New centre for heritage vehicle skills motors ahead

Work to create a ground-breaking destination heritage vehicle centre in a former Rolls-Royce factory building is moving at pace.

Last year, Great Northern Classics announced it was creating the one-stop centre for heritage vehicles at the former Rolls-Royce Light Alloys site, in Osmaston Road, after receiving support from Derby City Council.

Now, work has begun to transform the buildings, which will eventually house specialist workshops, secure car storage, a range of year-round event spaces, a cafe and a training school.

Recently, Marketing Derby was invited to an exclusive press preview to get an insight into Great Northern Classics’ plans for the building.

Work to transform the building is currently moving at pace – with the installation of a publicly accessible mezzanine floor in progress.

At the preview event, a selection of historic vehicles and motorcycles were on display to help visitors visualise the completed project.

Great Northern Classics was founded by Shaun Matthews with co-founders Mike Copestake, Rob Jones and Derek Latham.

The idea to create Great Northern Classics stemmed from Shaun’s concern about the potential for heritage skills to become extinct.

He said: “Many of the specialists are in their 60s and 70s and this has implications for the future of heritage vehicles.

“I’m a time-served engineer and have benefited from a hands-on, broad-based apprenticeship.

“Today, heritage engineering and mechanical skills are dying off but the industry and collectors depend on them, which is why I felt compelled to do something about it. ”

His solution is Great Northern Classics, which puts heritage and – more specifically – the preservation of heritage, at its heart.

To help nurture the next generation of engineers, Great Northern Classics is offering a new apprenticeship scheme whereby young people train in a suite of specialist skills rather than focusing on one.

The first cohort of the scheme will start the apprenticeship in 2024.

Derek said: “Apprentices will spend time with all the specialists in the building.

“This not only provides support for the specialists but also enables them to pass on their skills to the next generation.”

Heritage oozes from the walls of the Great Northern Classics site.

It was once home to Eastwood & Swingler Ltd, Derby Corporation’s trolley bus and tram depot and later, Rolls-Royce.

Throughout its history, the premises have hosted some of the most significant engineering projects of the last two centuries.

These include beams for Sydney Harbour Bridge, railways in Japan and India and the Bennerley Viaduct.

And during Rolls-Royce’s tenure, it was home to some of the many engineering techniques that enabled the production of the jet engine.

Shaun said he was thrilled that work had now finally started to create the centre.

He said: “I can’t believe it’s finally happening. It is extremely exciting to know that we are a step nearer to providing a solution to securing the future preservation of heritage vehicles.

“It is also very exciting to think that by the end of the year we will have a range of specialists, a cafe, an event space for weddings, press launches and club events as well as various other attractions on site.”