Flying Cars Could Be Coming Soon
June 20, 2023
In what could easily be confused as a prank, Suzuki made something of a major announcement regarding the future of daily transportation. Suzuki has signed
automotive upholstery
Like New – Making the Squab Seats for the 1954 Bristol 405
June 29, 2022
The 1954 Bristol 405, in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars, has had the trim team finish off the first off 2 squab seats for
Repaired – Reworking the Seat Base on the 1955 Triumph TR2
June 29, 2022
The seat base of the 1955 Triumph TR2 has been taken out of the classic sports car and taken upstairs to the Bridge Classic Cars
Repaired – Hardboard Repairs on the Door Cards of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 24, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have repaired several sections of the door cards on the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in for
Full Set – Making the New Carpet Set for the 1970 Bristol 411
June 24, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on carefully removing the original carpets from the 1970 Bristol 411 in order to template
Tailored to Suit – The Tonneau and Hood Cover on the 1932 Lagonda Tourer
June 24, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully tailored the new tonneau and hood cover specifically for the 1932 Lagonda Tourer in with us.
Secured – Roof Supports Glued into the 1956 Jensen 541 Rear Window
June 17, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing work on the roof supports of the 1956 Jensen 541. Previously, our trimmer Brian handmade
Resting Place – Remaking the 1954 Bristol 405 Armrest
June 16, 2022
Our in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked meticulously on remaking the armrest of the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration.
Stripped Back – Teardown of the 1954 Bristol 405 Interior Begins
May 26, 2022
The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars is starting the journey of stripping back the interior on the 1954 Bristol 405 as it begins its
Quick Fix – Repairs to the Seats on the 1958 Morris Minor 1000
March 1, 2022
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their magic on the 1958 Morris Minor 1000 that is in with us. The team noted
Extra Touches – Creating New Bags for the 1974 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster
January 12, 2022
Lydia, one of our incredible trimmers here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been busy handmaking the extra pieces for Fern Grey. Fern Grey is of
This Just In – 1970 Porsche 911T
January 11, 2022
Bridge Classic Cars have welcomed this iconic 1970 Porsche 911T into our in-house trim shop at our Pettistree, Suffolk HQ. The car, which belongs to
Final Fitment – Door Cards on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
September 27, 2021
The art of interior trim is something our in-house trim experts have mastered over years of experience. A great example of this is the door
In Pursuit of Perfect – Retrimming Seats for our 1960 Jensen 541R.
September 14, 2021
For a handmade classic car, only a handmade interior will do. This is much the story with our beautiful 1960 Jensen 541R we have in
The Tactile Feeling – Retrimming the door panels on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL
September 14, 2021
Interior trim is one of the key elements of any restoration, and we here at Bridge Classic Cars have got probably the best in-house trim
Flying Cars Could Be Coming Soon
June 20, 2023
In what could easily be confused as a prank, Suzuki made something of a major announcement regarding the future of daily transportation.
Suzuki has signed a basic agreement with SkyDrive that brings the two companies together in a collaboration to manufacture flying cars. To make this happen, SkyDrive will establish a 100% owned subsidiary to manufacture the flying cars, while both Suzuki and SkyDrive will make use of a plant owned by the Suzuki Group in Shizuoka Prefecture, with the aim to start manufacturing the airborne motors around Spring 2024. Suzuki will also cooperate with SkyDrive’s manufacturing subsidiary in preparing for the start of manufacturing, including securing of human resources. Both companies are still in discussions about other specific terms.
The President of Suzuki said: “I’m very excited to be working together with SkyDrive. We will make ambitious strides toward the development of products of superior value so that we can contribute to the realisation of air mobility, which utilises the sky for daily transportation.”
Like New – Making the Squab Seats for the 1954 Bristol 405
June 29, 2022
The 1954 Bristol 405, in for restoration at Bridge Classic Cars, has had the trim team finish off the first off 2 squab seats for the car.
Lydia, one of our trimmers, has made the whole seat by hand using the original as a template to work from. Each individual piece has been made by hand specifically for the car and the results look absolutely incredible.
Repaired – Reworking the Seat Base on the 1955 Triumph TR2
June 29, 2022
The seat base of the 1955 Triumph TR2 has been taken out of the classic sports car and taken upstairs to the Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop to be worked on.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has had the seat base on the bench to begin its repairs.
The first step was to unpicking the stitching on the seat base to remove it from the metal sprung base. Then, the cover could be transferred onto a new piece of calico to create a backing for the repairs to bind to. Along with this, the team recorded the piping to give it back its original shape for the beautiful dark red leather. Whilst the cover was off the metal base, Brian could repair some of the springs which over time had become frail and broken.
Next, the trim team carefully trimmed out the base pieces from the calico before glueing them down and then refit them together with a new foam centre. Finally, the team could stretch the repaired cover over the base and fixed in place with brand-new hog clips before being installed back into the car.
Repaired – Hardboard Repairs on the Door Cards of the 1987 Daimler Double Six
June 24, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have repaired several sections of the door cards on the 1987 Daimler Double Six which is in for restoration.
Brian, one of our trimmers, carefully cut out the damaged areas to make new paper templates from and then graft them into the panels permanently.
Full Set – Making the New Carpet Set for the 1970 Bristol 411
June 24, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been working on carefully removing the original carpets from the 1970 Bristol 411 in order to template replacement pieces as part of its restorative works.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been removing the pieces from the classic GT in order to separate them into their basic parts for pattern making and to work out the plan of how they all lay into the cockpit of the car.
Once out, the original pieces are laid onto new carpeting and carefully cut, test fit and then bound before being put back into the car over the top of the replacement sound deadening material.
Tailored to Suit – The Tonneau and Hood Cover on the 1932 Lagonda Tourer
June 24, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have carefully tailored the new tonneau and hood cover specifically for the 1932 Lagonda Tourer in with us.
Lydia, one of our trimmers, has worked on refining the patterns for both pieces and in terms of the hood cover revised the entire piece to envelope the entire hood frame within the piece. These have been checked and double-checked before being transferred onto mohair.
Once on the final material, Lydia could make tight-fitting pieces perfectly tailored to suit the pre-war convertible with a single zip running up the centre to close the interior once the clips are pressed onto the body.
Secured – Roof Supports Glued into the 1956 Jensen 541 Rear Window
June 17, 2022
The trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have been continuing work on the roof supports of the 1956 Jensen 541.
Previously, our trimmer Brian handmade the roof supports for the rear window of the classic Jensen which have been specifically profiled to fit the recess perfectly. With the pieces now test fit, the team could prepare the area and the pieces before applying the adhesives and clamping them securely down to let cure.
Resting Place – Remaking the 1954 Bristol 405 Armrest
June 16, 2022
Our in-house trim team at Bridge Classic Cars have worked meticulously on remaking the armrest of the 1954 Bristol 405 which is in for restoration.
The team completely stripped the old piece down to its base parts in order to assess and refurbish any pieces that require attention. The original wooden bases were cleaned up and reused while the foams were completely remade from scratch and shaped to fit.
Stripped Back – Teardown of the 1954 Bristol 405 Interior Begins
May 26, 2022
The interior team at Bridge Classic Cars is starting the journey of stripping back the interior on the 1954 Bristol 405 as it begins its restoration across our various departments.
Brian, one of our trimmers, has been working on carefully picking apart the hundreds (if not thousands) of small brass tacks which hold the material to the frames of the classic Bristol seats. Inch by inch, the material is freed from its bindings and once it has been completely undone, it is folded and stored ready to be catalogued and stored for reference.
Once each piece is stripped back, the team can assess the condition of the foam and adhesives, also inspecting any of the delicate frameworks which make up the seats for the rare saloon car. Every single piece of the interior is being carefully looked at and noted to build up the best picture for the plan moving forward during the car’s restoration.
Quick Fix – Repairs to the Seats on the 1958 Morris Minor 1000
March 1, 2022
The trim shop at Bridge Classic Cars have worked their magic on the 1958 Morris Minor 1000 that is in with us.
The team noted some small tears and holes in a few of the seats so created small patch pieces to lay over them and fix them into place. Although they’re not exactly the same colour, they’re the closest piece to the original that we have in stock for smaller pieces to be used as repairs and will stop the area around the damage from deteriorating any further.
Extra Touches – Creating New Bags for the 1974 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster
January 12, 2022
Lydia, one of our incredible trimmers here at Bridge Classic Cars, has been busy handmaking the extra pieces for Fern Grey. Fern Grey is of course the 1973 Jaguar E Type Series III Roadster that our in-house restoration teams have been working on rebuilding from the ground up for a client of ours.
Lydia began by remaking the original tool wrap that was supplied originally with the car. It had seen better days and was not befitting of such a creation as the mighty Fern Grey. So, using the original as a template, Lydia remade the piece by hand to fit the same fit and finish as the car it will belong to.
Then, with the E Types new tonneau cover completed, Lydia began to hand make the bag which the cover folds into to be stowed away. Much like the tool wrap, Lydia has made it to the same extraordinary standards as the rest of the car.
This Just In – 1970 Porsche 911T
January 11, 2022
Bridge Classic Cars have welcomed this iconic 1970 Porsche 911T into our in-house trim shop at our Pettistree, Suffolk HQ. The car, which belongs to a local customer has been brought to us for a special job.
The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim team will be fitting a complete 911 carpet set into the cockpit of one of the most recognisable sports cars of all time. As you can see, there isn’t a lot on the inside of the car but all around the car is filled with massive amounts of character. There are so many pieces on the car that give it a personality all of its own.
Expect to see lots more on this car here on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.
Final Fitment – Door Cards on the 1987 Mercedes 500SL
September 27, 2021
The art of interior trim is something our in-house trim experts have mastered over years of experience.
A great example of this is the door cards on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL. These are all being entirely made in-house in our trim shop. The fit and finish of our interior pieces is world class thanks to our amazing team.
The door cards themselves were fabricated from scratch in order to best match the originals ensuring an extremely close fit to the same standards as they would have left the Mercedes trim shop in 1987, if not even better.
All of the associated trim pieces for the doors are also being retrimmed with the same level of care and attention to detail as the rest of the car which is currently under going full restoration here at Bridge Classic Cars.
Keep a look out on our News Page for more updates on the masterpiece of German engineering.
In Pursuit of Perfect – Retrimming Seats for our 1960 Jensen 541R.
September 14, 2021
For a handmade classic car, only a handmade interior will do. This is much the story with our beautiful 1960 Jensen 541R we have in the trim shop here at Bridge Classic Cars for one of the incredible owners, Gordon.
Our beloved Lilac has been in the trim shop recently to have our in-house trim experts begin work on upholstering the seats for this truly unique car. Starting from scratch, our upholsters began laying out the original frames and foams to ensure that the new set, which are handcrafted in-house, would fit. They also had to suit the cars classic but also quite contemporary lines.
The webs for the rear seat needed to include the signature rear hump. This had to be taken into account when making this one-off interior. The rear is a masterpiece of flowing lines that finish in neat and crisp corners that perfectly suit a car of this calibre. The padding was selected to give the most amount of support for the driver and passengers whilst out there enjoying the gorgeous 541R.
Our in-house team of automotive upholsterers took their time to make sure that the front seat also was given the same treatment as the rear. Skillfully matching the compound shapes and curves that make up the best seat in the house when it comes to enjoying a truly unique classic car.
The Tactile Feeling – Retrimming the door panels on our 1987 Mercedes 500SL
September 14, 2021
Interior trim is one of the key elements of any restoration, and we here at Bridge Classic Cars have got probably the best in-house trim shop bar none. Take for example this classic car, Craig’s 1987 Mercedes 500SL which is having a whole new interior done by our in-house trimmers. The fit and finish on these custom-made interior pieces are worthy of an article in themselves.
Those of you following the project will know that the original interior was a, once upon a time, dark royal blue but as part of the restoration of the car here at Bridge Classic Cars, the whole interior is being retrimmed in a deep and beautiful Claret Red.
Starting with the original door cards as a template to work from, our in-house trim experts got to work creating new door cards from scratch in order to create the best fit and keep them as close to the originals as possible. Once the new door cards had been shaped, finessed and test fitted it was time to choose the right hide. Matched to this amazing example of 1980s German luxury performance was stunning deep Claret Red. Every mark, indent or locator was carefully and skillfully transferred onto the new door cards by hand to ensure they were an exact match for the existing interior trim pieces.
The deep red colour of the door cards was carefully selected to match the previous material used through the 500SL. The centre console, dash covering and all the other refinished trim work all match up thanks to the expertise and attention to detail that our interior team at Bridge Classic Cars has and the devotion to their craft.
