Jaguar Restoration Specialists Visit Battle

Sat, Jan 20th 2024 at 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Special treat for all petrol heads

Jaguar Restoration Specialists Visit Battle -

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BEXHILL ROTARIANS OGLE JAGUARS

It was a bitterly cold day on Saturday 20 th January but it didn’t deter an eager party of Bexhill Rotarians from paying a visit to CKL Jaguar Restorations in Battle (www.ckl.co.uk).

The Rotarians were greeted by Chris Lucas, founder of the firm, who told the Rotarians that he started his career with Lynx Engineering in St. Leonards but, approaching his fifties, decided to set up a specialist Jaguar restoration outfit on his own. His reputation for top quality restoration meant he had plenty of customers knocking on his door so much so that he outgrew his premises on a farm near Woods Corner, Dallington in the wilds of East Sussex. After taking on a partner, Chris moved the business to its current site which had for 500 years previously been producing charcoal, which meant that the premises had to be adapted somewhat for its new use!

Chris showed the Rotarians around giving them an outline of the history of the firm and explaining that around half the company is lovingly restoring Jaguar racing cars, from the 1950’s onwards, for their owners. The cars are taken to circuits both in Britain and overseas for the owners to race, and the company provides a full package of care and transport for the vehicles. The other half of the operation, Chris Lucas explained, is restoration of cars, some have been in accidents and some are just suffering from old age.

The visiting Rotarians were really impressed and amazed by the variety of skills used and drooled over the host of cars that were being worked on, as well as seeing some spectacular Jaguars from a bygone age which had been transformed back to their former glory.

At the end of their visit, Bexhill Rotary President James Slinn thanked Chris Lucas and his expert team for their kind hospitality on what was a memorable visit.