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ONELIFE #37 – English

  • Text
  • Cars
  • Onelife
  • Landrover
  • Rover
  • Rovers
  • Cape
  • Epic
  • Defender
  • Vehicles
  • Donegal
  • Phev
  • Arctic
  • Kolisi
Land Rover’s Onelife magazine showcases stories from around the world that celebrate inner strength and the drive to go Above and Beyond. For this issue of Onelife we visited Maneybhanjang in the Indian Himalaya, where Land Rover Series Is and IIs rule the roost, we followed the north star to the Land Rover Ice Academy in Arjeplog, Sweden, which offers thrilling ice driving action and bring you the story of outdoorsman Monty Halls and his family who are out with a Discovery for a scenic escape in Ireland.

CLASSIC WORKS

CLASSIC WORKS 72

“My uncle had a first-generation Land Rover Discovery,” remembers Tim Hannig, Director of Land Rover Classic. “We would go to visit him in Denmark. His was a messy hunter’s car, but I remember him unlocking the big side-opening back door and I’d climb in and sit sideways on the bench seat in the back. I was eight years old and it was just ultra-cool.” Everyone has got a Land Rover story, all of them contributing to a history that is now 70 years old and spans every continent (and even a few tracts of ocean remember the first-ever crossing of the Bering Strait by a land vehicle in 2008?). Now, the Land Rover story has a home in a new 14,000m², purpose-built, £7 million facility in the British Midlands. Classic Works is a full sales, servicing and restoration facility the largest of its kind in the world. A showroom greets visitors at the threshold, backed by huge glass doors revealing 54 workshop bays with dedicated strip-down, remanufacturing and assembly zones. Behind all this, like the secret at the back of the wardrobe, lies the Classic Collection a warehouse full of over 500 vehicles. “Classic Works has almost taken the role of a museum without being a museum,” explains Hannig. “On a tour, you will learn a lot about where the company comes from, but you’re in an active working environment. It’s living history.” IN PURSUIT OF PERFECTION Why invest so much in a facility that is focused on out-ofproduction vehicles? For Hannig, there are two elements. “One is to celebrate the history of the brand and let people experience it,” he explains. With a history as rich as Land Rover, there’s no shortage of things to celebrate. But it’s the second element that has made Classic Works a reality. “This has to be a sustainable undertaking,” says Hannig. It turns out that the restoration of old Land Rovers causes a lot of excitement. “When we did the recreation of the 1948 Series I production line in 2015, the response was huge,” remembers Greg King, Classic Works Engineer. “When I first looked at this it was just a study to see what was possible. I don’t think we understood quite how successful it was going to be.” King is, by his own admission, “Land Rover through and through.” He fell for them as a child growing up on a south Devon farm, and joined the company as a 16-year-old apprentice. The opportunity to be part of a project like this was his ultimate challenge. “We’ve got all the original drawings going back to the 1940s,” King explains. Such know-how means that Land Rover can deliver restoration projects to a level that is unrivalled. But blueprints are nothing without the expertise to bring them to life. And in a sector as specialised as classic cars, Hannig believes having the From cosmetic to powertrain, Classic Works is fully equipped to restore Land Rover vehicles of any age back to perfection. Bottom right: General Manager Felix Welch right people is critical. Two years ago, some 35 employees worked out of a corner of the Solihull plant. Today, 140 specialists fill the bays of the dedicated Classic Works facility. “Customers trust us with their vehicles. A classic car is an emotional affair,” he insists. “We need to give the vehicle that same level of respect.” The hands-on nature of the work means that quality control can’t be built in as it is on factory production lines. “We cannot robot-check if the wheel nuts are fixed to the right torque,” Hannig admits. “Every car is different. That’s why we have to have people who are not only capable and highly skilled, but also motivated to do the best job, every day.” “ A CLASSIC IS AN EMOTIONAL AFFAIR AND WE NEED TO RESPECT THAT” IN PURSUIT OF THE HORIZON The existing restoration industry is often small-scale. The creation of Classic Works stays true to that spirit, but brings with it the added benefits of operating at the top end. “There is a positive momentum created by Classic Works,” Hannig explains. “There are gaps in our parts catalogues and we are determined to improve it. Last year, we implemented 150 new parts. We need the enthusiasts to work with us on that.” By pooling knowledge, the industry can identify the most needed components. “We then have the ability to invest, which is good for everybody,” says Hannig. “And we are generating knowledge by working on the cars, allowing us to tool up new spare parts available to anyone. The person who restores at home in his garage deserves a good spare part as much as anyone else.” Classic Works is the first Land Rover retail outlet classic or new anywhere. Until now, the company has been a manufacturer and wholesaler. By inviting the public not only to a shop window, but right onto the workshop floor, they are breaking new territory. In doing so, they are connecting with customers like never before. “Tours of the site have been full since we started,” says Felix Welch, General Manager at Classic Works. “These cars are very close to being works of art, and they’re attracting people who are relatively new to the world of classic cars, as well as firm fans. Last Sunday, we had a Land Rover Breakfast Club and 52 50th Anniversary Defenders showed up the biggest such gathering ever.” Classic Works now has its sights set even further afield. A second facility is already open in Essen, Germany, and planning for a North American centre is underway. “We will provide a service where there is a demand for it,” says Hannig, adding with a wry smile: “Land Rover didn’t stop at the borders of the UK. In fact, it went a long way beyond.” 73