Restorer Paul Ackroyd gets ‘The Red Boy’ ready to be displayed in the Gallery.
The Red Boy, or Master Lambton, are popular names for a portrait made in 1825 by Sir Thomas Lawrence. It is officially entitled with the name of its subject, Charles William Lambton, who was the elder son of John Lambton.
Paul Ackroyd, restorer, is cleaning ‘The Red Boy’, an iconic painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence. It was so popular it was the first-ever painting to feature on a British postage stamp.
“It’s a privilege to work with these fantastic cars,” enthuses James “and we benefit from incredible craftsmen and Chris’ vast experience. These are important cars, looked after sympathetically. When we restore cars, we’re careful and fastidious in retaining the soul, but we also understand that cars evolve”.
In keeping with the colour British Racing Green, CKL Developments prides itself on being understated, not flashy. Inside a pristine brace of high-roofed, modern industrial units near Hastings, in Britain’s East Sussex countryside, you’ll find cars that are maintained to be enjoyed, driven and raced.
CKL is not, the team is at pains to point out, a museum. It’s the absolute authority on Jaguar-engined sports cars of the ’50s and ’60s and looks after some of the most historic and important British cars of that era, sympathetically restored, preserved of soul and performing at their zenith. The team can service, restore, repair, prepare, race, build, sell, store and transport your pride and joy as required.
Since its founding in 1984, the team behind Eagle has steadily worked their dedication into an obsession, with the outcome being the last word in the world of the Jaguar E-Type. Unlike many restoration specialists, Eagle keeps all the work in-house, and none of it is rushed.
Indeed Eagle CEO Henry Pearman says it takes the team nearly 4,000 hours to complete one of the company’s ground-up, full-on Eagle E-Types, and while they aren’t for those on a tight budget, there is clear evidence of the claim that the business is foremost driven by passion, not profits. A purely commercial endeavor would find ways to cut costs and hurry the process, but the completed cars—whether they be restorations or bespoke commissions—that leave Eagle’s countryside compound in Sussex are not just faultless E-Type specimens, they are examples of what can be achieved after decades of refinement and accumulated knowledge. Nobody knows these cars better, and in that same vein, nobody is building them better.
With the idea of revamping the car we elegantly redesigned the original lines giving the car a stunning shape whilst maintaining the authentic signature of the Giulia GTA.
Starting from one of the best iconic Italian cars of the 60’s & 70’s, the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA, we have created one of the most advanced restomod in the business, producing the ever fastest and most fascinating Giulia GTA. The Giulia GTA was presented in 1965 and in the following seven years obtained a series of successes and prizes which led this car to be considered as a legend. Our goal was to rebuild a car which remembers in spirit and shape the victorious Alfa of the 60ies, emerging as a reference for sportsmanship and craftsmanship.
When Tas Careaga first saw his 16th-century church it was advertised for sale as a “land plot with build-in ruins”. Abandoned for decades – the town has 6 other churches for a population of 2000 – it was being sold by the local bishopric for very little, but the new owner was required to rebuild it.
Careaga and friends spent 3 months just clearing the structure of debris before starting work to turn the relic into a home. With help from his architect friend Carlos Garmendia, Careaga preserved the open-feeling of the space by adding only one wall (for a bathroom on the 2nd floor). The cupola now houses a very high-ceilinged kitchen with art gallery walls. Most of the church celebrates the 10-meter (30-foot) ceilings created 5 centuries ago. In about a quarter of the space,
Careaga built a wooden frame to house two open-air floors for a 2nd-floor bedroom and 3rd-floor office. Instead of walls or banisters, the first floor relies on just three thin metal cables for the protection of occupants. The home is deeply personal, filled with furniture from Careaga’s family, religious art from his grandmother, and idiosyncrasies like a slackline to cross the thirty-foot-drop between the office and a secret bedroom above the cupola.
Careaga spent 3 years converting the church to his home with mostly his own labor and help from friends. He continues to add new touches, like converting the bell tower into a reading nook and bunk room for guests.
Carlos Garmendia (architect): https://www.garmendiacordero.com/ Tas Careaga’s projects: http://tascareaga.com/ Tas’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tascareaga/ On *faircompanies: https://faircompanies.com/videos/anci…
From AtlasObscura.com (March 26, 2020):
…a team of designers recently looked at the now-ruined castles of Middle Ages Europe, lifting the fortifications up from their dilapidated states and digitally reimagining the structures as they were in their heyday.
Seven European castles were virtually rebuilt, restoring them from their keeps to their baileys. Architects pored over old paintings, blueprints, and other research documents that describe the strongholds, then offered their opinions to the NeoMam Studios design team, which digitally revived the structures from the ground up.
From a Classic Driver online article:
The result is a testimony to the true meaning of haute couture – this car doesn’t need to impress or be flashy. It’s first and foremost superb craftsmanship, which has been married to extreme refinement. Next time you venture into Paris and notice a dark blue Eden Roc being driven by a young and elegant tattooed man, don’t hesitate to look closer and try to spot Leroy’s intricate tailor-made feathery details.
Maxime Leroy is anything but your typical classic car collector. He is a visionary creator with a strong personality whose adult life has been devoted to showcasing feathers. He discovered the art of plumasserie at school thanks to two of his professors. At that time, the school was the last school in France dedicated to teaching this dying art. And thanks to Leroy, who now spends two days a week there teaching, it still is.
To read more: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/custom-autobianchi-eden-roc-a-featherweight-masterpiece
From a Gentleman’s Journal online article:
I was involved from start to finish — with the concepting, design and specification of the car. I worked incredibly closely with the JLR team to get the exact design I envisaged. And every one of those decisions was carefully considered; from wheels and engine, to brakes, interior and suspension. We uprated the engine to 225bhp, and added better cooling. The car was changed to right hand drive, given fully adjustable suspension, better brakes, a fast-shift gearbox and bespoke interior. In all, 2,700 man hours were put into restoring it.
David Gandy wears many hats. He wears his model hat. He wears his director’s hat. He wears his creative hat. Here, in fact, he’s wearing a rather nice herringbone flat cap. But we’re mostly interested, as he rolls up in his meticulous vintage Jaguar XK120, in his latest passion project — and his car restoration hat.
When Gandy, who has raced Jaguars twice in the historic Mille Miglia, decided to run a third time, he dreamt up the idea of building a one-off pre-1957 XK120 for the race. Based on the ‘lightweight’ racing versions of the 1950s and 60s, the plan was to find a car, perfectly restore it and tune it up into competitive condition in just six months. Unsurprisingly, with hat firmly on head, that’s exactly what Gandy did.
To read more: https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/david-gandy-explains-how-he-restored-his-dream-jaguar-xk120/
From a Classic Driver online article:
Of course, Cool & Vintage is one of hundreds of companies building Land Rover ‘restomods’, but it’s forged its premier reputation for two reasons: the unparalleled quality of its work and its aesthetic positioning. “I’ve always thought that the Land Rover is among the greatest pieces of industrial design, so it was never my intention to mess around with it too much. We try to stay true to its shape and its history while adding our own creative twist, which could be anything from a bright colour to a more aggressive stance.” Ricardo initially wanted to fuse his vision of the quintessential beach car with a southern European summer vibe.
Sun-drenched beachscapes, beautiful surfing girls and the most immaculate old Land Rovers you’ve ever seen – it must be Cool & Vintage. This vision of fantasy has garnered the Lisbon-based restoration company, which has been putting its unique twist of Defenders and Series models since 2012, something of a cult following Land Rover buffs and hipsters alike.
To read more: https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/visiting-cool-vintage-ground-zero-custom-land-rover-culture
Boomers Daily 