Awards and Loans

Young Preservationist of the year - Alfie Pike

Alfie Pike has built an Austin 7 Special. The Pikes are an old-car family.  His grandfather was a Bentley restorer and father has an Austin 7 which Alfie revived during the Covid pandemic.

At the end of 2024 he bought a rolling Austin 7 chassis. His grandfather’s death at the beginning of 2025 halted work until Alfie decided the best way to remember his grandfather was to get started again using grandfather’s tools, and doing the work in grandfather’s garage. 

The two-seater was finished earlier this year and in March it passed its MOT and he got an age-related number from DVLA. 

Since March, he has rebuilt the engine twice and completely rebuilt the rear axle. 

When he left school, he secured an apprenticeship with a restoration firm at Bicester Heritage but the company stopped their apprenticeships because of the minimum wage increase. 

Fortunately Alfie has now secured a job with a local garage, who were impressed with the build quality of his Austin.  It is not vintage or classic car work, but none the less it is good experience and an independent endorsement of his work. 

Young Preservationist of the year - Jimmy Ring

Jimmy Ring had just turned 16 when his Grandparents presented him with  his first military vehicle restoration project,  a 1941 Ford Jeep. Jimmy was no stranger to getting his hands dirty having learned his fabrication and welding skills from his father. 

This Jeep, “16455” was found by a French dealer in military vehicles in the late 70’s residing in the South of France and was retrieved to his yard in Paris.

Jimmy’s Grandfather had seen the Jeep there in the early 80’s and bought her back to the UK for safe keeping, 

He started the restoration process in 2017 and completed it in 2023.  As with all restoration projects he is still learning and tweaking the finer details but the Ring family is very happy with the Jeep having already completed tours of Arnhem and the Bastogne Winter Rally.

Jimmy's Jeep was 1 of 150  ordered in 1941. They were delivered in knocked-down form in February 1942 and were assembled by the Bristol Tramworks Co.

On completion of the GP Jeep, Jimmy went on to gain an apprenticeship with Jim Stokes Workshops (JSW) in Waterlooville, Hampshire forging his career in classic car restoration whilst attending Bicester Heritage Skills Academy.