We recently received a call from the London & South East England Prestige Awards to let us know that we have been named Automotive Restoration Specialists of the Year!
The entire team here at Bridge Classic Cars put a huge amount of time and effort into each task we complete each day, so it is amazing that this has been recognised and rewarded.
Our team will continue to restore the rare and special classic vehicles that enter the workshop knowing that their work is award-winning.
This is the story of Chris Owen and his 1937 Austin Ten Cambridge, known as Harriet, told in Chris’s own words.
“My first car was a 1937 Austin Ten Cambridge (reg. EP6915) that I bought from its first owner who lived at Maesmawr, outside Welshpool in Mid Wales, in 1966. Even in those days, Mrs. Harriet Lloyd-Jones lived simply in her house which had no electricity or running water. I don’t think she had used the car for quite some time and it was kept in an old stable block (a bird dropping on the bonnet of the car had eaten through the paintwork to the bare metal below many years earlier!). Mrs. Lloyd-Jones had been a Justice of the Peace and she had used the car mainly for those short journeys into Welshpool, about 7 miles away.
That she loved her car was undoubted but it was her ‘workhorse’ (even today the remains of her Hanson cab can just be seen in the undergrowth in her garden). Over the years since she had bought the car new in 1937, manure on the country lanes had eaten through the front wings of the car for two or three feet above the running boards. The rot on both front wings had been patched up with aluminium sheets riveted to the wings. In time those aluminium sheets too had rotted, but it was after the War and there would have been a scarcity of new parts. The rotted aluminium patches were still on the car when I bought it from Mrs Lloyd-Jones in 1966 – for £5. That probably seems remarkably cheap today but in those days it was common for many a ‘runner’ to be bought for between £5 – £30.
I promised Mrs Lloyd-Jones that I would look after her car and give it a good home. She had given me instructions about looking after it – at the end of each journey she would drain the radiator, and before her next ‘outing’ she would pump up water from the well, heat it and then refill the radiator. She used to keep hot water bottles on the seats during the Winter months to keep them aired! With two dear friends, Jim Sayce (Leighton) & Mike Roberts (Trelydan), we prepared the car for starting. The two original 6v batteries (under the front seats) were flat so we had to use a 12v battery standing on the running board and tow the car down the lanes before she would start.
Over the following thirteen years, I used the car almost every day and ‘the old lady’ proved to be a most comfortable and reliable car – and she was great fun to drive! The large sliding sunroof was open most of the time and the windscreen wound wide open. Even in the 60s in Mid Wales it was not uncommon to encounter thick fog in the Winter months, but with the windscreen wide open I could see and hear much better – even if any passenger with me was not quite so appreciative!
I covered thousands of miles over those years with trips up to Scotland and on to the Isles. In all that time the most serious breakdown was when the crankshaft broke going up a steep hill (the other side of Wrexham), and twice when driving the car too fast – the valve pins shot out! I remember taking two bank colleagues up to Durham university for a course; three of us travelling in the car with all our luggage for the week and the speedometer clocking 72 mph on the A1 going North! Wonderful fun!
Driving the car soon became as easy as driving a ‘modern’ car in those days although with the Austin’s weight and a 10hp side-valve engine, acceleration was a bit slower, but in other respects the car was very nippy. She was fitted with Girling rod brakes which were extremely efficient; by tweaking the adjuster on each wheel every two or three weeks, her braking power was kept in tip top condition.
The car was very well looked after and I was able to have the front wings replaced with brand new ones that I obtained from Christleton Motors in Chester (sadly now long gone). With driving the car every day I very quickly became fully attuned to every sound from the engine. Any new noise under the chassis or from the engine compartment would get immediate attention, but it was just a sheer delight listening to the engine working well. I checked the tyre pressures regularly of course, but I became so much a ‘part’ of the car myself I could tell immediately if one tyre was even just a lb. down in pressure.
An Extraordinary Coincidence
Sometime in the early 1970s, after I was transferred to Chester, Lloyds bank sent me to Liverpool to its then Overseas Branch for several weeks’ experience. Although my father had worked in Liverpool in marine insurance, I didn’t know the city at all; nor did I know any of the staff in the bank there. One day I was talking to a colleague working there, Bill Osborne, about some overseas work we used to do for a corporate customer in Welshpool. Bill was surprised that I had worked in Welshpool and then he told me he had been evacuated there during the War with his two brothers – but they had stayed in a tiny place outside Welshpool called Maesmawr. I just looked at him in surprise and told him that’s where my old Austin had come from. “EP6915?” he asked me!! I almost fell off my high stool in shock. The brothers stayed with Mrs. Lloyd-Jones for 4½ years and the three young lads shared a big double bed. The car was still quite new in those days and every year, by saving up her petrol coupons, Mrs Lloyd-Jones could take the boys out for the day to Aberystwyth and then stopping at Borth for a swim. Bill told me that coming back over Plinlimon at night, it was cold and the three boys shared a brown rug to put over their knees. All these years later and that same brown rug is still with the car!
In the late 70s, I could see banking was changing and my own life was changing too. I had heard about Operation Drake, the two-year, around-the-world expedition – and eventually I was offered a place on the directing staff for the Indonesian phase. The bank exceptionally gave me unpaid leave of absence. I needed to fund my place on the expedition so I sold my home and bought a smaller property that would need renovating on my return. My much-loved Austin went to a friend in North Wales who intended to do some work on it.
By the time I returned from Indonesia and had done some work in the Old War Office where the expedition had its headquarters, I had decided not to resume my old career. My working life changed and I was involved for two years in setting up a registered conservation charity covering Cheshire. After my two-year contract expired, I had a long spell in local government – controlling departmental budgets but mainly doing rural and urban trees & hedgerows conservation work. Probably I would have been better off financially staying in banking but my new work was much more satisfying!
Eventually, I was thrilled to hear that the Austin was coming back to me. However, although I knew that my friend had had the car standing outside in the open for more than five years, I was not prepared for the shock when she arrived back in Chester on a trailer. Not only had he had almost completely stripped the car down but rot had accelerated throughout the car. It was an heartbreaking sight and I had tears in my eyes when I saw her. We managed to push the car into a lock-up garage where she would have to stay for several years. I could see from her sorry state that she would require a full major restoration – work far beyond anything I was capable of doing – even if I had a workshop. My hopes of being able to run her again in the foreseeable future were well and truly dashed.
After I retired, early in 2014 I finally bit the bullet and the old Austin went to a wonderful firm of restorers – Trevor Farrington and his team outside Knutsford in Cheshire. Trevor has a wonderful reputation and a very skilled workforce. Even they were shocked at the state of the car when they started work on its restoration and I was told later it had only just been restorable. My heart sank.
Jay Leno, California.
Shortly before the car went off for restoration, I had written to Jay Leno and sent him a copy of the Austin’s history thinking he might be interested in reading about the ‘old girl’. Time went by and I think I had even forgotten that I had written to him. Late one morning I popped out for a few minutes to a local store. When I returned, the telephone light was flashing – it was a very kind and most supportive message from Jay Leno who phoned me from California! He didn’t leave a phone number and sadly I haven’t been able to make contact with him since. A shame, because he doesn’t know that the car’s restoration was subsequently started, and I am sure he would be most interested to learn about another remarkable coincidence with the car – a connection with California!
The Austin’s chassis was in remarkably good condition and needed very little doing to it. The same could not be said of the bodywork. The team set to and many, many hours of work went into replacing rusted parts and Trevor’s men made a remarkable job of restoring the body shell. When it was finally painted, the transformation was simply incredible – and the paintwork today is probably even better than when Mrs Lloyd-Jones collected the car from Longbridge in early June, 1937. Sadly, by then I had spent some £30k, all my capital, on the restoration and the work has had to stop. My family almost had me certified and it was a long, long time before they spoke to me again!
One day in the Summer of 2015, while the Austin was still at Trevor’s workshops, Trevor telephoned me to say that he had received an e-mail for me and could he send it on to me? It seemed odd. Apparently, the writer had read a ‘blog’ about Harriet’s story that had been published by my ‘modern’ car’s breakdown company, StartRescue (never having even seen a ‘blog’, I had almost immediately put it out of my mind!). The writer was a chap called Bernie Griffiths who has lived and worked in California for close on 40 years now . . . . and who turns out to be the great-nephew of the car’s original owner in Mid-Wales, Mrs. Harriet Lloyd-Jones! I was completely in shock at that news!
Subsequently, I was able to meet Bernie when he came over with his son to see his very elderly father (who died a few months later). Bernie’s father was well enough then to travel by car from the Midlands, so I arranged to meet Bernie, his father and some of the family for a light lunch one day before going on to Trevor Farrington’s to view the newly painted body shell. The old man hadn’t seen his aunt’s car since the early 1960s!
My family think I am completely ‘nuts’ for spending all my money on an ‘old car’ that probably will never be worth a fraction of the restoration costs, but then they have never experienced the joys and thrills of driving a pre-war car on the open road. Such an experience, to me, is absolutely priceless and in my eyes my much-loved, humble Austin is as precious to me as any fine Bugatti or handsome 1920s Bentley! Unable now to complete Harriet’s restoration, and as I am creeping towards 75, I can feel my dream of being able to use her once more as my everyday car, is slipping away. It might well cost another £20-£30k to have the ‘old girl’ finally restored, but after all her extraordinary history I could not bear to part with her now. For the time being Harriet slumbers on inside a warm and secure shippon just a few miles outside Chester.”
Share Your Story
If you have memories of a special vehicle, we’d love to share them. Simply email rob@bridgeclassiccars.co.uk with some photos and why your vehicle means so much to you.
There’s been some incredible progress on our 1905 Riley 9hp in recent weeks.
Recently, the team here at the Bridge Classic Cars HQ have been working full-steam ahead on the 1-of-1 antique car.
The wooden frame has returned from the team at Ashbocking Joinery ready for the trim team to continue their careful and precise work in bringing the wooden structure back to life with its handmade covering.
Meanwhile, the fabrication team have been working on recreating several pieces which needed to be re-manufactured for the hood to be fitted up properly for testing. These small hooks are part of the hood support system which needed to be made and shaped by hand to perfectly fit the 119-year-old car.
At the same time, our trimmer Lydia has been working on making a battery bag for the battery. Although its truly a safety item, she has made stylish and perfectly sized for the car. The whole purpose is to make it easier to remove the battery from the wooden box it is fitted into, but the thickness of the leather and the material itself allows for some dampening and deadening to protect the battery and prolong its life.
On the chassis itself, in the main mechanical workshop, Steve has been working on the gearbox. Before the car moves under its own power, Steve has completely flushed and cleaned up the gearbox internals due to the car being sat for long periods of time – and with this much hard work, devotion and passion poured into this very special project it made sense to do it at this time before the body is placed onto the frame for the final time.
The paint team here at Bridge Classic Cars have been preparing the body of our 1976 Triumph Spitfire for the next phase of its restoration journey.
Al has been working on getting the body ready to be finished in its bright vibrant Green colour – with the whole body having every inch poured over so it has perfect surfaces ready to have its paint laid down.
Jon has been carrying out the inspection of our 1974 Mini 850 Van.
He began by topping up engine oil and screenwash in washer bottle, aling with checking all other necessary fluids. Next step was a full strip, clean and inspection of all brakes and then refitting the drums and adjusting till just right. Following that, he fefit all wheels and torque to 60nm before inflating all tyres to 26psi. One of the final stages of maintenance was to put 5 liters petrol in and attempt to start. The Mini started ok, but the petrol gauge showed no moment. After manually wiring the fuel sender the gauge began to work. Jon drained the fuel and remove the sender unit from the tank. He found sender seized and rusted so proceeded to strip and clean/free off.
Jon cleaned the contacts and re-assembled before fitting back into the car and test through range – He reported back it is working fine now, refitting the unit back to the tank and put the fuel back in. After checking the guage, it now reads half a tank.
Finally he secured the battery, lubricated the sliding windows and then carried out road test.
After the road test and finishing the inspection, Jon carried out road test before returning to the workshop. On returning, he adjusted the passengers door lock, adjusted the idle speed and then road tested again with our trimmer Lydia in the back on the classic Mini van to pin point rattles which was traced to the rear door lock. Returning to the workshop, Jon removed the lock mechanism from rear door to strip and inspect. Using double sided tape with backing left on to remove any play from the mechanism rods. After opening up the mechanism, he found not a single ounce of grease inside mechanism – So thoroughly lubricate with grease and reassemble. Refit to door and test. No rattles now.
Bramble Energy have recently achieved what will likely to a history-defining moment in the marine world, with the launch of the world’s first hydrogen-electric boat, powered by a printed circuit board fuel cell (PCBFC™).
As the lead partner in the HyTime project, Bramble Energy, in collaboration with custom engine builder Barrus, unveiled the prototype vessel to demonstrate the huge potential of PCBFC™ to quickly and cost-effectively decarbonise the marine industry.
The 57ft narrowboat was launched in Sheffield, Yorkshire. It successfully completed testing, emissions-free, using a custom marinised fuel cell system. This fuel cell setup has the potential to provide the boat with a range of approximately 600 miles; coming from its 14kg onboard hydrogen storage, with additional power from solar panels on the boat’s roof feeding into the 22kWh battery system.
Securing close to £1 million in Government funding from BEIS (now the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – DESNZ) in 2022, Bramble Energy got to work on the development of its hydrogen fuel cell technology, which could be a replacement for diesel engines in boats.
Built in Sheffield, Bramble engineers created a brand new hydrogen system tailored to meet marine standards. This technology holds the potential to save up to 12 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year for each vessel using it.
The maritime industry contributes a staggering 940 million tonnes of CO2 annually, accounting for about 2.5% of global greenhouse gases. To address this, the Clean Maritime Plan mandates new vessels to possess zero-emission capabilities starting in 2025. This project aimed to showcase how the adoption of hydrogen as a fuel source could aid this transition, extending the range of pure battery systems while eliminating dependence on fixed charging infrastructure.
Tom Mason, co-founder and CEO of Bramble Energysaid: “While road transportation has arguably had the greatest amount of attention in terms of developing zero-emission solutions, the reality is there is a massive urgency to decarbonise across all transportation sectors – especially marine. CO2 emissions from the marine sector are staggering. It requires a quick, convenient, cost-effective technology that also provides no compromise when it comes to performance.
In a short amount of time, we have designed, developed, built and launched a working demonstration of our PCBFC™ technology within a marine application. Our solution has the ability to meet a range of power needs and is easily scalable, which is the exact catalyst the industry needs to make a seamless shift to hydrogen to quickly meet emissions regulations and contribute to greener and cleaner waterways.”
Sea water contains calcium and magnesium, which will foul up the plates with carbonates which reduces efficiency until it cannot produce hydrogen. We have a solution. Email john@fluid-conditioning-services.com
It would require more power to generate the hydrogen than you would get from reacting it in a fuel cell or burning it. Hydrogen is a convenient source of energy for vehicles, but it would have to be produced in a stationary plant to be efficient. It could be produced using solar power, but that would not be feasible with the size of arrays that are fitted to boats, and in which case you may as well just use the power direct or use it to charge batteries!
How quickly will the Hydrogen fuel be available and what is the “per mile “ cost of using this fuel?
What are the costs of this system?
What will installation and certification cost?
Will this be certified for full time live aboards?
How long will this type of system last? Diesel engines last a lifetime.
The Clean Maritime Plan itself does NOT mandate new vessels to possess zero emission capabilities by 2025, and explicitly says so.
To quote from it, page 6 paragraph 8:
“These zero emissions shipping targets are intended to provide aspirational goals for the sector, not mandatory targets. They can only be achieved through collaboration between government and industry, promoting the zero emission pathways that maximise the economic opportunities for the UK economy while also minimising costs for UK Shipping ”
paragraph 10
“In order to reach this vision [ In 2050, zero emission ships are commonplace globally] by 2025 we expect that :
i. All vessels operating in UK waters are maximising the use of energy efficient options. All new vessels being ordered for use in UK waters are being designed with zero emission propulsion capability. Zero emission commercial vessels are in operation in UK waters. ”
Thus the document merely sets out aspirations, not mandatory requirements. Perhaps legislation might get, or might have got, enacted to give effect to the 2025 date, but the Green Marine document is not itself the law, and explicitly states that it does not mandate anything .
Interesting. It must be remembered that producing hydrogen is a very energy intensive and currently carbon intensive process. Green hydrogen, produced by renewable electricity is better but very wasteful of renewable electricity and there is already a huge demand for hydrogen in the chemical and steel industries.
Hydrogen storage is not easy and wasteful.
However, maybe it’s got better energy density than batteries.
Although it will work this is a nonsense both scientifically and financially in a canal boat. Producing hydrogen by steam reforming natural gas (the current method) uses huge amounts of thermal energy and produces lots of CO2 so is little, if any, better than using a diesel engine. Electrolysis (only ‘green’ if the electricity comes from renewable sources) is about 70% efficient and the fuel cell will be about 50%. Add in an allowance for carriage (a massive Hydrogen tanker carries just 1 tonne of Hydrogen) and you finish up with about 30% of the original electrical energy available to propel your boat. Cost is rather harder to pin down but Hydrogen currently seems to cost £10-15/kg, 2.5-3.5 times that of hydrocarbon fuels on an equivalent energy basis. I have been unable to find a price for electrolytic Hydrogen but you can be quite sure that it will be a lot more expensive. Far better just to pass the electricity through wires and store it in batteries. Where Hydrogen might have an application, mentioned in the article but largely overlooked by the responders, is in ocean-going ships where battery powering isn’t an option.
Bicester Heritage held its first Scramble of 2024 with a sell-out event on Sunday, January 7th. More than 6500 people attended, despite the cold weather, and were treated to an incredible display of classic and supercars. It’s not very often that you can see an Aston Martin Valkyrie alongside Model Ts and Austin Sevens!
We are fortunate enough to work with Caroline from Global Workshop, who provide us with our restoration management software. Caroline attended the first Scramble of 2024 and was kind enough to send us some pictures of the event.
Thank you to all of you who turned out to attend our New Year’s Car Meet on Sunday, it was a cold but dry morning and we were astounded by the variation in cars. We had nearly 200 visitors with a variety of cars, some over a century old to modern daily drivers.
The Atelier Bar was open for hot drinks and pastries and we offered bacon sandwiches with delicious bacon from E W Revett & Sons Butchers, based just down the road in Wickham Market, and fresh bread from our friends at The Bakehouse Bakery Woodbridge.
Events like this display the comradery amongst the local classic car community with people swapping stories and advice about their experience with classic and modern cars.
It played an important role in many young petrolheads lives. Whether it be watching the roads pass by from the comfort of the bench back seat, or from behind the wheel with your first taste of automotive freedom, this classic perfectly captures a moment in time for so many of us.
It’s our 1963 Vauxhall Victor FB and it could be yours for just a few pounds…
Finished in period correct Limestone White with a matching, characterful patina’d interior our Victor FB has been kept as a time capsule to preserve its originality.
Fitted with the classic Vauxhall 1.5-litre 4-cylinder and 4-speed manual gearbox, this time capsule is the perfect way to go back in time and relive days gone by.
Included in the cars history folder are invoices and receipts dating back to the mid-1980s.
Why not go back in time with our Vauxhall Victor FB? Enter now for your chance to win.
The pursuit of power in the automotive world is not a modern phenomenon. Some say it happened the day after someone bought the second car ever built, and the owner of the first car found out it was faster.
For generations, petrolheads around the globe have been working on furthering the ever expanding horizon of performance. Whether that be horsepower, handling, lightness etc. it is a constant and headcharging crusade against the laws of physics, metallurgy and sometimes common sense.
Certain names become established at being particularly talented for getting the most ‘potential’ out of a certain brand or model. For instance, Burton Performance in the Ford world or the legendary name of Coombs within the classic Jaguar-sphere.
In Europe, the tidal wave of fast, comfortable and relatively agile performance cars would begin in the 1960’s. In Germany especially, the reconstruction and reconnecting of road networks after the devastation of the second World War would pave the way for the legendary ‘bahn-stormers’ that would follow in the next 40 years.
The likes of brand-external companies such as AMG, Brabus, RUF, Kremer, AC Schnitzer, Hartge and Alpina would flourish in this environment and combine outrageous performance with careful, purposeful and immaculately executed engineering.
Each one of these companies would be connected to a certain brand. In the BMW world, the most legendary of these names is arguably Alpina – the infamous tuners that we are going to talk about today.
Burkard Bovensiepen began his connection to BMW in the early 1960s – initially developing a way of running a larger set of Weber carburetors on the then very popular BMW 1500 giving it more power for those who wanted it. This carburetor package would become sought-after in the BMW world, with both the press and BMW themselves commenting on how well thought out the package was but the real performance advantages that it offered.
After having various cars run this 1500 carburetor package for several years (including one allegedly being fitted to BWM sales director Paul G. Hahnemann’s personal car) the Bavarian manufacturer actually certified the set-up for use on their cars, meaning if your BMW had the new Alpina/Weber carburetor combination it was fully ok’d by the manufacturer.
Going back, where did Alpina come from?
Well, let’s go back. Originally, the company had been founded to produce typewriters but then it decided to move into the textiles business before in 1965 officially being registered as a BMW tuning company with 8 official employees. The company, as a BMW tuner, was established by Burkard Bovensiepen whose family were part of a industrial dynasty in Germany. The family, although originally dutch, had been involved in manufacturing and commerce for generations. Burkard’s father had been involved in manufacturing typewriters and other office equipment which the BMW tuning company of his son would take of the factory from.
Once they had established themselves as a trust worthy and certified supplier of speed and performance to the BMW community with their carburetor packages, the company would expand into developing and reworking BMW production cylinder heads, camshafts, crankshafts, piston sets etc. to gain the most out of the production line pieces. These core beginnings, would actually go on to influence the crest which sits at the heart of the Alpina badge, one half of which is made up of a set of velocity stacks from the early Weber carburetors and the other an early Alpina crankshaft. In just a few short years, the firm would need to expand the workspace thanks to their reputation and demand. By 1970, the company had relocated to Kaufbeuren to their long term home at Buchloe.
One thing which will push innovation and performance harder than any other, whilst also driving sales, is motorsport. From it’s earliest days, cars which performed the best – sold the best. In Europe at the time, as was the case in the UK, motorsport gripped the public. Herculean efforts of strength, endurance and tenacity would make gladiators of mere mortals in a weekend only for them to fall foul of their adoring crowds the next week.
Alpina realised the potential of motorsport early on. Not just as marketing tool, but as moving and dynamic test bed for their parts.
Beginning in 1968, Alpina would enter the pantheon of racing. Not just in one particular discipline, they wanted to prove that their parts and their know-how could perform in any situation. Between 1968 and 1977, Alpina would win multiple championships in saloon/touring cars, rallying, club racing, hillclimb racing as well as proving their incredible durability with endurance racing. The best year for Alpina’s motorsport division was 1970, when the team would rack up championship wins in European touring cars, the German Hillclimb championship, the Germany rally championship and then to top it all of would win the legendary 24hrs of Spa in Belgium to win the European Touring Car Championship with their own Alpina-prepared BMW 2800CS. The team would attract some of the best drivers of the day such as Günther Huber, Helmut Koinigg, Jackie Ickx, Hans Stuck, Niki Lauda, Derek Bell, James Hunt and a host more.
At this time, Alpina were an aftermarket provider and tuner for BMW products – creating various parts and performance packages for the likes of the 2002Tii, 2800CS, E9 3.0CSL, 1500 and a host of others.
In 1983, Alpina became recognised as a stand-alone manufacturer by the German Federal Ministry of Transport. Meaning no longer would it be a BMW tuned by Alpina. It was now an Alpina however was bought through the BMW dealer network and could be serviced and warrantied by BMW beginning with the E21 based C and B models. In 1988, Alpina would leave motorsport and focus on the production of their high-performance road cars.
Since the beginning, the process of building an Alpina has been personal. The team would handbuild the engines for their production cars to the various performance packages available, which would then be delivered to the BMW factory. There, the BMW technicians would fit the engine into the bodyshell of the car.
Then once the painted bodyshells with the engines installed were ready, they would transported back to Buchloe for the small, and talented team at Alpina to go through the process of making the car truly an Alpina. The interiors for the car are bespoke as well as the fitting of the Alpina specific parts are all installed at this point in the cars journey. Each step of the cars transformation, both on and under the skin, is entirely handbuilt – this means that each model of Alpina is purely a limited edition and exclusive.
It’s not just the engines though which are reworked and optimised, Alpina actually has its own division of performance gearbox specialists which pair the upgraded transmissions to the designated engines for maximum strength, performance and reliability.
There are certain traits on the exterior and interior of Alpinas which are unique and all trace back to the brands heritage in one way or another. For example, the ‘Switch-tronic’ buttons on the steering wheel. The reason for these? Well, Alpina were the first to mount the shift buttons on the steering so it has become somewhat of a tradition. Along with that there is a very specific set of wheels which have simply become known as ‘Alpinas’. These are the carefully made and engineered hollow 20 spoke wheels. If you look, you’ll see no tyre valve on the wheel itself – instead it is hidden inside the hub cab and connected to a hollow spoke within the wheel. These along with Alpina only exterior and interior colour options and design features make these cars truly one of a kind and to petrolheads, instantly identifiable as something special – each car is also stamped with its build number to certify its exclusivity.
As some of you know, we currently have a 2002 Alpina B10 V8S available on our Bridge Classic Cars Competitions. One of just 145 E39 based V8S’s to be built in 2002, with in that there were just 42 right-hand drive cars produced. Out of the very limited number of V8S’s built, this is number 76 out of the production run.
The car’s creation would be like its other siblings, handbuilt and personalised. The changes though to a ‘regular’ V8 would set it apart.
The V8S’s engine would be specially built for the cars by the Alpina team. Taking the standard B10 engine as its basis, the engines bore would remain the same but thanks to a long through on the crankshaft, the V8S would produce more torque than its E39 M5 rival, developing 375BHP and an impressive 510Nm of Torque. This increase would also give the V8S a displacement of 4.8-litres over the 4.6-litres of the ‘standard’ B10 V8. This engine proved to be quite the powerhouse and would later be used in the Alpina variant of the BMW Z8, before being taken on by BMW as the production engine for the range topping 4.8is engine in the BMW X5.
Along with the increase in power, the Alpina team would turn their attention underneath the car its brakes and suspension.
The B10 V8S would received upgraded and stiffer suspension than the standard B10 V8, this was to work with those hollow 20 spoke wheels, now measuring in at 19” in diameter. To give the car a more planted feel, the Alpina team would make these wheels 8.5” wide in the front and 9.5” in the rear. These wheels would also go to perfectly show off the brake package selected for V8S. Beautiful 4-piston aluminium calipers made specifically for Alpina by brake specialist Brembo along with a set of larger drilled discs to better dissipate heat.
With its performance upgrades and unique package, the E39 based B10 V8S would top out at over 175MPH and achieve that all important 0-62mph dash in just 5.4 seconds (in a luxury 4-door saloon…).
Our 1976 Mini Clubman 1100 is on its way back to our Suffolk HQ!
Last year, Oscar won our classic Mini but recently offered for us to have the car back due to it not being used as much and wanting it to go to a good home with someone who will love this bite sized classic and use it more.
So, you’ll very soon be seeing this Antique Gold Clubman on the competitions website and have your chance for it to be on your driveway for just a few pounds!
After a relaxed Christmas break, the team at Bridge Classic Cars got straight back into restoring some stunning classic cars on the 2nd of January 2024.
On our first day back, Molly took a look around the workshop to find out what was happening on day 1 of the new working year.
Over the Christmas break, the offices, paint shop and other areas here at Bridge Classic Cars had a bit of a refurbishment.
After undergoing a big clean before we went home for the festive season, each area had a fresh coat of paint and they are looking great ready for a busy year ahead.
The panel van has been a welcomed workhorse for generations. With its utilitarian practicality, the panel van has done everything from moving house to making memories.
Now Bridge Classic Cars wants you to relive and relove those memories with our gorgeous 1974 Mini 850 Van.
With its beautiful dark green paintwork, over a simple but elegant black interior, our Mini panel van was subjected to a full nut and bolt restoration between 2000 and 2013 commissioned by an adoring previous owner. Included in the cars history file are invoices which relate to the cars restoration where no stone was left unturned in bringing this classic Mini back to life.
Powered by a small and simple 848cc 4-cylinder engine and 4 speed manual gearbox, this little Mini has a practical and easy-going charm.
Originally classed as a commercial vehicle, many of these panel van sadly do not exist today due to being in constant heavy use in their younger years, but this one has been cherished since its early days it would seem with the odometer showing just a shade over 28,000 miles, which is believed to be original, since it was first registered in Devon on the 1st of June 1974.
When learning to drive a car, passing your test and gaining your licence is only the beginning, after that is when you really start learning. Passing your orals and achieving your CoC is just the same.
For many crew members, the allure of rotational jobs appears to be an ideal compromise between a career at sea and a stable personal life. However, there are several major drawbacks, most notably the limited experience gained when working only half of the year.
When gaining experience at sea, you need to endure all of it, the good, the bad, the easy and the hard, if working a rotational role too early in your career, you are dangerously missing out on getting the experience needed. When working half the year, of that half a year, how much seatime are most yachts actually achieving? They may be tied up in port, or going through a yard period when the individual is onboard, then suddenly on their 3rd or 4th rotation they might be thrown into the thick of it navigating through busy and difficult areas with little to no navigation experience, but 8/9 months signed on to the vessel with everyone expecting them to know what they are doing.
Another dangerous element of rotation is lack of familiarity of onboard procedures. From knowing how the bridge operates inside-out, to emergency response, crane operations, tender operations, maintenance issues, history of machinery and equipment, even guest interactions and etiquette. These all take time to gain the understanding and proficiency to work safely and efficiently.
Skills can erode over time, and the skills of rotational crew members are no exception. Extended breaks between work stints may cause crew members to lose competence in their duties, which can jeopardize the safety and security of the yacht, its crew and its guests.
Limited experience can lead to reduced confidence and competence among crew members. Handling various aspects of superyacht operations requires a high level of expertise and self-assurance. Without consistent exposure to the job, crew members may feel ill-prepared and unsure about their abilities when returning to work. It’s almost like having a new crew member join each time there is a change over.
Providing top-notch service to guests is a core responsibility also, limited exposure to guest trips can result in a diminished ability to anticipate guests’ needs and provide a seamless and unforgettable experience. The absence of regular practice can lead to guest service that falls short of the industry’s high standards, we’ve all seen the first trip of the season when crew are a bit rusty after a long maintenance period or winter alongside, is this really acceptable for clients that are paying hundreds of thousands a week to enjoy the experience??
To conclude, rotational jobs offer an enticing balance between work and leisure, but they come at a cost. The limited experience gained during half the year can hinder career progression, reduce confidence and competence, and compromise the quality of service provided to guests. It is crucial for crew members to consider these negatives when opting for rotational positions and to seek opportunities for continuous learning and skill development to overcome the limitations posed by working only half the year.
In my opinion, rotation is ideal when you have the need for it, such as having a family and you have put in the years of dedication and gained the experience to confidently carry out the job no matter what unfolds.
After a year of hard work bringing a whole range of classic vehicles back to life, the entire team at Bridge Classic Cars are celebrating our success, and the festive season, as we all head out for our Christmas meal.
Just down the road from the workshop is the Ufford Crown. This is the host of our celebration where the staff there will have the challenge of feeding a team of hungry technicians, marketers, accountants, painters, trimmers, and more.
After spending a few hours together, enjoying some great food (and a few drinks), we will all be heading home to spend Christmas and New Year with our loved ones.
As we close the workshop doors for the last time this year for a well-deserved break, we are looking forward to seeing what 2024 has to bring.
At the end of each year, the workshop undergoes a deep clean to ensure that it is a pristine environment for more classics to be restored in next year.
The workshop team have spent the last 2 days cleaning every inch of the workshop floors, walls, rails, tools, ramps, and anything else that you can think of. This includes the trim shop and paint shop too!
As we come towards the end of our last working day of the year, the Bridge Classic Cars workshop is looking incredible and is getting ready to welcome even more classic vehicles in January.
Friends and family of the beloved Brookside star, Dean Sullivan, known to many as Jimmy Corkhill have paid tribute to him at his funeral. After his passing, aged 68, following a brief illness last month, hundreds of people came together at Liverpool Parish Church to honour his memory.
The service was a touching tribute to his life in the city where he became a legend. A private cremation, attended only by his closest loved ones, followed the service.
Despite having moved away from Liverpool to New Brighton on the Wirral, Dean’s connection to the city remained strong, evident in the gathering of friends and family who came to celebrate his life. In a touching moment, Dean’s cherished dog was escorted into the church by a companion, giving the faithful pet a chance to say goodbye one last time.
As many know, we have become somewhat of a Jensen 541 specialist. But today, was a special day at our Suffolk HQ as our very first Jensen 541 project made its way back to our workshops for the team to begin work on.
This 1961 Jensen 541S was the one of the first, if not THE first, restorations of the unique and rare sports car which was undertaken by our team in 2015, back in our original workshops in Deben Road, Ipswich.
This car, which played such an important role in the early history of our work, will be carefully assessed and then worked on by our talented team very soon. So, keep an eye out on the Bridge Classic Cars news page for updates very soon.
December 15, 2023 3:53 pmPublished by Nick Skinner
Some marques offer rarity, luxury, or performance but very few offer all of these in one single form. One of those, is Alpina. Combining comfort, pace and exclusivity into a beautifully engineered road car is what Alpina have been doing for over 50 years in cars like this, our 2002 Alpina B10 V8S.
With just 145 2002 B10 V8S’s made worldwide this Bavarian Bruiser is a rare sight but with only 42 right hand drive cars made and believed to be one of only 6 remaining in the UK, this is car number 76 of the entire production run and is known within the Alpina Register.
Alpina have been connected to BMW since the early 1960s, gaining a reputation for crafting hand built, fast and sophisticated luxury cars. With bespoke packages for their clients, each car is individual and unique to their owner.
Not to be confused with the 4.6-litre ‘Standard’ B10, our V8S features a 4.8-litre V8 made specifically for this car. At Alpina’s facility in Buckloe, Germany their team of engineers increase the capacity of the base BMW engine for the B10 to produce more torque rather than making it a big horsepower car.
With stunning metallic silver paintwork and a sophisticated and luxurious grey leather interior, our B10 V8S has the good looks to match its performance completed with the signature 20 spoke ‘hollow’ wheels.
Supplied new by Sytner BMW in Nottingham on the 8th of July 2002, our B10 V8S’s history file contains multiple invoices from BMW main dealers throughout its life as well as some work being carried out by independent specialists.
At the 2024 Goodwood Revival, all of the races taking place will only involve cars running on sustainable fuel. This follows this year’s Fordwater Trophy which was sustainably-fuelled.
Goodwood will require all competitors at next year’s event to power their vehicles with a fuel that contains at least 70% sustainable components. This is in accordance with the FIA’s current requirements for sustainable fuel. Goodwood has already seen its first sustainably-fuelled winner in the Rudge-Whitworth Cup at the 2023 Revival. This came from a 1925 Bentley Speed Model being driven by Ben Collings and Gareth Graham, who won against a field of cars running on standard fuel.
As well as its first sustainably-fuelled winner, this year’s Revival also held its first sustainably-fuelled race. This featured pre-1966 Porsche 911s that competed in the Fordwater Trophy. Drivers in the race included 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, Goodwood Hillclimb record-holder Max Chilton, and nine-time Formula 1 winner Mark Webber.
Image Credit: GoodwoodImage Credit: Goodwood
Goodwood Revival Races
A total of 13 races will take place across the weekend of Friday 6th – Sunday 8th September 2024
Sussex Trophy – World Championship sportscars from a type that raced from 1955-1960
Madgwick Cup – Under 2.5-lite sports racing cars from 1955-1960 – RETURNING
Goodwood Trophy – Grand Prix and Voiturette cars from 1930-1951
Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy Part One– Pre-1955 Grand Prix motorcycles
Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy – Pre-1963 GT cars
Whitsun Trophy – Sports-racing prototypes from 1960-1966
Fordwater Trophy – Production-based sports and GT cars from 1955-1960
St Mary’s Trophy Part One – 1960s saloon cars
Earl of March Trophy – 500c Formula 3 cars
Richmond & Gordon Trophies – 2.5-litre Grand Prix cars from 1954-1960
RAC TT Celebration – closed-cockpit GT and prototype cars from 1960 to 1964
Glover Trophy – 1.5 litre Grand Prix cars from 1961-1965
Freddie March Memorial Trophy – For cars in the spirit of the Goodwood Nine-Hour races
Today was a big day as the owner of our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, affectionately known as Delilah, was reunited with her car after its time here at Bridge Classic Cars came to an end.
Delilah looked incredible in her very special, roped-off area of The Atelier. Her paint shone under the lights and the full scope of the work completed by the workshop team was clear to see. The restoration of this classic Beetle took several months but, as you can see from the photos below, it was well worth the wait to see it in its finished state and ready to go home.
Since entering the Bridge Classic Cars workshop, our 1974 Beetle has been stripped, had areas of rust repaired, it has been repainted, rebuilt, a new interior fitted, and lots of other tasks that have brought the car back to its former glory.
Gordon spent some time going through all the changes made and was very proud to show off the work of our team.
In a few days, we will deliver the car back to its owner and, although we will be sad to see it go, we are all very excited to see Delilah back home and ready for many more years on the road!
Bridge Classic Cars Directors, Craig and Gordon recently attended the Classic Car Auctions (CCA) Christmas Sale, held on December 9th at the Warwickshire Event Centre near Leamington Spa. The auction included several iconic Fords, from restoration projects to immaculately preserved classics, as well as more than 100 other vehicles.
Classic Car Auctions (CCA) have proved themselves as a premier platform for bringing top-tier classic and fast Fords to the market. With the ever-growing interest in these pieces of automotive history, CCA’s Christmas Sale certainly caught the eye of car enthusiasts and collectors from all over the country.
After spending time taking a close look at the cars available on the viewing day, Craig and Gordon spotted several vehicles that they were interested in bringing home with them.
Auction Success
Once the auction got underway, both Directors began placing bids. A number of these were successful and, as a result, multiple vehicles are on their way to the Bridge Classic Cars workshop. While there are certainly some competition cars within their purchases, they were also lucky enough to become the new owners of cars for their own personal collection too.
Whether it was a car Craig wanted to own when he first passed his test but was unable to afford, or a stunning classic that Gordon couldn’t resist, all of the cars making their way to us are exciting additions to the workshop.
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
It’s with a mix of emotions that we recently said goodbye to Tom, who has taken on a new role outside of Bridge Classic Cars. Tom has been an integral part of the team for a significant period and his departure marks the end of an era here at the workshop.
There wasn’t really a single job title that matched what Tom did on a daily basis. Although his role primarily involved transporting cars, he actually did far more than this. He had the skills to work on a range of classic vehicles, and his talents even extended to our e-commerce projects, where he helped sell parts online.
Tom’s departure leaves a gap that will be challenging to fill. However, we are extremely happy that Tom has found an exciting opportunity that will take him into the next stage of his career.
From all of us here at Bridge Classic Cars, we would like to say a massive thank you to Tom for all he has done and we wish him the very best in all his future endeavours.
A few weeks ago, I threw the idea out to the team here at Bridge Classic Cars that we should make our very own Christmas advert. With the likes of John Lewis, Aldi, Coca-Cola, and numerous other big names putting out some incredible festive ads over the last few years, I thought we had the capability to do the same.
As great as the popular Christmas Adverts are, we felt that there was one thing missing from pretty much all of them – a classic car. After a bit of time brainstorming, our 1968 Morris 1000 Pickup caught our eye and, alongside Molly, was chosen to be the star of our festive film.
The Story Of Our Christmas Advert
In our Christmas advert, Molly goes on an adventure into a wintery forest to find the perfect Christmas tree for The Atelier at Bridge Classic Cars.
As Molly walks through the forest, she explores her surroundings, searching for that one special tree that would stand amongst our classic cars throughout December. Once she finds one that fits her criteria, she calls upon the help of our classic Morris Pickup.
After loading the tree into the back of our Morris 1000 Pickup, Molly drives away from the forest on her way back to the workshop, where we were all patiently waiting for her arrival so we could officially start our Christmas celebrations.
Classic Cars At Christmas
Beyond the stunning visuals of our Christmas advert lies the love and passion we all have for classic vehicles. We believe that Christmas is about family and spending time with those that you love. We thought we would show you how, to us at least, a car isn’t just a machine to get you from A to B; it can be a big part of your family and they can have their very own personality.
With the release of our festive film, Christmas has begun at Bridge Classic Cars. There are only a couple of weeks left before the big day, so the entire team would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to seeing even more of you in 2024.
This may be the first time you have seen our 1989 Daimler Double Six. The car has in fact been with us, in storage, for a number of years now but recently we handed the car over to our good friends at Motts Body Repair in Colchester to push forward with the body restoration of this beautiful machine.
This will eventually return to us for a full recommission before we decide what we will do with the car.
If you would like to see our Double Six as a future competition car then do let us know.
December 11, 2023 9:44 amPublished by Craig Ranson
Rob returns to work this week, having taken a extended break to recover from some recent surgery.
He gets straight back on to our Jensen 541R as we finish off this fantastic restoration. He has fabricated a bracket for mounting a battery cut off switch in the boot. Fitted a bracket and switch to car. Made new earth leads to run from the battery to the switch and the switch to the chassis. Make up a wire to connect the horn button to the steering column. Fit steering wheel and horn push and test. Fit an extra throttle return spring and make and fit a bracket to attach the spring to the engine.
As our 1974 Volkswagen Beetle nears the end of its restoration, with only a few small bits to do, we though we would take it into the Atelier and set up a photo shoot for the car before it leaves our Suffolk HQ to head back home to its excited owner.
‘Delilah’, as the car is affectionately known, came to us at the beginning of 2023 to begin its restoration journey. This wonderful piece of automotive sentiment has received the love and car from each and every department here at our Suffolk HQ like any of our restorations to make sure that we deliver a car which will last well into prosperity for its owner to enjoy and Delilah is one of those. The team have also tried to preserve her unique and personal history with the retention of the window stickers and other original pieces which make ‘Delilah’ a one-off to her owner.
From the sympathetic and careful metalwork done by Chris and Monty in the fabrication shop, to the fastidious and meticulous preparation and execution of Chris, Alan and Mauro in the paint department. Brian and Lydia turning their expert skills and attention to detail on the bespoke cream leather interior and handmade roof in the trim workshop all the way down to James getting the engine set up to run just how it should, Little Jon working on getting each system working correctly in the cabin and Big John installing the wonderfully subtle RetroSounds stereo unit into the original dash. Each department has proudly worked on Delilah to bring her back to life and back to being able to be enjoyed by her owner for many many years to come.
Now, it was up to me to try and capture in photos what the team here at Bridge Classic Cars have worked so hard on over the past 11 months – I hope I managed to show just how beautiful this Beetle turned out from the talented and skilled work our amazing team have put into this classic Volkswagen.
This morning, along with a few other new deliveries, we welcomed this gorgeous 1974 Mini 850 Van!
As we mentioned with our 1982 Bedford HA, we love a panel van here at Bridge Classic Cars and this is one of the nicest ones we’ve seen. Like the others, soon this pint sized workhorse will be headed into our workshop were our skilled technicians can inspect and assess the car to make sure it is ready for its lucky new owner.
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