Funny how things happen. My grandfather was apprenticed to a cabinet maker in the early 1900s and took those skills straight into the Motor Trade, becoming a coachbuilder at Mulliners Ltd of Birmingham. He finished his career in 1976 as an inspector at the end of the Jensen Interceptor line in West Bromwich. Me, I inherited his enthusiasm for cars and engineering but, it would seem, none of his natural, innate skills. He was ambidextrous with hand tools, could write with both hands, could work wood, metal and leather, fix anything in an era when you had to. Me, I became a radio and TV presenter and spent thirty years commenting on other people’s efforts in the auto world. But the Motor Trade was in my blood and that is what binds us to The Smallest Cog.

For Neil, there’s a very particular feeling when he’s turned something tired and overlooked into something special and worthy of admiration. And that feeling was first sparked as he finished restoring the paint on his dad’s Zephyr MkIV by the side of the road at home in Hereford at the age of 6. He liked that feeling. And it drove him on to a career spanning four decades. He learned direct from those who had gone before, honing skills as a fabricator, welder, painter and mechanic. Taking something unloved and neglected and bringing it back to life still sparks that feeling.

One hope the family stood of escaping the motor industry lay with Anthony, Neil’s son. Yes, he wanted to go into the Motor Trade but Neil banned him, told him to get a proper job. So as a dutiful son, he did. As he slumped off for his first day in his proper job, Anthony was stopped by Neil. ‘You don’t want to do this son, do you?’ ‘Nope’.

‘You want to work in the motor trade, don’t you.”‘Yep.’

Sigh. ‘Well if you’re going to work in the motor trade, you’re going to college.’

And he did. Three years of City and Guilds followed and then two decades working alongside his father. His first love is for the tool chest and the ramps but the paint shop and welding bench lure him with their siren call and as each year passes he finds it harder to resist.

Jamie brings over 25 years of experience in the motor trade, specialising in bodywork and paint. With a reputation for working on everything from budget to luxury vehicles, he is known for his high standards and sharp attention to detail. After managing a large team in his previous role, Jamie has joined The Smallest Cog as the Workshop Manager. He aims to ‘steer’ the workshop towards greater profitability and success.

Isaac is the youngest member of the team. He’s the youngest member of any team; he was born twenty minutes before you read this. But youth, it seems, is no protection when you’re doomed to the Motor Trade. His first job was to restore the engine on the family’s lawnmower when he was seven. Poor kid never stood a chance. He blagged a job at a local workshop, shadowing their mechanics and painters and quietly borrowing their tools to restore his own Ford Ka rally car. He was already too far gone when we found him and sealed his fate. After all, The Beast needs new blood.