ACE OF DIAMONDS

Running a bodywork repair and restoration business certainly has its advantages, especially if you’ve just lined yourself up with a project Mini. Fortunately for Simon Smedley, working in the trade meant he could really go to town transforming this 1995 Rover Mini Cooper into the immaculate street racer it is today.

53-year-old Simon is no stranger to cars of the older variety; through his business he’s restored numerous classics with the help of his talented team. He’s also repaired more accident-damaged modern cars than he’d care to remember, though that fascination with cars stems from his childhood years. “From a young age I spent many hours with my dad, George, tinkering with cars in his garage,” he remembers. “We’d often visit breakers yards searching for parts to fix them.” Leavingschoolin1984, Simon trained to become a motor mechanic and his first placement would be at a Ford