My Time at Bob Houghton Ltd — Where the Standard Was Set

Before Elite Motorworks, I spent over three years working at Bob Houghton Ltd — and it's an experience that shaped everything about how I approach my work today. Not many mechanics get the opportunity to spend their working days surrounded by some of the most significant, most valuable, and most historically important cars ever built. I was one of the lucky ones.

The Cars

The variety and calibre of vehicles coming through the workshop was genuinely extraordinary. Day to day, the work involved cars that most people only ever see in museums or on the pages of a magazine:

Historic Race Cars

Among the most memorable work was looking after historic race cars — vehicles that hadn't just sat in collections, but had actually competed at some of motorsport's most iconic events, including the Mille Miglia and Le Mans. These are cars with provenance, history, and a story behind every mark on them. Working on them demands a level of care and respect that goes well beyond standard mechanical work.

Celebrity Clients & Serious Collectors

The clientele at Bob Houghton Ltd included celebrity clients and well-known collectors — people who had invested significantly in their cars and expected nothing less than perfection. There is no room for shortcuts when the person handing you their keys owns a 250 GTO. Every job, no matter how routine, was carried out to the same exacting standard.

What It Taught Me

Working in that environment for over three years instils something that stays with you. It's not just the technical skills — it's the mindset. The understanding that every vehicle deserves your full attention. That detail matters. That doing it properly the first time is never optional. That the person trusting you with their car — whether it's a 250 GTO or a family hatchback — deserves the same level of care and honesty.

That's what I carry with me into every job I do today at Elite Motorworks. The cars are different, the setting has changed, but the standard hasn't.