Building a reputation
Schemes like those in Coventry and Bridgnorth also point towards a future for communities that perhaps have fallen on harder times. The shared history of many towns and villages comes through industry, and the products they have made through the years. There’s a reason that Liverpool is so proud of its docks, Stoke their potteries, Leicester its shoemaking and the towns and villages of Yorkshire in their cotton.
The British Motor Museum regularly looks for volunteers to help classic car restoration and management schemes get up and running. Further, it looks to towns, villages, and other communities that have coalesced around a love of motor vehicles. There is absolutely room for new cottage industries to spring up with the classic car sector, and it could be the economic kickstart for many towns and villages looking to recapture local employment and have something to enjoy and create a shared heritage around. There’s nothing quite like a sense of shared identity in the age when digital engagement tends to wash away any sense of individuality.
For communities that want to take the dive, planning is key. The difficult part of classic car restoration comes in accurately replicating the techniques used in those days gone by, and ensuring that the right parts are used to create a product as faithful to the original as possible. Having a good research team, having inside knowledge of the industry, and keeping thorough records to make sure every purchase is timely and necessary is where you’ll earn your real plaudits on the project. It’s a hard road but a very rewarding one, with the promise of a sparkling restored car at the end.