Classic Motor Cars Ltd, the company responsible for the Mark 2 By Callum, has handed over control to it's staff.

A highly successful and globally renowned classic car restoration company in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, which last year turned over £5.2 million, has been given to the staff by its owner. Classic Motor Cars Ltd employs more than sixty staff and has restored some of the world’s most important cars including many famous Jaguars.

The company has become an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), which means that the staff will own and run the business themselves.

Peter Neumark, who has owned and chaired the company since its inception in 1993, said: "I am nearer seventy than sixty and Nick Goldthorp, who founded this great business with me and has been largely responsible for where we are today, is now approaching retirement age, so we felt we had a duty to oversee a passing of responsibility, and who better than the workforce themselves."

So on Friday 26th of August 2016, a majority shareholding owned by the chairman was transferred into a new entity The Classic Motor Cars Ltd Employee Shareholder Trust, thereby passing control to a trust set up for the benefit of the employees of CMC.

Peter Neumark added: “This sort of structure best exemplified by the John Lewis Partnership was deemed to be the best home for the company to ensure its future, safeguarding the jobs of its highly skilled workforce and providing stability for future growth and prosperity.

"Virtually every example of an EOT business we looked at showed greater profitability, greater productivity, better staff retention and ultimately of course happier customers. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved and I look forward to watching the company continue to set the standards for world-class car restoration."

Tim Leese, Managing Director of the new operational board, said: “These are very exciting times and the whole team is very grateful for Peter’s generosity and everyone looks forward to making a greater contribution to the company’s future success.”

The day to day management of the business will be controlled by an operational board, chaired by David Barzilay and comprising of Managing Director Tim Leese, Production Director Tim Griffin, non-execs Nick Goldthorp and Richard Charlesworth (latterly of Bentley).

They in turn will report to a board of trustees who are responsible for the good governance of the company and ensuring it is run in the best interests of its beneficiaries, the employees.

The board of trustees is comprised of outside professionals, chaired by Peter Neumark with an employee trustee, Luke Martin, voted on by his fellow workers, and former non-exec operational board member Richard Coe.

Currently the company is working on more than 22 classic car restorations including many famous marques such as, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Lancia, amongst others.

Classic Motor cars brings together two rare 1961 E-Types, one in pristine condition the other not so.

The Inside Story: Two Jaguar E-Types built on 24th August 1961 reunite after 55 years at Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth

Two Jaguar E-types that were built on the same day, 24^th August, in 1961 on the production line at Browns Lane in Coventry have been reunited at Classic Motor Cars (CMC) of Bridgnorth in Shropshire, United Kingdom, to celebrate their 55^th birthdays.

One E-Type was the first production inside bonnet lock right hand drive fixed head coupe; the other was the first production inside bonnet lock right hand drive roadster.

But these very early E-Types have lived different lives: the coupe is in pristine condition after having been restored by CMC; the roadster, a bit worn-down, has been off the road for 20 years, forgotten in a barn in Ireland until CMC found it and purchased it, and now requires a full restoration.

Peter Neumark, Chairman of CMC, said: “This world is full of coincidences; that both the first inside bonnet lock RHD coupe and roadster to end up in the same restoration facility is one thing, but then to discover they were both produced on the same day - August 24th 1961 - is remarkable!”

CMC brought the two cars back together on Wednesday 24^th August and even provided a birthday cake to celebrate the reunion.

Jaguar produced just four highly sought after external bonnet lock coupes in RHD form before switching to an internal lock arrangement.

Stuart Cardwell, owner of the E-Type Coupe Chassis No. 860005, brought it to CMC several years ago and embarked on a rolling restoration: mechanical first, he took it away to enjoy it and brought it back for a bare metal body restoration, then repaint and finally back for a full retrim.

Subsequently, the car was entered to the prestigious Salon Prive event and concours at Blenheim Palace in September 2015, where it was awarded runner-up in its class.

Stuart Cardwell said: “This is the first time the two cars have been next to one another after they parted company 55 years ago. In the case of my car, it has been all over the world. It was dispatched to Jaguar Cars New York in September 1961, sold to a Japanese collector in Tokyo in 1996 and repatriated back to the UK when I purchased it in 2012.”

He added: “CMC restored my car, which is now considered to be exactly as it would have left the factory in 1961 – no doubt they will do a stunning job bringing Chassis No. 92 back to life.”

The roadsters, on the other hand, went into production much sooner than the coupes hence some 91 outside bonnet lock cars were produced in RHD form and some 350 in LHD.

Neumark said: “We shouldn't be surprised to learn that the decision to switch to internal bonnet locks cars was applied across the board and implemented on the same day in 1961.”

E-Typer Roadster Chassis No. 850092 was dispatched to a Jaguar dealership in Dublin and has spent all its life in the Republic of Ireland. It was brought to the attention of CMC's Peter Neumark by a good friend in Co Navan, who was convinced it was Chassis No. 2.

Neumark was highly skeptical as the records stated it was destroyed in period after spending a hard year or two as a development car. Finally, the friend got good access to the car and discovered it was Chassis No. 92.

Neumark said: “The car had been off the road for over 20 years but with an impeccable history of five owners and with just over 24,000 miles on the clock, I was hooked and so was the car. An interesting negotiation with the canny Irish farmer was concluded with a handshake and a glass of Whiskey!”

He added: “It was only when the Heritage Certificate arrived from Jaguar that the same production date as the coupe was discovered. So we decided to invite Stuart with his car for a celebratory photo call with his car and the roadster.”

E-Type Roadster Chassis No. 92 requires a full restoration but has never been apart and has very little rot. It is for sale as a restoration project with CMC.

Rare barn find Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark III to be recommissioned by automotive excellence company CMC.

A 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark III, which has lain dormant in storage for over 35 years, is to be restored by leading classic car restoration company Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth (CMC).

The DB2/4 was recently purchased from the Bonham’s Newport Pagnell Aston Martin works sale on behalf of a client. The car was sold for £104,540, going over its estimate of £30-50k.

“The car was an attractive restoration project in 1977 when it entered storage, despite the fact that it had lead a hard life,” said Nick Goldthorp, Managing Director of CMC, “There were splits in the front suspension turrets which had been welded and crash damage to the offside body and rear chassis which were repaired at the time. But it would now appear that the chassis needs re-aligning.”

Nick added: “The Aston needs a total restoration, which will begin in October 2015 and we expect to complete by Spring 2017. We have recently added a mobile Globaljig body measuring and alignment system to our set of tools, which will be perfect for chassis alignment.

 “We have an international reputation for Jaguar restorations and will apply the same principles and attention to detail to any classic car that enters our workshops. This Aston will be an exciting project and another challenge for CMC, which we are all looking forward to.”

Callum Jaguar #2 now being built by Classic Motor cars in Bridgnorth.

The build of the second Mark 2 by Callum is already underway at the headquarters of leading restorers Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth (CMC).

The first car, a Mark 2 redesigned by Jaguar’s Design Director Ian Callum and reengineered by CMC for his own personal use, was unveiled at the opening of the company’s new headquarters in August 2014, boasting a huge number of aesthetic and technical modifications.

This will be the second of a limited run of twelve cars and is expected to visit the US next year.

Nick Goldthorp, Managing Director of CMC, said: “The second Mark 2 by Callum is in production, it is going to be a left hand drive car and the body is nearing completion. We should finish the vehicle by the end of this year.”

Each vehicle will be tailored to an individual buyer, who will spend time with Ian Callum to finalise the specification.

Nick Goldthorp said: “No two cars will be the same, which makes them more unique. It is all in the small details that can be tailored, including the gearbox, exterior and interior colours. Each Mark 2 can be built as a right or left hand drive car with automatic or manual transmission and can be additionally fitted with power steering, air conditioning, electric windows and different types of wood veneer.”