This summer is very special for us here at Classic Retrofit, as it marks a decade in business, supplying our innovative products to further the enjoyment of classic cars for enthusiasts. To kick off our tenth birthday celebrations, we welcomed the 9WERKS cameras to East Sussex to take a look behind the scenes at Classic Retrofit HQ, meet the people, and see the products which have shaped our business over the last decade.
First, Jonny and Matt sat down with Lee from 9WERKS to record a special 9WERKS Radio podcast, reflecting on some of our highlights and significant events in the Classic Retrofit story since our beginning back in 2015. Our discussion also included evolution of the wider restomod movement in that same time frame – a nod to our many friends and partners in the high-end ‘reimagining’ world who use our products, such as our electric A/C solution. These were just some of the many topics covered in our wide-ranging conversation, and we hope you’ll enjoy the listen.
“Time passes so quickly, and when you’re moving as fast as we do at Classic Retrofit, it’s rare that we get a chance to reflect. But, with ten years on the clock, it’s only right that we do just that,” Jonny said on the company’s ten-year birthday.
“From the early days, starting out with a blank sheet of paper (or rather an un-modified 911 SC) and operating out of my garage on my own, to the present day, still based in East Sussex but now in our own HQ, has been quite a journey. In that time we’ve put 2,000 A/C systems in clients’ cars, gained a raft of high-profile clients across the globe, a team of designers and engineers, and integrated all the functions a fast-moving and growing business needs.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure talking to 9WERKS about Classic Retrofit’s development, and how our journey relates to the changes in the Porsche world. It was great to talk about our business clients and the classic car market – so much has happened in the last decade! But we’d like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to every one of our customers who have been on the journey with us throughout those ten years and supported us, whether it was with a purchase of a CDi, A/C system, or even a 993 spoiler gearbox.”
Afterwards, Jonny slid Lee the keys to his prized Porsche 911 SC which, fittingly, has also served as Classic Retrofit’s test and development vehicle for the company’s products over the last ten years. Lee headed out into the Sussex countryside and documented his drive for 9WERKS TV, studying how our raft of products increases the bandwidth of usability of a classic Porsche.
In its current form Jonny’s SC is lavished with our Classic Retrofit fuse panel, CDi ignition, electric A/C, as well as our soon-to-be-released electric heat pump, alongside a host of subtle yet trick mods and upgrades. There are far too many for us to list here, but Lee has covered them in detail in his drive video which you can see HERE
“Both mine and Jonny's relationship with 9WERKS stretches back over many years, professionally and personally, so we jumped at the chance to feature our 911 SC – our development mule, company car, and top performing salesperson,” Matt said afterwards. “Lee really captured the essence of what that car is all about, and how our A/C system is a part of that. We really enjoyed it and we hope you do too!”
Our double header with 9WERKS is just the start: we’re proud of our history and the positive impact we’ve had on enthusiasts’ enjoyment of their classic cars in that time, and will be showcasing this further as we work with further friends in the media field and events sphere in the coming months.