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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!
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.
Concours Sportscar Restoration decade by decade.
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.
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).
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. E Type values and popularity soared which was great news for us! During this decade we restored many E Type’s, some went on to win numerous concours d’elegance events, some were upgraded for regular use and some were destined for the race track. The white flat floor roadster that we found in a farm shed and restored to factory original specifications, won the 2018 Jaguar Drivers Club of Australia concours d’elegance outright, then it won is class at Australia’s Premier concours d’elegance - Motorclassica. Then finally, in March 2019, it took out the Jaguar National title.
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.
