Who We Are

We are enthusiast owned and run and everything we do is for the love of the cars.

Because we own and run classics ourselves, we understand what our clients expect and strive to deliver. Our founders are father and son team Gerald and James Russell, a chartered accountant and a solicitor respectively. They worked on many cars together before founding the business in 2012. As hands-on classic car owners with a wealth of business experience they have been, and remain, closely involved with all aspects of the business.

Our manager, Jordan, who is a very experienced technician on modern cars, was a later convert to classic cars. Now, the older the better in Jordan’s view. Jordan particularly enjoys our pre-war cars and has gained extensive knowledge of these grand old dukes and dames. Jordan manages the team, looks after our customer relationships, chases difficult parts and generally finds solutions to whatever a project may throw at him.

Our most senior technician is Richard Sheppard, who is probably one of the most experienced classic car technicians in the country – he fixed a number of traditional British classics when they were still under warranty from new. Shep has been around so long he’s a bit of a classic himself! With extensive experience on vintage and veteran vehicles dating back to the first days of motoring, Shep also worked at an independent Ferrari specialist for a number of years and has extensive race-prep experience. Shep loves a challenge and no job is too daunting.

Shep is ably assisted by foreman Paul Smith and technicians Adam and Andrzej. Paul has over 30 years’ experience as a vehicle technician and is passionate about classic cars. Outside work he is nearing the completion of a concourse restoration of a 1963 Mk 1 Spitfire, which was also his first car. He also has significant experience with younger and future classics, including cars from the 80s and 90s. Adam – another car nut who has personally restored a VW Camper and a Honda Civic – is our fabrication specialist and his metalwork skills are second to none. Andrzej has good experience across a range of classic vehicles, with extensive experience on classic Minis, having worked at a specialist restorer for a number of years. Classic minis are therefore something of a specialism.

A different approach

When we founded Charles Russell Classic Cars we identified a gap in the market between one-man bands, often operating out of obscure locations with long and uncertain waiting lists on the one hand, and overly commercial “open cheque book” restorers with huge overheads and charges on the other. There was nowhere offering a one-stop service for everything from an oil change and MOT to an engine rebuild where classic owners could obtain the same service as modern car owners enjoy, from people who really know these cars.

We concluded that a full garage service at affordable prices, as these vehicles would have enjoyed when new, was lacking and we took the plunge to fill that gap. The doors opened at The Motor Garage nearly a decade ago and the rest is history. We have grown by reputation and word of mouth and now look after cars all over the south of England, and beyond. The classic side of the business outgrew the original premises over time and the decision was taken to expand the team and move CRCC into new, dedicated, facilities a stone’s throw from the original garage (where customer reception is located) in 2023.