Sadly, the age of master craftsmen and women are coming to an end.
Trades like blacksmithing and glassblowing are being reduced to artist avenues rather than practical application; as automation replaces human hands, it removes the finer beauty of a craft that made it intrinsically...human.
I know I’m sounding a little too ‘boo-hoo’ about systems that make our lives and the means of producing materials easier. I should remember that I’m writing this from a laptop and not an early 18th-century printing press (which is also a cool craft that has been lost in time!!) and thanks to automation we have sweet movies like Terminator 2.
But, while modernization means thousands of cars can be built every day, it also muscles out a century-old profession: coachbuilding.
Back in ‘ye olde days’ a buyer would take a rolling chassis (which could be purchased directly from some manufacturers) to a coachbuilding company. Working with the coachbuilders, customers would customize their new car as far as their budget and imagination could take them. The resulting incredible machines meant that the mid-1930’s onward were awash with unique designs and handbuilt ingenuity.
As automobile regulations and standards evolved, coachbuilding became more and more difficult. Cars that had their bodies built into the chassis provided smoother rides and were safer than their older counterparts, but made customization much more difficult. Having the money to have a car built, having the time to build one, and finding a proper coachbuilding shop was for the wealthy. As coachbuilding for the masses dwindled into history, so did the masters.
Of course, the art of customizing cars never died. Human imagination and creativity made sure of that. And, as long as those two aspects of humanity survive, so will the market for masters who can turn imagination into reality.
Jim Simpson is such a modern day master, and his craft is very close to my heart. His Whidbey Island company converts Mazda Miatas into beautiful Italian-influenced machines built to thrill in old-fashioned brilliance. Can you tell I’m a little bias?
Since 1978 Jim has been customizing, building, and designing cars from all over the world. His experience as a Ferrari mechanic and designer at Mazda provides him with an eye for design very few other people have. In fact, it was just one line on the body of his wife’s Miata that inspired him to the build his first Daytona Spyder prototype.
His fiberglass creations do not flaunt the typical ‘kit car’ flavor that many are familiar with. Rather, the conversion is much deeper and the results hardly resemble the car that it started out as. The process starts with discussing the desires of the customer. The Miata is, according to myself and Jim, one of the greatest sports cars because of how it makes you feel; the sensations that transfer from the car to between your ears reveals itself via smiles. Many, many smiles. Jim’s goal is to provide customers with an even more enhanced sense of driveability and passion, which is clearly shown in the extreme level of detail in his cars.
After drawings have been completed and a design is agreed upon, Jim builds replica models of the car-to-be. Miatas are tiny, but these will fit in your hand. They provide a physical representation of what the car will look like when completed, rather than trying to visualize through 2-D drawings.
Next, Jim takes the ‘donor’ car (any model Miata except the newest ND car) and strips it of almost everything other than the motor, transmission, and chassis. Body panels? Gone. Interior? Not here. Quite unlike the plug-and-play of kit cars, his modifications replace the original body panels and factory interior.
He then shapes steel into the forms that the new fiberglass body will take. Building the ‘plug’ as it’s called, is the most time consuming part of the four-to-six-week build. However, when the fiberglass panels are completed, the assembly of the new car goes quickly. The interior, trim, and paint are then all done to the customer’s wishes.
What would your dream interior look like? Courtesy of Simpson Design.
At the end of the build, a strong, taunt, well-built Miata that now looks like a bedroom-wall poster has replaced the Japanese convertible. The process took days, a trained hand, patience, and creativity - it is truly a piece of art. His cars have been sold all over the world, including as far as Asia and the Middle East.
The smell of leather, the gorgeous lines of the body, the stainless steel exhaust pipes barking and the feel of a classic wood steering wheel; masters of the craft like Jim create art that electrifies all of the senses, minus taste. Don’t lick your car. But these creations may be for an earlier generation. Jim used to offer kits, but the market has almost completely died. Perhaps most people no longer have the dedication or patience to undergo such a large project.
The Swift. In Jim’s words, the two-seater lacks a roof and complicated interior; it is truly a classic racer for the road. Courtesy of Simpson Design.
Thankfully, there is no sign of Jim slowing down. His message to drivers everywhere: “Enjoy the experience. Enjoy the car.” The utilitarian attitude is fine, but Jim’s cars like the Swift can be so much more than a means of getting from A to B; they can evoke emotion. Jim and coachbuilders like him are proof that cars can be just as beautiful and unique as the imagination that dreamt up the design in the first place.