Automotive Business Magazine – Q3 2026 – Digital edition - Flipbook - Page 80
FEAT U R E
RESTOMODS
Legends
reimagined
Dylan Robertson on the small British companies
redefining classic cars
C
lassic car restomods have
exploded in popularity. Almost
every beloved classic – from
Land Rover to Lamborghini
– now has a company that
will completely restore it,
while adding reliability,
performance and convenience
upgrades.
2026 will see Singer, the US firm that
reimagines classic Porsche 911s, headline
the Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking
a position usually reserved for full-scale
manufacturers, such as BMW M or Lotus.
Despite Singer taking centre stage,
the UK is unique in the sheer volume of
restomod specialists it hosts.
What is a restomod?
The word itself is a portmanteau of
‘restoration’ and ‘modification’, and the
cars largely follow that format. Rust
is removed, reliability issues resolved,
bodylines tweaked and modern
convenience features added.
Restomods also typically gain moderncar performance, either through a
powertrain swap or through good oldfashioned tuning.
Mark Roper, managing director at
Hagerty UK, explains: “Restomods offer
a new generation of enthusiasts the
opportunity to enjoy the style of a classic
car without the issues that can come
with running one.
"Gone are the days when fettling in
the garage was a part of the charm – a
younger enthusiast seeks usability and
convenience. They want the car to start
when needed, to reach its destination
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AUTOMOTIVE BUSINESS
Q3 2026
without drama and to do so with good
performance and comfort.
“Initially, restomods could be crude, a
bunch of off-the-shelf parts bolted on
that didn’t always work, but now they are
completed to the highest quality, using
bespoke parts, and owners are willing to
pay a premium for that.”
While the restoration element is
reasonably consistent across the board,
there are vastly differing approaches to
modification. Eagle, which works with the
Jaguar E-Type, gives the cars genuine
performance and reliability, keeping
the petrol-powered, carburettor-fuelled
texture. By contrast, Everrati performs
full electric vehicle (EV) conversions,
completely transforming the experience
with cutting-edge EV tech. Performance
We spend thousands
of hours developing and
designing a powertrain.
We use best-in-class
components. If you look
at something like our
Pagoda [...] the Helix
motor is probably one of
the most power dense
motors in the world"
