On the 21st of July 2021, some of the world’s greatest classic automotive minds met at a symposium in Bucharest to address the growing issue of skills shortages in the world future classic car restorations.
Supported by FIVA (the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens), the goal of the meeting was to explore future classic car restorations and to put in place steps to preserve this fine art, as well as the skills required to keep classic cars on the road in the condition that they deserve. FIVA is the worldwide organisation dedicated to the protection, preservation, and promotion of historic vehicles and related culture and has been a non-governmental partner of UNESCO since 2017.
“It’s high time we talked about restoration and worked together to create opportunities, share experience, exchange ideas and address challenges better. We are honoured that these leading figures have agreed to share their knowledge – and we aim for this symposium to be the first of many,” said Gabriela Măgureanu, President of Retromobil Club Romania who were the hosts of the event.
A panel of speakers described their passion for vehicles of the past, their concerns for the future, and the opportunities beginning to emerge to guests from 10 countries, as well as an online audience of thousands around the globe.
It would appear that a lack of skilled labour means demand is outstripping supply for future classic car restorations, and some car enthusiasts are waiting three years for work to begin on their beloved classics as noted by Stéphane Guarato and Arthur Morault who run the Conservatoire National des Véhicules Anciens near Paris. Interestingly, they’ve noticed that there’s an increasing gap between the skills needed for modern car repairs and those needed for historic restoration, this, alongside the lack of ‘young blood’ in the industry. Of their current 150 students, half of them are roughly 60 years old.
Collège La Cité in Ottawa, Canada aims to attract young people to the art of historic vehicle restoration, from September 2022. The two-year course will offer an international approach focusing on global recruitment, work placements and collaborations with restoration shops, museums, collectors, auction houses, clubs, associations and of course, the automotive media. The principal advisor for the programme, Michel Lamoureux, fears that the next generation of fledgling restoration specialists remains alarmingly small, given the urgent need for their skills in a worldwide industry worth billions of dollars.
With many local specialists in South Africa run by well-known veterans of the industry, we wonder if the same affliction is set to befall local classic car restoration. Only time will tell, but it’s great to see that the issue has been noticed and that there is a society of concerned people dedicated to finding a solution, one way or another.