebbit, Robert McDonald and Ethan and John Stenner hope to cover around 1,500 miles on their motorbikes while visiting the most Northerly, Southerly, Easterly and Western points of the UK.
If the distance wasn’t enough of a challenge, the five bikers are planning to complete their epic journey in just 36 hours. In the early hours of Saturday, 29th April 2023, they will set off from John O’Groats, in Scotland, before heading to St Davids, on the Welsh coast. From there, it’s on to Land’s End, in Cornwall, before finishing in Lowestoft.
Ian, who is just down the road from us in Stowmarket, said:
“It’s a 29-hour ride, according to Google Maps, however, that’s without any stops and our plan is to rest for a quarter of an hour every time we fill up. It’s important to top ourselves up – not just in terms of petrol but also in terms of coffee and chocolate!”
“We estimate that we’ll stop about a dozen times, so hope to complete the challenge in 30 to 32 hours. Having said that, if it takes longer then so be it – even if we don’t finish within 36 hours. We’re not going to do anything silly and plan to stay safe. If we need to stop and sleep then that’s what we’ll do.”
“The most important thing is that we complete the distance, by hook or by crook.”
Ian has already completed long-distance challenges like this. He even managed to cover 1,000 miles in 19 hours but this latest challenge certainly takes things up to a whole new level. Despite the endurance-testing distance the group hopes to cover, knowing that it is helping to support the incredibly important work of EACH is proving to be a great source of motivation.
Ian went on to say:
“It’s certainly daunting but going to be an experience and something special to share together. My only regret is that we don’t have longer in any place, but it’s still going to be great and we’ll have a giggle along the way.”
“It’s going to be long and tiring but we want to raise money for a great cause. All costs will be coming out of our own pockets, so we hope family, friends and the public get behind us and help make our trip worthwhile by donating as much as possible.”
“We wanted to do something for a local charity, rather than a national one. My fear with the latter is that your money goes into a big pot and you don’t necessarily get to see how it’s spent. With EACH, it feels more tangible and we’re safe in the knowledge that our donation will directly help and benefit children, young people and families within our community. I like that thought and know the others feel the same.”
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across East Anglia. It has three hospices – The Treehouse, in Ipswich, The Nook, near Norwich, and at Milton, near Cambridge.
The charity offers families flexibility and control over where they receive their care and support, including where their child dies – at home, in hospital or at one of three hospices. EACH relies on voluntary donations for the majority of its income and this year needs to raise £5.8 million from fundraising and £6.5 million in income from its shops.
If you would like to support Ian, Chris, Robert, Ethan, and John, you can do so by making a donation via their JustGiving Page.
We are very excited that our 2000 Toyota Regius will soon be arriving in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. This is a great-looking vehicle that can certainly add a great deal of comfort to any long road trip.
If you like heading out on outdoor adventures or maybe you simply prefer having home comforts nearby no matter where you are, our 2000 Toyota Regius is a fantastic vehicle of choice.
Classic car technicians Monty and Chris have restarted their work on our 1975 Jensen Interceptor MK3.
As you can see from the images below, things are progressing nicely on this classic car and it is slowly starting to take on the recognisable shape of a Jensen Interceptor.
Monty and Chris will continue their work and we look forward to seeing our Interceptor’s progress carry on as it moves through the Bridge Classic Cars workshop.
Our 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 has been in the hands of classic car technician Brian. He has been working on the metal trims for the tailgate. These were trial fitted so they could be adjusted and the fit checked.
Brian went on to cut the leather for the inside of the tailgate before glueing the leather to the top of it and trimming it to the correct shape. The process was repeated for the bottom of the tailgate. The top trim plates were drilled and screwed into position – these will be removed later on to be covered in leather.
The metal struts in the kick panel area were the next focus of Brian’s attention. He glued leather around these which gave them a much more pleasing look and style.
Classic car technician Brian has been working on the interior of our 1980 Saab 99 Turbo. He first fitted the headliner board before moving on to the A posts. The sun visors and rear view mirror were next to be fitted followed by the B posts.
Brian went on to fit the rear quarter panels and seat belts before he made covers for the seat belt holes in the C posts. These were then fitted into the C post panels. Once the C posts were fitted, the brackets for the side window opening catches were fitted too.
The rear parcel shelf was fitted and the front door window handles were painted.
Classic car technician John has also been working on our classic Saab. He has been refitting multiple components and cleaning them as he did so. As no new parts are available, things are getting refurbed as they are refitted.
Before all of the lights were refitted, John painted the frames and touched up all the visible screws in matt black. He also repaired the grille before painting it silver and black.
New wheel arch trims were sourced, however, they are delivered straight so needed to be heated and bent into shape when fitting which is not an easy thing to do! John went on to clean and check the brakes before fitting the mudflaps. As he was doing this, he noticed that the holes for the mudflap fittings had been filled during welding so new ones had to be drilled.
The nearside front brakes were binding which John found was due to the caliper being seized. The pads had also been very hot and had gone brittle. This means that new caliper and pads are needed.
The new wheels and tyres for our 1905 Riley 9HP have arrived at the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. Now that they are here, they can be prepared and fitted to our very special Riley.
Since it now seems that our Riley is a prototype for the first car to have removable wheels, the arrival of new wheels and tyres becomes even more interesting.
Work to rebuild our 1959 Jensen 541R has continued recently with classic car technician Rob building up and fitting the front suspension. Along with the suspension, Rob also got the engine back into the car.
The heater motor was built and installed before Rob went on to install the rear shocks too.
A new fuel tank and brake servo were fitted to our classic 541R and the new floors were made and installed as well.
With the rebuild of our 1959 Jensen 541R continuing, it keeps getting better and better to look at and is getting to be more car-like with each passing day.
On 29th March 1927, on Daytona Beach in Florida, Major Henry Segrave drove a Sunbeam, known as ‘The Slug’, over 200mph. This was the first time that any car had ever reached this speed and set a new land speed record. Now, 96 years later, on 29th March 2023, The National Motor Museum is launching its Sunbeam 1000hp Restoration Campaign to bring this ground-breaking car back to life.
The campaign aims to raise £300,000 for a full restoration and to take ‘The Slug’ back to Daytona Beach in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the record in 2027. Restoring a car that has two 22.5-lire V12 engines is obviously a huge task so a major fundraising campaign is needed to make it possible.
After being designed and built for the sole purpose of going faster than 200mph, ‘The Slug’ was, at the time, the fastest car in the world. The excitement around the car was immense and around 30,000 people headed to Daytona Beach to watch Major Segrave drive at an average speed of 203.79mph. To achieve this speed, more than one engine was needed, so two Sunbeam Matabele V12 aero engines were chosen by Sunbeam’s chief engineer, Louis Coatalen. Segrave’s cockpit was between the two engines (one was at the rear of the vehicle while the other was at the front), and the finished car weighed over 3 tons.
The car travelled so fast that, during the first run, strong winds caused it to skid with Segrave having no other option but to drive into the sea to slow down! However, following corrosion attacking the internal workings of the engines, ‘The Slug’ has not been run for more than 50 years.
The National Motor Museum is working with Brookspeed Automotive to restore this incredible car, and the work will be carried out in the public eye through visits to the museum as well as through online content such as videos and blog posts.
To raise awareness of the campaign, ‘The Slug’ will be taken to motoring events and shows all over the UK and Europe before also going on a tour of motoring museums in America too.
The National Motor Museum has owned the Sunbeam since 1970 and it has been one of the main displays there ever since. Their Senior Engineer, Ian Stanfield, has already started stripping down the rear engine to investigate how bad the corrosion damage truly is.
Restoring a car that is as special and such a big part of motoring history as this is a worthwhile project. There aren’t many better ways to help future generations recognise how ground-breaking ‘The Slug’ was than by bringing it back to life for them to see first-hand.
The National Motor Museum’s Head of Development Michelle Kirwan said: “This is a wonderfully exciting opportunity to raise the funds necessary to breathe new life into the two aero engines and enable the Sunbeam to run again.
“To be able to take this iconic car back to Daytona, where world Land Speed Record history was made, would be incredible – especially in the centenary year. We are grateful for Brookspeed Automotive’s support with this campaign and look forward to working together to achieve the ultimate goal of such a historic run, which will capture the imagination of motoring enthusiasts around the world.”
I thoroughly enjoyed the evening at Bridge Classics listening to Ed Stafford. I thought the team at Bridge Classic Cars ran a very efficient evening and it’s a credit to you all for your hard work and dedication. Keep up the great work.
Today, we delivered our 1976 Leyland Mini Clubman 1100 to lucky winner Oscar Rignell.
Oscar’s winning ticket number, 2715, was randomly selected during the live draw held on 16th March 2023.
This is a stunning classic Mini and we are sure that Oscar will enjoy it. Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars would like to congratulate Oscar again and we hope you love the Mini as much as we do.
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