We are very lucky to work almost exclusively with Bugeye Sprites. They are iconic, lovable, simple and highly collectible. They also lend themselves to creative interpretation.
I always think of great restorations as rolling artwork. Every Bugeye we build allows us to make a new masterpiece. We have now sold 310 and probably upgraded another 50 for clients. Every one has been a unique piece of artwork. And that makes our work particularly creative and fun.
Because we are not locked into a rigid standard for restoration, this is a very creative business. Were we building E-types or 330 GTCs, we would be after a gold standard of accuracy and sameness. Sure there are exceptions, but the market for many high-end brit classics is mostly looking for everything to be “Right.” Bugeye builds offer more leeway.
That said, we have built a nationally judged gold concours car, where every last little detail had to be exactly correct (you can read about that project by clicking here). And there is a market for Bugeye accuracy, in fact, some of our customers demand correctness, and we are happy to serve them too. But more and more, it seems people want the creative personalization we provide, and our work seems to be gaining in popularity, partly because we can interpret colors and textures in multiple ways.
Why is each Bugeye so unique? Perhaps since our cars have been through the war and back, and since they were cheap, and since they were raced, un- raced, crashed and put back on the street… maybe that’s why Uncle Floyd felt entitled to paint his car purple (with paisley seats). My own Frog Gumby came with shiny teal seat covers that looked fresh out of a ’50s diner. They were so ugly, I don’t even have a photo.
Thus, all of the cars we build and transform are very personal, and very stylized. This post showcases some of my favorites. This is the art we make, and we are lucky that each car that enters our building is a new blank canvas.
