About us and what we believe in

When we formed Silsoe Classic and Modern Ltd, we pooled our experiences (both good and bad) of working with and being customers of the competition.  Using those lessons, we set out to create something different and better. 

We believe that classic car restoration is much more than welding, fabrication, paint and engine refurbishing. It’s about building cars and relationships, fulfilling dreams, saving something special, creating value as well as re-creating classic cars to a standard that is equal and often better than when they left the factory.

Today, a significant proportion of our business is brought to us by customers who return with a second or even a third car! Our reputation is paramount, we strive to be the best, we expect to be judged against the very best in the business and are confident that we can compete with them. But we are not arrogant – we appreciate the testimonials from all our clients who help us feel we are on target to fulfil our ambition of becoming one of the leading classic car restoration shops in the UK.

As a small business, we pride ourselves on our family feel and on being a responsible company that strives to respect and balance commercial demands against personal needs.

We are always happy to invite customers to visit us at any time. We want you to get to know our team – ultimately, they are ones that will make your ideas and automotive desires a reality.

Our founding principles are:

Honesty and integrity

Our senior staff visit every potential job so we can cost things accurately. We give ranges of costs, so you know the best and worst-case budget for your restoration up front.

We don’t under cost to win work and then ‘find’ things that will cost lots more to fix. We have nothing to hide – we encourage visits and catch ups at the workshop whenever you want them. We’re happy for you to speak directly to the staff carrying out the work on your car.

Updated and in control

We speak regularly. We share photographs, we discuss the issues we have found, and we give you options on how to proceed and what to spend your money on.

We understand that classic car restoration is about relationships as much as metal, that’s why we bill you monthly and only for work carried out in that month. Situations change and life can deliver unexpected surprises – so if we need to delay or stop a project you have the peace of mind that you have only paid for work that’s been completed.

Right for you and for the car

We always strive to do what you want but we are also focussed on what’s right for the car – to retain its integrity and preserve it for future generations.

That sometimes means we will pass on projects that we think do not have the right budget to do the right job. We’ll be honest and say that we are not the right partners to help you, if we think the work is not in our skill set or that what you want to achieve is detrimental to the car’s future history. It’s not us being precious or pretentious – it’s just that we believe that we are only the present guardians of a classic car and that the work we do will outlive us all. We want to leave behind the right legacy.