Company Profile and History

The Beginning - 1993

Gavin King is a Jaguar specialist originally from the Northern Beaches of Sydney and later the Central Coast of NSW. Gavin’s passion for motor mechanics came from racing motocross during his teenage years which included maintaining and modifying motocross bikes in the family garage along with buying, repairing and selling on other bikes as a way of funding the racing.

Gavin then served the first 3 years of his motor mechanic apprenticeship as a Jaguar mechanic at an independent Jaguar specialist in Brookvale, working on models ranging from near new XJ’s and XJS models, to restoring the mechanicals of classics such as E Type’s, XK’s and MKII’s. In search of experience in other models, Gavin then moved to finish his final year at another specialist workshop in Brookvale, focusing on Aston Martins.

In the final years of his apprenticeship, Gavin worked after hours and weekends rebuilding a damaged Ferrari 365GT4 2+2 and a 308 GTS for a Ferrari enthusiast and also working for a restoration company specialising in restoring E Type Jaguars. With all of this experience on board at such a young age (21), and getting a taste of the restoration business, Gavin made the bold move of opening his own restoration company specialising in the cars he loves; Jaguars – specifically XKs and E Types, and Aston Martins.

Concours Sportscar Restoration was founded in 1993. Gavin joined the Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia in 1992 and purchased his first Jaguar, a 3.8 MKII which he still has today. Gavin’s passion for excellence has seen him regarded worldwide as an authority on restoration of XK and E Type Jaguars, contributing to restoration bibles such as Original Jaguar XK by Philip Porter. Sir Stirling Moss, after driving a C Type recreation built by Gavin and his team at Le Mans historic meeting in 2003, proclaimed the car is just as I remembered a C to be – but if I had that power in 1953 no one would have seen which way we went!

After restoring XK120 roadster chassis 661123 from a derelict barn find into a multi concours winner, Australian Classic Car Magazine named the car their Classic Car of the Year in 2010, describing the car as close to perfection as one could imagine.

Concours Sportscar Restoration (CSR) is a family owned Restoration Company based on the Central Coast of NSW. Established in 1993, our team of specialists are dedicated to the highest possible quality of preservation and restoration of Britain's finest marques, Jaguar and Aston Martin.

The very first XK restored by CSR, a black XK150S roadster T832078DN, was runner up at the first ever Concours D'Elegance we had entered, the 1994 Jaguar National Concours D'elegance held in Tasmania. From there the car won OUTRIGHT at the 1994 CVVTMC Club Champions Concours (Sydney), the 1994 Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia State Concours (Sydney), the 1994 Darling Harbour Concours (Sydney), the 1995 Australian Concours D'Elegance (Gold Coast) and was runner up at the 1995 Jaguar National Concours D'elegance (Brisbane), the 1995 Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia State Concours (Sydney) and the 1996 Jaguar National Concours D'Elegance (Canberra).

Rapid Growth and Concour Success Through The 1990's

In 1996, the business had grown to the extent that a move into much larger premises in Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale, was necessary. The staff level grew to 10 and typically 30 vehicles were being worked on at any given time. The next 6 years at these premises saw many classic vehicles, primarily Jaguars restored for customers from every corner of the country. Many more Concours D'Elegance successes followed. especially with our most successful during the 1990's, a pearl grey  XK140DHC S817715. This car won every Concours D'Elegance event it was entered in OUTRIGHT, including the 1995 Jaguar National Concours D' Elegance (Brisbane), the 1995 Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia State Concours D'Elegance (Sydney), the 1995 CVVTMC Club Champions Concours (Sydney), the 1995 Sydney Motor Show Concours D'Elegance, the 1996 Australian Concours D' Elegance (Gold Coast) and finally the 1996 Jaguar National Concours D'Elegance (Canberra).

In 1999, the team was asked to build an exact replica of the classic Jaguar racer, the C Type. We have built 7 to date and they have received worldwide acclaim.

 

Big Changes Through The 2000's and More Concours D'Elegance Success

In 2003 a big decision was made to move the entire business to the Central Coast of NSW, just a one-hour drive north of Sydney. The business still operated the same but with a lower, more specific, staff level in larger more strategically laid out premises. More special Concours D'Elegance wins have followed with an Aston Martin Lagonda restored by the team winning the 2008 AMOC Concour OUTRIGHT and a rare RHD XK140 roadster S800040 winning every concour it entered OUTRIGHT, including the 2004 Jaguar National Concour D'Elegance (Canberra).

 

As we clicked over into 2010, the restoration side of the business continued on as busy as ever but now including a number of vehicles being shipped to us from overseas to be restored and then returned. The Recreation side of the business expanded from the C Type’s to now include recreations of the Lightweight E Type and Low Drag Coupe version. Then we added an alloy body version of the XK120 and XK140 roadster which hails back to the early Jaguar racing days.
Expansion to include a new bodywork section at the rear of the existing factory and the addition of a mezzanine level has allowed for staff levels to increase to cater for the increased demand.

CSR is a well-established business and recognised worldwide as one of the finest restorers of classic Jaguars and Aston Martins, a reputation that has taken years to develop and one that we strive to uphold. Our uncompromised policy of performing only 1st class repairs ensures that any car we restore will be a joy to own and drive for many years to come whilst retaining the highest possible value.

No matter which corner of the globe you are viewing our website from, CSR is a very real option to have your classic Jaguar dream realised. We have the necessary experience in freighting special vehicles from and to anywhere in the world, the exchange rate is very favourable against all foreign currencies and the Australian labour rate is very favourable against those in Europe and the United States. And, most importantly, our quality is second to none! Please enjoy browsing through our website, have a read of the testimonials from our satisfied customers and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Gavin to discuss finding you your dream classic, restoring your special car or building you a C Type, Lightweight E Type or Low Drag Coupe.