We look back on a year of huge restorative endeavours, feauturing a varied selection of classics, from vintage sports cars to modern-classic technology. Vote for your favourite and you could win a workshop’s-worth of quality tools, too

Photography TONY BAKER, JORDAN BUTTERS, JONATHAN FLEETWOOD, LAURENS PARSONS, ROSS PERRY, DAN SHERWOOD & ADAM SHORROCK

Every month, Classic Cars celebrates the vision, skill and sheer determination that keeps the old car world alive. Our long-running Epic Restoration series gathers the stories of forgotten wrecks and battered icons transformed by ingenuity, patience and the rare blend of original craft and inspired improvisation that only true restorers can muster.

This year, we’ve witnessed an extraordinary variety of challenges and solutions: glassfibre specials reborn, hot hatches elevated to better-than-new, and grand tourers and utilitarian heroes rescued against all odds. Some projects reveal the conundrums of preserving originality, while others showcase fresh or technological thinking – whether that be hugely extensive research, global parts searches, 3D-printed solutions or engineering updates that allow classic metal to thrive in a modern world.

But however varied the machines themselves, as always, it’s the people behind them that strike the most evocative chord. Their stories, their battles with missing parts and terminal decay, and their exhilirating moments of triumph. These stand testament to the fact that restoration is always as much about spirit as it is about spanners.

Now, as we cast an eye over 12 months of remarkable comebacks and hard-won victories in Epic Restoration of the Year 2026, Classic Cars and Machine Mart invite you to vote for your favourite transformation. Which of these restoration stories speaks the most to you?

Read on, be inspired, and then start planning an epic restoration of your own. Voting gives you the chance to win a handy haul of the top-quality tools you’ll need to make your plans a reality. Details are at the bottom of this page.

‘The sills were rotten, even missing crossmembers’

Year: 1975 Make: Ford Model: Transit MkI

RESTORED BY: ENVISAGE

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

Envisage tackled the very ambitious restoration of a 1975 Ford Transit MkI to celebrate the model’s 60th anniversary. The team managed to source the van from Germany, where it had served as a fire engine. Beneath its tired skin, they found rotten sills and missing crossmembers. They stripped the bodyshell, fabricated fresh panels and replaced structural sections to restore strength with originality.

The motoring division of auction site eBay commissioned Envisage to transform the Transit into a versatile mobile lounge and event space. The team adapted a Volkswagen T5 pop-top roof for the project, skillfully fabricating a steel interface and shaping curved aluminium panels for a seamless, modern finish. Isoteak marine flooring was also installed along with bespoke cabinetry, and plush seats trimmed in hand-stitched leather. Every detail received very close attention – from adapting off-the-shelf components with custom fixings to handcrafting unique folding steps and storage.

Acclaimed designer Peter Stevens even played a vital role, sketching bespoke outdoor seating and guiding the interior layout. His vision helped the van become a welcoming hub, not an intimidating corporate space. Envisage designed a narrower, longer fuel tank to allow new entry steps and calibrated the original fuel gauge to work with the system.

Ultimately, the restorers fused modern coachbuilding, classic style and creativity to give this Transit a vibrant new role. Thanks to their exacting craftsmanship and Peter Stevens’ influence, a once-derelict municipal workhorse now shines as an event-ready celebration of Ford’s commercial motoring heritage.

‘It’s been an absolute nightmare’

Year: 1964 Make: Alfa Romeo Model: Giulia SS

RESTORED BY: DAVE WARD, NEVILLE BYFORD AND TIM WALLACE

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

Dave Ward embarked on the restoration of his rare right-hand-drive Alfa Romeo Giulia SS after years in storage left it in a neglected state.

He had always yearned for one, so when he was offered this car for £3500 back in 2010, he bought both the car and a used truck to transport the project home. When Ward began the restoration, he discovered daylight showing through the complex, rusty roof, while only half of the original interior remained intact. He tackled the bodywork by replacing the wings in sections and repairing or fabricating each intricate panel by hand to retain the car’s elegant lines.

Mechanical expert Neville Byford cleaned the furred-up oilways and rebuilt the engine with reground crankshaft, new pistons and liners, and secondhand conrods. He rebuilt the gearbox, replacing the worn synchromesh. To preserve what they could, as many original suspension components were reused, Ward also fixing Ruddspeed’s quirks, moving the rear spring spacer during reassembly to give a proper ride height.

Remants of the original trim were relied on to complete the interior, Ward crafting matching new door cards, rear seat bases and lower dash panels, before Tim Wallace retrimmed them in red leather. Recognising its conversion to right-hand drive had left the dashboard and wiring in a mess, Ward also sourced a new loom, carefully labelled every wire and methodically rebuilt the electrical system.

After a particularly challenging final assembly – likened to needing ‘arms like an octopus’ – he unveiled the Giulia at the NEC Classic Motor Show to celebrate Alfa’s 60th anniversary, after which he was looking forward to enjoying the car out on the open road, justifiably proud of rescuing a true Italian rarity.

‘We put 1000 hours into it, it makes no commercial sense’

Year: 1990 Make: Peugeot Model: 205GTI

RESTORED BY: AUTORARA

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

AutoRara’s team set out to prove that even the humblest hot hatch deserves perfection, choosing a tired, rusty 205GTI for a nut-and-bolt restoration – completed on an ambitious six-week deadline to debut at the NEC Classic Motor Show. David Stubbs and Chris Tye led the effort, stripping the Peugeot back to bare metal. They cut out rusty sills and a corroded rear-seat footwell, welding in new metal to recreate factory contours. The team repaired panels with care, using a shrinking disc and templates from a mint donor 205GTI to ensure correct fit and shape. They finessed panel gaps that had never been perfect even when new.

For the paint process, AutoRara’s experts colour matched the original Cherry Red using donor panels and painstaking research. Stuart Duncanson applied the flawless finish, restoring the 205’s showroom presence.

Inside, the team rebuilt the trim, replacing broken clips, cracked plastics and tired fabrics with authentic materials. They even discovered the Peugeot’s so-called ‘Phase 1.75’ specification after noticing a unique mix of components. Every date stamp was subsequently verified to confirm originality.

Mechanically, the project saw every component renewed or refurbished, from the engine internals to the suspension and the brakes. Despite the daunting timeframe and a huge four-figure hours investment, AutoRara refused to cut corners or restomod the car – instead restoring it to as-new, factory-correct glory. The unwavering commitment and expertise of the team transformed a tired icon into a fresh benchmark, ready to wow a new generation of enthusiasts.

‘Let’s restore the 308 like a 250SWB’

Year: 1979 Make: Ferrari Model: 308GTS

RESTORED BY: BARKAWAYS

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

After a simple comment from his wife Andrea, Ian Barkaway, founder of Ferrari specialist Barkaways, decided to lavish the same concours-winning attention on his family’s cherished Ferrari 308GTS as he does with the world’s most coveted classics. The car, bought over two decades earlier thanks to a brave mortgage extension, had earned its place in family history but showed its age with tired paint and worn mechanicals.

Ian and son Ben stripped the car to its chassis. They replaced rusted sills, lower door sections, and rear wings – hand-shaping panels from fresh steel to restore original contours, while only sourcing the necessary sill panels from a specialist. The team meticulously prepared every surface for Rigor Tabbert’s flawless Le Mans Blue paint, achieving a perfect finish while embracing water-based paint technology.

The mechanical rebuild centred on the 3.0-litre V8. Ian verified the cam timing, rebuilt the heads, fitted Teflon-coated Wössner pistons and balanced rotating internals with racing levels of precision, enlisting Vulcan Engineering for expert machining. Signature details – from the Ferrari-marked fixings to cable ties with a Maranellese twist – survived the decades and Barkaways either retained or restored every original part possible, supplementing with authentic spares from specialist Superformance.

Suspension components were powder-coated for durability and originality, while inside, the team selected a combination Wilton carpets and Connolly leather, and carefully refitted the original switchgear. After a very painstaking rejuvenation to concours standards, the Barkaways now treasure a 308GTS that stands proudly alongside the world’s best – a car restored not just for trophies, but for pure driving pleasure and family pride.

‘The body was much worse than we expected’

Year: 1973 Make: Lotus Model: Elan +2 130/5

RESTORED BY: ALLON WHITE SPORTS CARS

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

Overseen by Phil Benfield, Allon White Sports Cars embraced the challenge of resurrecting a long-neglected Lotus Elan +2 130/5 – a car that had languished unfinished for 26 years and arrived with vital parts scattered across numerous cardboard boxes.

When the team removed the paint, they discovered that the glassfibre body was in far worse condition than they dared imagine. Since new bodyshells aren’t available, they harnessed their expertise to painstakingly repair and reinforce the original, tackling cracks, stress fractures and warped panels with skill developed over decades. Owner Nick Parkin then chose to have the bodyshell painted in a shade as close as possible to the period-correct Roman Purple colour.

While a specialist meticulously rebuilt the gearbox, fitting new synchromesh and bearings for factory-fresh shifting, workshop foreman Steve Russell attacked the chassis, stripping away rust by hand before treating the steel and painting in two-pack satin black. The engine, seized from decades of neglect, needed a careful rebuild with new pistons and OEM main and big-end bearing shells.

Inside, senior trimmer Shaun McGuire created a period look with a new walnut dashboard and retrimmed original seats in fresh cream leather. As many original parts were kept as possible, the pop-up headlamps restored with modern electrics for reliability and Spax dampers fitted to preserve the Lotus’ correct handling without sacrificing comfort.

Very few of Allon White’s restorations have been as extensive as this one. A challenging rejuventation that demanded the rebuilding of every system and where every detail was considered, has turned this abandoned – and now rare – Elan +2 into a Lotus that can now be enjoyed.

‘It had been in a lot of crashes’

Year: 1972 Make: Datsun Model: 240Z

RESTORED BY: PAUL ATKINSON AND RG TAYLOR

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

When owner Paul Atkinson acquired one of the earliest Datsun 240Zs – famed for its racing history and Spike Anderson’s tuning – he set out to restore it in his own garage.

He began by uncovering decades of motorsport scars: misshaped body panels, patchwork repairs, rust in the wheelarches and evidence of more than one heavy crash. Determined to keep the car’s history alive, Paul focused on preserving originality as he stripped the body, cleaned numerous components, and tackled countless detail jobs. Once the sheer scale of the project became clear, Paul turned to RG Taylor for its specialist expertise.

The restoration team led by Dave Bumstead cut out and replaced rotten metal, expertly fabricated new sections to repair the warped and damaged front wings, and carefully retained as many authentic features as possible. They rebuilt tired mechanicals, retrimmed the Anderson-fitted Ridgard bucket seats, refreshed the interior with period-correct parts, and cleaned the dash carefully to keep its honest patina.

On the project’s mechanical side, Paul and the RG Taylor team replaced the worn suspension parts and added an electric power steering system, but resisted any temptation to over-restore.

Painter Mark Clow then masterminded an elaborate, multi-stage paint process to recapture the visual drama of the Anderson-tuned Zs in their Seventies heyday by meticulously hand-applying contrasting pinstripes to define the edges between the two metallic colours.

Under a huge amount of time pressure, Paul finished final details at home before debuting the Datsun at the Donington Historic Festival. There, the 240Z won acclaim for a restoration that preserves its racing spirit – even if its future will be one that will see it used on the road.

‘I later discovered someone had shot it’

Year: 2003 Make: TVR Model: Sagaris prototype

RESTORED BY: STUART BARKER WITH HPC CLASSICS, POWERS PERFORMANCE, AND TVR MARQUE SPECIALISTS

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

TVR enthusiast Stuart Barker unearthed this long-lost blue TVR Sagaris prototype after years off the radar – discovering a car battered by hard use, journalist thrashings, and, curiously, a 9mm gunshot while on display. Facing a project in lots of boxes, he enlisted Miles Hardy and HPC Classics to co-ordinate the restoration, bringing in external marque-specific experts where necessary.

Bodywork specialist Chris Legate took on the sizable challenge of painstakingly repairing the ultra-thin prototype vinylester bodyshell, addressing both crash damage and creative repairs left over from the car’s chequered history. Dom Trickett at Powers Performance, a TVR Speed Six expert, handled the engine rebuild, overcoming damage from media-blast grit contamination and decades of inactivity. The restoration also called on several ex-TVR factory hands, bringing first-hand expertise to bear on everything from interior trim to wiring issues.

Hardy and the expert HPC Classics team sourced rare items from all around the world and carefully revived the car’s original features, reinstating the interior, repairing unique prototype parts and restoring period-correct fittings wherever possible. They focused on usability and authenticity, rebuilding key mechanical systems and upgrading the car’s electrics with sturdy marine-grade connections for both safety and reliability.

Thanks to Barker’s clear vision, HPC’s co-ordination and the skills of leading TVR craftsmen, the prototype Sagaris now returns to the road, its distinctive history preserved and every challenge of its rejuvenation overcome by a dedicated blend of enthusiasts and professionals.

‘It had spent eleven years dissolving in a hedge’

Year: 1987 Make: Land Rover Model: Series III (90)

RESTORED BY: ARTIFACT AUTOMOTIVE

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

This Land Rover Series III 90 had been found languishing in a hedge, battered from years of neglect and presumed by many to be fit only for spares. Determined to resurrect it, owner Paul turned to Artifact Automotive, the bespoke team led by Harry Marshall and Will Roberts, renowned for their sympathetic yet creative builds and restorations.

The Artifact crew stripped the Land Rover to find significant rot in the chassis and extensive corrosion in the bodywork. Rather than replace wholesale, they welded in fresh steel where it was needed, fabricated missing dashboard sections, and blended restored and replacement parts to keep the Defender’s character.

The most distinctive additions came inside: Paul chose supportive Corbeau bucket front seats, retrimmed in cream and diamond-quilted leather by Lucari Design, providing a touch of unexpected luxury. The team extended this upgrade to the dashboard cubby and rear bench, creating a cohesive and inviting interior.

Will Roberts drew up a new wiring loom to replace the hopelessly botched original, integrating safe and modern electrics with a raft of subtle upgrades like Bluetooth audio and LED headlights. Under the skin, Artifact mated the trusty, low-mileage Series III LT77 gearbox to a robust Discovery diesel engine, ensuring reliable power for years to come.

After a full mechanical shake-down and a final paint in Harry’s favourite Caledonian Blue, the finished Land Rover emerged as a revitalised yet honest machine. Artifact’s blend of traditional craftsmanship and thoughtful upgrades transformed a forgotten wreck into a beloved, characterful family adventurer.

‘No amount of levering would move it!’

Year: 1969 Make: Lamborghini Model: Islero

RESTORED BY: FURLONGER SPECIALIST CARS

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

Owner John Day entrusted his rare Lamborghini Islero to Simon Furlonger, Chris King and the team at Furlonger Specialist Cars for a no-compromises concours restoration. From the outset, Chris and his specialists aimed to keep the car as true to original as possible, sourcing period-correct parts and even referencing old photographs and reverse-image searches to nail every detail. Much of the Islero’s founding originality endured: Connolly Vaumol leather for the seats, authentic marine ply for the rear backrest, and newly-trimmed carpets featuring the original heel pads.

The restoration called for both delicate craftsmanship and technical precision. Chris’ team laser-welded hairline cracks in the V12’s cylinder block, fitted new piston rings and bearing shells, as well as balancing the engine’s bottom end. They collaborated with Piper Cams to carefully measure and profile the camshafts – John wanted peak performance from the famed Bizzarrini-designed engine. After reassembling and tuning the six Weber 40DCOE carburettors, there was relief when the V12 fired on the first turn.

Attention to authenticity dominated: brake pipes followed the original factory routes in olive green-coated steel pipe, period-correct stickers were meticulously lacquered to ape a factory finish, and the Campagnolo alloys received specialist refurbishment. Mark Webber at interior trim specialist M & K Auto Upholstery sourced or fabricated exact-match seat webbing and trim-stitch intervals to mirror the car’s 1969 build.

The Lamborghini rightly earned an honourable mention when it debuted at Salon Privé before going on to win the Classic category at the Yorkshire Elegance Concours, to the delight of both John and Chris. For John, the ultimate reward of the this project means using the car for what Ferruccio Lamborghini intended – grand touring across Europe, and thanks to the Furlonger Specialist Car team, this Islero is now as immaculate and thrilling as the day it left Sant’Agata 57 years ago.

‘The floor was plywood… the seats bolted through it’

Year: 1958 Make: TR Ausca Model: Roadster

RESTORED BY: CREATIVE CUSTOM CARS

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

Owner Simon Purcell cherry-picked a team of expert restorers to tackle his 1958 TR Ausca Roadster – a pioneering Triumph-based sports car from Australia with a racing heritage – and it proved one of the biggest challenges they had ever faced. When they first saw the rare machine, Alan How, Dale Osborne, and Mark D’Alton of Cretive Custom Cars found a project barely worthy of its name: a twisted, accident-scarred chassis, a steel frame that didn’t fit, and a glassfibre body riddled with cracks and held together by crude fixes.

Alan and the team immediately set about repairing and re-engineering every core element. Mark used a laser level to straighten the chassis and fabricated a new frame to fit the fragile body. The glassfibre was painstakingly worked to restore lost lines and complex curves, with painter Dale Osborne and resin specialist Daniel Young wisely choosing to preserve the car’s unique hand-built character rather than chase factory perfection. Together, they rescued as much original material as they could, navigating around missing sections with carefully matched repair work.

Attention to period-correct detail kept the project spirit alive. Alan sourced a period Maserati-style steering wheel and, with input from Simon and his wife Anna, selected plaid fabrics for the retrimmed seats, balancing authenticity with a nod to the Ausca’s competition roots. The team made sensible updates, too – replacing a wooden firewall with aluminium, improving the brakes, and upgrading the car for safety – while using as many Australian and Triumph-derived period parts wherever appropriate.

Now, thanks to Alan, Dale and Mark, Simon’s Ausca sports car has gone from the roughest ‘pile of bolts’ to a gleaming red roadster with its unique Aussie spirit restored and ready to be lovingly enjoyed for decades into the future.

‘We’ll have it acid dipped, and see what comes back…’

Year: 1969 Make: Jaguar Model: E-type 2+2

RESTORED BY: PETROYLE RESTORATIONS

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

Owners Steve Evans and Angie Owen acquired their 1969 E-type 2+2 coupé as a project, entrusting its transformation to classic car specialists Petroyle Restorations. On arrival, the car bore the marks of decades of use and amateur repairs, prompting the team to strip it completely and send the bodyshell for acid dipping, uncertain what – if anything – would remain in one piece.

Lead restorer and workshop manager Todd Tuffney and his team – fabricator Steve Fuller and paint technician Dickie Aust – confronted widespread corrosion and misaligned sections, replacing rotten metal with hand-fabricated panels to restore the Jaguar’s distinctive silhouette. Mechanical technician Matty Heron, who cut his teeth on this very car, oversaw the mechanical rebuild, ensuring every detail – down to the plating of brake pipes to mimic the original steel items – reflected concours standards. Every nut, every bolt, and every clip received the team’s relentless attention to authenticity.

The interior trim posed further hurdles. Unsatisfied with the initial trimmer’s work, Steve and Angie sent the car back twice before finally approving the fit and finish of the Webasto sunroof, headlining, and upholstery. Weeks of research, hands-on detailing, and troubleshooting followed, culminating in flawless results.

Once complete, the E-type returned home looking even better than new. After a surprise invitation to the Salon Privé event in September 2025 – and an even more unexpected class win there – Steve and Angie now have to weigh up either keeping the Jaguar pristine for concours or letting it loose for everyday drives with their dogs in the back – proving that the very best restorations are as much about renewed purpose as they are about shining bright on the show field.

‘People don’t crash enough Stradales to make spares viable!’

Year: 1986 Make: Lancia Model: Delta S4 Stradale

RESTORED BY: BGMSPORT

RESTORATION HIGHLIGHTS

Rally specialist Ian Gwynne and his team at BGMSport took on the extraordinary challenge of returning Mel Butler’s Lancia Delta S4 Stradale to its unique Monte-Carlo Rally configuration. What started with an engine issue quickly became a full-scale restoration: the chassis was twisted, parts had been replaced with incorrect Corsa race-style replicas, and original components were scarce or unavailable.

BGMSport workshop manager Chris Hambly led the stripdown, revealing layer upon layer of botched repairs and custom modifications. The team had to remove incorrect Kevlar bodywork and replace it with scratch-moulded glassfibre, relying on old photographs, scale diecast models and chance discoveries to get key details correct. Senior technician Paul Chappell rebuilt the car’s bent chassis, carefully replacing non-original tubing with correct square-section steel and applying the rustproofing that the Lancia missed out on from the factory.

Composites expert Ross Ewens worked alongside the team to revive the fragile carbon-Kevlar door trims and seats, while the team chased original parts globally – sourcing rare mirrors and dashboard vents, and even finding the correct CB radio via an enthusiast Facebook group. No assembly went smoothly; every detail – down to dashboard brackets, electrics, and even the paint shade – required extensive research, improvisation, and hours of trial and error.

For the engine, BGMSport worked with legendary Turin-based Abarth twin-charger engineers Elio and Giovanni Baldi, who rejuvenated the rare engine block and supercharger. After a rolling-road test delivered a robust 427bhp, the S4 made its public return, wowing crowds at the 2025 St James Motoring Spectacle. BGMSport’s craftsmanship ensures this remarkable Group B survivor reclaims its one-off place in rally history.

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