Ross Stow, vintage car restorer & owner of RS Vintage
I was brought up around vintage vehicles – you could say it’s in my DNA and was natural for me to have an interest in them. Even before I was born my family owned a collection and with a farming background it was probably inevitable my family grew a collection of vintage tractors. When I was just a few years old, my grandfather and father bought a Field Marshall tractor which they restored and that’s when my interest really began.
I was born in Guildford and brought up in Cranleigh. After attending Glebelands school I then went onto do an Automotive Apprenticeship at CCM in Ewhurst, through Guildford College which helped me to learn the mechanical side of things and gave me the knowledge and skills to tinker and fix my vehicles.
When I was at Primary school my father bought a 1921 Silver Ghost, a car he had wanted since a young boy. We would often take it, as a family, to various car shows and Rolls Royce meets. In many ways I didn’t need to consider purchasing cars or tractors myself as I was surrounded by the ones they had – not that it stopped me! At 14 I bought some push bikes with my own money from a garage in Park Mead, Cranleigh, for just £40. The following day I sold one of the bikes for the same amount and that ignited my interest in buying and selling and it’s all progressed from there.
I’ve always been more interested in the older, pre-war cars and especially the oily rags. They are something you don’t find every day, often come with a story and can’t be replicated. My first car was a 1962 Trojan Bubble Car which I was given by my dad at 10 years old and I still have. The first one I then bought myself was a 1960 Wolseley 1500 – it was cheap and at the time the Pre-war cars were expensive and it was all I could afford. We now have 12 Field Marshall tractors in the family as well a selection of vintage cars. It’s nice to have a private collection to use in addition to the opportunity to test drive a variety of other cars that pass through our hands via RS Vintage. For me it’s the charm of a vintage and classic car that sparks my interest. The mechanics and engineering are something you can actually tinker with – modern day cars are very different and so working on the older cars keep the skills alive.
An important part of vintage or classic car ownership is getting the opportunity to take them to shows. My great grandfather was one of the founders of the Cranleigh Show and later my grandfather and then my father ran the vintage section of the Show. The Show was always eagerly awaited, every year by the whole family. Sadly, there aren’t many other shows round here now – we used to religiously attend Rudgwick Steam Rally with a selection of tractors but it’s now a bit of a struggle to get them out locally. In more recent years we have attended The Sussex Steam Rally in Parham and hope to attend Balls Cross in September.
During Lockdown I took the decision to start my business, R S Vintage, which focuses on vintage and classic car sales, service and hire. Things had already started to naturally head in that direction but being home gave me more time to think about the logistics of what was needed to take the leap from a hobby to a business. It really made me realise it was now or never and after working at MES in Cranleigh for 11 years, I recently took the plunge to do it full time. It has been a steep learning curve but I wouldn’t say there’s been many major struggles. Everyone has good and bad days but fortunately I have the support of my family and friends around me when I need it, whether it be giving me a hand holding a spanner or offloading a shipping container from America. I like to keep a stock of about 10 – 15 cars at any one time and although varied they often include pre-war Austins and Morris. When I buy vehicles I purchase whatever takes my fancy – I always hope that if I like it, so will someone else! Recently the business has really started to grow and I now would benefit from larger premises to accommodate the ever-growing demand. Companies have begun to approach me for business and I’ve had various opportunities to showcase what I do through TV shows and magazine articles. This year we were approached to appear on Shed and Buried so Henry Cole and Fuzz Townshend came for a rummage round my shed. It was a really interesting day and nice to do something a little different. We actually ended up appearing in two episodes as a family which have both aired recently. It feels as though I’m finally starting to become an established business and receiving recognition.
There have obviously been a few lows along the way – it can be tough going sometimes and can often feel overwhelming. There are periods where we’ve accumulated a lot of vehicles requiring attention and unfortunately it all falls on my shoulders to carry out the work, making it a real headache. The extent of work a car can need really depends on how it has been found and/or stored – sometimes it’s as simple as a battery but other times it could be the engine needs unseizing and as I’m sure you can imagine it’s always more of the latter! One of our specialities is barn finds and old projects so things aren’t always plain sailing but we try to make the best of the situation regardless – some you win, some you loose and as long as you win more than you lose, then that’s ok. That’s the beauty of vintage – you can always bring it round, it might just take a little effort!
Over the years there have been a few vehicles I’ve had to sell to make way for others. At the time they were ‘just another car’ but subsequently they’ve become much more of a collector’s item and it would have been lovely to still have them in the shed either for sentimental reasons or because they are now worth a lot more money!
My advice for people who have a similar hobby and interest is to keep going! Nothing is out of reach and if you really want to achieve something, you’ll find a way. Fortunately pre-war cars have become very affordable in recent years and in some cases you can pick up a road-worthy vehicle for less than £5,000. If you have an interest and want to start to get involved go along to local shows, ask questions and see if there are local groups or people you can help. I’m really passionate about encouraging the next generation to show an interest in vintage vehicles, particularly the pre-war stuff – it’s a part of history that will disappear if we don’t keep future generations interested.
We are hoping to debut an unusual Ford Model T Tractor at the Cranleigh Classic Car show this year, amongst some other gems – come along to our stand to check it out and chat to us about ‘all things vintage vehicles’!
Ross Stow Owner of RS Vintage
