The restoration and maintenance of vintage and veteran cars - during the COVID-19 pandemic

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The last couple of months has been hectic, strange, and terrifying. The COVID-19 pandemic affects all of us both private and business. People’s health came (with good reason) in the first place and social distance had to be taken. Travelling became (almost) impossible and many borders were/are still closed. This also affects the way we do business.

We are interested in finding out how various classic car businesses around the world adapt to the current situation and whether they expect some of the changes, they implemented will be permanent.

Jonathan Wood Vintage & Thoroughbred Restorations Limited is a company in the UK that specializes in the restoration and maintenance of vintage and veteran cars. They are still fully open for business. The owner gives us an insight into the workshop and tells us about his experience.

How has the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the way you currently do business?

We have been fortunate to be able to remain open during the pandemic, as repair garages were not required to close in the UK under lockdown rules. As we operate within a rural area, none of my staff relies on public transport to get to work so this was not an issue. From the outset (before lockdown) we introduced a series of measures to better protect our team to enable the recommended 2m social distancing. Throughout lockdown, we have ensured we are compliant with guidelines and made changes when and where necessary. All members of my team wished to remain working, however, we 'furloughed' three members of the team due to them being at a higher risk. This measure has helped to further increase working space within the workshop and offered greater protection to all.

Throughout this period, I have involved my team when considering and implementing changes to promote safe working and overall awareness. Everyone involved has been very supportive and accepted the changes as good sense and for the best. I have kept in close contact with our customer base who have been very supportive allowing work to continue on their cars. I have also kept in close contact with specialist subcontractors, and in some instances rearranged work to avoid or minimize potential delays. It has been quite a juggling act, but we have managed to keep all jobs on track.

Some of the changes made include the following:

- Maintain a 2m distance whenever possible and use appropriate PPE when required.

- We have modified our daily tidy up routine to include disinfecting all regular touchpoints.

- One person to work on a car at a time.

- We are not sharing telephones.

- Tea breaks and lunch are not being taken within the building.

Have you set up any new “rules” for visitors and clients? Yes, for the time being, we request visitors by appointment. Whenever possible we will discuss projects outside or, have the vehicle parked by an open door. We request all visitors use hand sanitizer and we are keeping a formal record of any visitors, should tracking be required.

How do you keep your audience involved and stay in contact with clients? I believe communication with clients and subcontractors is vital. We use a multitude of platforms for this, including regular phone calls, emails and often communicate via WhatsApp. We have made videos to demonstrate issues and repairs.

How do you see the upcoming months for your business? I'm optimistic about the coming months, we have had many clients choose to extend existing jobs and have had other new work booked in. I hope we see events take place towards the end of the year and I expect strong support for next year's events...

What do you think will change for your business in the long-term? Do you expect some of the changes you implemented will be permanent? I think many of the public hygiene guidelines make good common sense so will remain in place. I look forward to the day people can cough and sneeze without feeling the need to apologize and explain the cause following!

What do you think is the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the classic car industry as a whole? My biggest concern is for the specialist/employees who are currently not working. I'm already aware of some firms who have ceased trading due to difficulties compounded by the current situation. I suspect others may follow, particularly those who are close to retirement. This situation could cause a premature loss of knowledge and expertise.

I'm also concerned that car values may fall making some projects less viable. In some cases (and with this being an enthusiast lead market) the effect of this will be cushioned by many not being solely focused on financial reward. In recent years we have been fortunate that car values have been strong and rising. Ultimately though I believe a strong appreciation for our cars will continue and we will see a relatively short impact from this pandemic.

Thank you to PreWarCar.com for keeping interesting articles going and offering cars for sale, I'm sure this has helped keep many enthusiasts entertained during the lockdown.

We would very much like to thank Jonathan Wood for his cooperation and giving us an inside in the business.

Would you also like to tell us about your classic car company (auction house, classic car dealer, car museum, parts seller, workshop, etc) during the current COVID-19 pandemic? Please send an e-mail to [email protected] and we will get in contact with you.

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