Our Story
Classic Is Key is the insider’s guide to extraordinary classic car experiences, trusted specialists, and lifestyle essentials – featuring opportunities most enthusiasts never discover.
Classic Is Key was born from love, loss, and a deep respect for the passion that drives the classic car community.
My late husband was a master craftsman who specialised in classic Series Land Rovers. He didn’t just restore them – he reimagined them. After painstakingly reverse-engineering Land Rover bulkheads, he created components that honoured the original design while meeting the exacting standards modern restorers demand. I watched him work with precision and pride, building each piece by hand in his workshop.
When he suddenly passed away, I tried to continue his work through a partnership with another company. It didn’t work out the way I’d hoped, and I lost access to the business we’d built together.
That difficult experience taught me something important: small businesses and individual craftsmen in the classic car world need advocates. They need someone to shine a light on their work, to connect them with enthusiasts who will value their expertise.
I realised I didn’t need to be the one welding bulkheads or rebuilding engines. What I could do – what I wish someone had done for us – was tell people where to find the passionate specialists, the unforgettable experiences, the insider opportunities that most enthusiasts never hear about.
What We Uncover
Classic Is Key reveals the experiences and resources that exist behind the scenes of the classic car world – the ones that require connections, research, or simply knowing the right person to ask.
Extraordinary Experiences
From helicopter arrivals at historic circuits to passenger rides in veteran cars on the London-Brighton run. Weekend drives in hand-built Morgan’s to private museum tours. The bucket-list adventures most people don’t know you can book.
Trusted Specialists
The restoration garages that do exceptional work without the celebrity markup. The craftsmen (like my husband was) who still build components by hand. The mechanics who treat your classic like their own.
Insider Access
Behind-the-scenes workshop tours. Track day experiences that aren’t advertised publicly. Private collections you can actually visit. The opportunities reserved for those “in the know.”
Lifestyle Essentials
The watches that actual drivers wear. The accessories that honour craftsmanship. The gifts that make enthusiasts say “where did you FIND this?”
Why Trust This Guide
I’m honest about what I am and what I’m not.
I’m not a mechanic. I can’t teach you how to rebuild a gearbox or weld a chassis. Although I know how to build Series 1, 2 and 3 Land Rover bulkheads!
What I am is someone who spent years alongside the classic car world, learning which questions to ask, which details matter, and – most importantly – how to recognise quality and authenticity.
My son has since joined the Bicester Heritage Skills Academy, learning the traditional craftsmanship his father valued so deeply. Between my husband’s legacy and my son’s education, I’ve developed connections and insights into parts of the classic car world that most enthusiasts never access.
That’s what this guide offers: Insider knowledge made accessible.
Our Mission
Uncover Hidden Opportunities
Most classic car experiences aren’t advertised. They require knowing the right person, asking the right question, or simply understanding that they exist. We do that research so you don’t have to.
Champion True Craftsmen
Highlight the specialists, the family-run operations, the artisans who prioritise quality over marketing. They deserve customers who value what they do.
Serve All Enthusiasts
Whether you’re restoring a classic or just want to drive one for a weekend. Whether you have £500 or £5,000 to spend. Whether you know a camshaft from a crankshaft or simply love the way these cars look and sound. There’s a place for you here.
Cut Through the Noise
There are thousands of classic car “experiences” online. We feature only the exceptional ones – the opportunities that create stories you’ll tell for years.
How This Works
We partner with experience providers, restoration specialists, tour operators, and lifestyle brands who meet our standards: Exceptional quality, authentic passion, and genuine respect for the classic car community.
Full Transparency: Some links on this site are affiliate partnerships, meaning we earn a commission when you book or purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. This is how we fund the research, the phone calls, the connections that make this insider’s guide possible.
We only feature businesses and experiences we genuinely believe are extraordinary – the kind we wish existed when my husband was building his business, the kind I’d recommend to my own son.
What’s Coming: December 2025
“The Ultimate Classic Car Experience Guide”
A curated collection of 25 extraordinary gifts and adventures – from helicopter arrivals at Brooklands to factory visits and weekend drives. Experiences that exist but aren’t easy to find. Opportunities that create memories, not just moments.
This isn’t a list of the “top 25 track days” you could Google yourself. These are the insider experiences: the passenger ride on a veteran car run, the private museum after-hours, the commissioned artwork from the artist who paints for collectors.
Subscribe now to our newsletter and be notified when it launches!
Get In Touch
For Experience Providers & Specialists:
If you offer something exceptional that deserves wider recognition, contact us at [email protected] – we’re always looking for hidden gems to feature.
For Enthusiasts:
Questions about an experience or service? Need help finding something specific? We’re here: Contact Us
Debbie Halley, Founder of Classic Is Key
Disclosure:
Please note that some links on this website are affiliate links. When you purchase or book through our links, we earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps us continue uncovering and sharing insider opportunities.
