Just before the entire world was told to work from home, Woodham Mortimer, a custom automotive specialist and classic restoration house had moved into a new home of its own. The 40,000-square-foot facility in Chelmsford, England—just northeast of London—isn’t larger than the firm’s previous workspace (located about 10 miles away), but it offered a blank canvas for the company to better arrange its departments and more efficiently use all of the available space.
“We started with a large open-plan building, so we have been able to create a bespoke layout that perfectly caters to our needs,” explains Peter Haynes, Woodham Mortimer’s CEO. “It’s a more purpose-built facility that creates an excellent working environment for the various areas of the workshop.”
A portion of Woodham Mortimer’s new facility. Photo: Courtesy of Woodham Mortimer.
Although a young enterprise (the company was founded in 2018), Woodham Mortimer has quickly established its legitimacy in vintage restoration, a standing that was reaffirmed when it was named the Mille Miglia’s global restoration partner in 2019. The partnership with the classic car rally has since been extended through 2021. Woodham Mortimer is also the exclusive classic car partner for the Goodwood Revival and recently unveiled an exquisite Jaguar E-Type restomod.
For its restomod E-Type, Woodham Mortimer starts with a matching-numbers example built between 1961 and 1975. Photo: Courtesy of Woodham Mortimer.
In addition to offering comprehensive restoration services and a 10-car showroom for private sales, Woodham Mortimer also boasts one of the most successful vintage racing departments in the industry. Predictably, the new facility has allowed the company to build out a shop dedicated to racing, as well as engine work, machining and a new body and paint facility, which Haynes believes “will have a hugely positive impact on the business.”
Although only established in 2018, Woodham Mortimer is already a partner of the Goodwood Revival and Mille Miglia events. Photo: Courtesy of Woodham Mortimer.
That being said, the greatest benefit of Woodham Mortimer’s new home is the way it will bolster communication across departments. “The best thing about the new space,” says Haynes, “is the ease with which all the various workshop staff can now interact with one another.” But not to worry, we’re sure that, at least for the time being, such “interaction,” is at least six feet apart.
