Craft Work

Thanks to the high quality of its work, Jules Bodycraft has become one of the UK’s leading Jaguar restorers. We head to its Wolverhampton premises to find out more

- Paul Walton

JULES BODYCRAFT has restored hundreds of cars in its five-decade history but one clearly stands out from the rest – a 1962 E-type roadster. Says Jules Bodycraft’s Dave Gautier, “About three years ago, we were asked to restore the car for a local family who had owned it for 30 years. It was sold to an enthusiast from Malta who had commissioned a dealer in London to find him a car. The dealer looked at dozens all over Europe until he saw this one and declared, ‘I’m going to recommend this is the one to have.’”

Dave kept in touch with the new owner who recently told him that the car had won a concours in Malta. Says Dave, “It was a big one, too – an international event with cars from all over the world attending.” The award was a well-deserved testament to this established company’s abilities.

Dave’s father, Rod, founded Jules Body craft at its current Brewood Road premises in Coven, a few miles from Wolverhampton, back in 1969 as a small body shop specialising in general crash repairs. However, as a Jaguar enthusiast, Rod tried to work on them whenever he could. “Dad always had an interest in Jaguars,” explains Dave, “and since local people knew this, he became busier and busier with them.”