Workshop Highlights: Classics Beyond Jaguars

Since P&K Thornton Restorations was established in 1967, we have developed a reputation for being specialists in classic Jaguar Restorations. We get contacted by clients all around the world for our services. Although we specialise in Jaguars, our well-experienced restoration technicians can restore a wide variety of classic vehicles. We have recently had a large influx of different classic cars entering our workshops and joining our ever-expanding portfolio. Here are a few of the classic cars we have worked on over the past few months-

One of the oldest vehicles to travel through our workshops recently was the 4 ½ litre Bentley. This vintage race car was produced between 1927 and 1931 and is well known for its racing pedigree, luxury features, and association with the "Bentley Boys" who dominated motorsport in the late 1920s. Only 720 were ever produced, including 55 with a supercharged engine. The 4 ½ litre Bentley had a resurgence in popularity after it was featured in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels. It was designed as a stylish, luxury vehicle and a capable race car. Many 4½ Litre Bentleys were customized with different coachwork and specifications. This vintage vehicle came in for tuning, going on our state-of-the-art rolling road dyno, to ensure it's running at its best.

Additionally, we have had a 1948 Veritas RS come in for an inspection and to make it road-worthy again. This significant post-World War II German sports racing car is well known for its success in early racing events. The Veritas RS has competed in a lot of prestigious events, such as the 1948 12 Hours of Paris (finishing 8th overall) and the 1949 Brussels Grand Prix. It was based on the BMW 328 and featured striking aerodynamic coachwork with a lightweight alloy body.

Another classic British sports car we have had the pleasure of working on recently was the Triumph TR6. This classic car was in production between 1969 to 1976, the Triumph TR6 is known for its muscular styling and powerful 2.5-litre inline-six engine. It's a popular choice for classic car enthusiasts due to its relatively affordable price compared to other traditional British sports cars. The transmission is a four-speed manual with optional overdrive and goes from 0-60 mph in 8.2 seconds with a top speed of around 120 mph. This Triumph TR6 had a fuel injection system installed and came to our workshops for tuning on our rolling road.

One of the most distinctive additions to our classic car portfolio is the Lotus Elan, which is an iconic British sports car, known for its lightweight design, sharp handling and innovative engineering. The Lotus Elan in our workshop is a first-generation 2+2 model. The lotus is incredibly lightweight, only weighing 1,500 lbs and is made from a fibreglass body over a steel backbone chassis. This Lotus Elan has taken a couple of visits to our workshop, during its last visit it had a window screen replacement and a servicing.

In addition, we are currently providing technical support for this Austin Healey 100s at the Mille Miglia in Italy. The Austin Healey has an outstanding record as a club-racing contender over a seven-year period between 1955 and 1962. Only approximately 50 were ever produced by the Donald Healey Motor Company and EVV106 is only 1 of 4 Austin Healey’s delivered to the UK for competition purposes. It was designed for racing and features an aluminium body, disc brakes on all four wheels, and a tuned engine producing 132 bhp, going from 0 to 60 mph in 7.7 to 7.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 120 mph. This classic car is highly collectable and valuable, and it is a pleasure to provide technical support for this race car at the Mille Miglia.

Our two sister businesses further broaden the range of vehicles we work on, each specialising in a different corner of the classic car world. Alficina is our sister business, which focuses on Italian classic cars, particularly specialising in Alfa Romeo. In addition, our new business, Speedshop44 is our performance enhancement business focusing on future and modern classics between the 1980s to 2010s. Thanks to the diverse vehicles also arriving through our sister businesses, we’re proud to handle a broad and ever-changing mix of classic cars in our portfolio, which is a true test of our team’s versatility and depth of knowledge.

If you are interested in having your classic car repaired, restored or serviced at P&K Thornton Restorations, please contact us with confidence! Call us on 0115 926 2266 or email us at info@thorntonrestorations.com.