My Passion with Liam Kettlewell: The love of classic British cars has proved a driving ambition

Liam Kettlewell, project manager at Britool Expert, part of the Stanley Black and Decker group in Sheffield, talks about his love for the classic British motor car

I've always had an interest in the classic British motor car, but it didn't really develop into a passion until my mid-20s when I met my wife Jessica.

Her father, Noel, has three Jowett cars which coincidentally were manufactured in Bradford – the town of my birth and still pretty local to where my own father lives. Obviously knowing someone quite well who had classic cars pricked my interest and got me more interested in them as a whole.

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I immediately fell in love with the sophisticated design of the Jowett and from then on, have always been a lover of the classic British motor car.

My passion now stretches further than Jowetts, though I think the fact they were made in Bradford will always mean they are pretty close to my heart.

The first classic car event I went to was a Jowett Rally at Castle Howard, near where I live in York and I was amazed by the number of classic cars there – all so well maintained. You could see how much time the owners had not only spent working on the car, but also using the car as a hobby.

But most of all I was impressed by the way they look, with a sleek and perfectly formed design. That was my first event and I've been hooked ever since, attending events with and without my father-in-law and maintaining my interest.

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We even used a Jowett to take myself and my best man to the church for my wedding, with my father-in-law's Jowett Jupiter dressed and also part of the procession; it fitted in perfectly.

I drive a BMW 3 Series at the moment although I don't yet own my own classic car. I currently have my eye on a 1961 Healy Sprite Frog-eye right now and just have to convince my wife it would be a good addition to the family. I'd love to have a fun car for the weekends, which would be a great opportunity to use my vast collection of Britool tools on the car to meet the Concours d'Elegance criteria in terms of the standard and presentation of prestigious cars.

My interest spans from a love of all things British with a particular interest in cars, rail and engineering. I find that the story of the British car industry itself is fascinating from the beginning in the early 1900s, through the wars and post war era. How the technology and capabilities developed is just amazing.

I also see my passion for classic cars as a good opportunity to strengthen my knowledge within my professional life and actually using some of the great tools I work with everyday to maintain and improve my hobby.

The interest in cars also appears to be multi-generational, with my son, Oliver, becoming a Jowett Junior, attending the car meet events and transport museums with me and his mum.

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