Crosthwaite and Gardiner Visit

The 96 Club Enjoyed a Superb Day ay Crosthwaite and Gardiner

A large group of 96 Club members and friends gathered at TIGOSE member Crosthwaite and Gardiner’s works in Buxted, Surrey, on May 19th, where they were treated to a guided tour of the various workshops and had the opportunity to see some very special racing engines and cars being built and fettled.

As their website tells us, Crosthwaite and Gardiner was founded in 1969 and “is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of parts to the historic motor racing industry. ” Led by Father and Son directors, Dick and Ollie Crosthwaite, the company has a wealth of knowledge and experience in producing parts for some of the most famous and important racing cars the world has ever seen.

We had an excellent time, summed up by the quotes below from two of our number

One of the visitors, Perry Olds, said:

“I was very impressed to be shown around by the boss, Ollie Crosthwaite, who was great at answering questions and is clearly as passionate about pure bred machines as his father. The Silver Arrows in build were sensational, the modern equipment and attention to detail was impressive but I was also pleased to see lots of old dusty mechanical bits and pieces all over the place like an old school workshop should have too!”

One of the Workshops

Jeff Sargeant, another member of the 96 Club enthused:

“Our hosts could not have been more welcoming; everything was well organised from the coffee and biscuits on arrival, to the most comprehensive and informative tour of their facilities, which were truly impressive.

We were blown away by the excellence of the engineering on display and it was fascinating to see such an amazing mix of ‘old fashioned smocks and spanners’ with years of knowledge and experience, sitting so comfortably side by side with the very latest computerised technology. 

There were so many highlights such as the building of the Mercedes without the benefit of the original drawings and the Maserati engine rebuilds on the first floor. All in all it was a truly memorable experience.”

So, a big thank you to Ollie and all at Crosthwaite and Gardiner. We had a fantastic day.

Refreshments, anyone?