After this brief historical context and visual introduction it’s time to introduce the players.
Colin Howard’s history of skinned knuckles and grease darkened hands began when his Dad brought him into the family hobby of restoring British Motorcycles. He was 10 when recruited for this in the garage apprenticeship. Three years later the family set-sail from the UK, so to speak, for New Zealand. Continuing on with the sweat and wrenches apprenticeship, Colin completed his first solo project restoring a 650 BSA. Rectifying the mistakes, I mean restoring to 1984 standards this 14 or so year old BSA was so well received he was accepted to a 4 year automotive mechanical apprenticeship program in the family’s new home of Auckland. After completing this ‘A’ level program, his new path took a decidedly Kiwi turn when he was invited to join Phil Kerr’s McLaren Group in Auckland. At the time the McLaren Group NZ was a specialist automotive engineering firm, whose chassis and engine specialist were building on the competition traditions established by Bruce McLaren and Phil when they established the original team. Struck by desire for the Grand Tour, Colin and new partner in crime Jane boarded a plane for Southeast Asia and continued on a three continent tour, landing in London. The relationship having survived the Kerouac road trip, commitment followed as did the requirement of gainful employment. The later was fulfilled when Colin was invited to join Paul Grist at his Traction Seabert operation. This moved Colin’s fabrication and machining experience from the 1960s and 50s to the 1930s of Alfa Romeo 8C 2300s, 8C35s & 6Cs, Delahaye 145s and back to the 50s with Maserati A6s. A high speed run through France in an Alfa 8C (#SF32) and onto the vintage hill climb at the Klausen Rennen in 1993 sealed his passion for the Marque and the car. Returning to Auckland in ‘97 Colin had set his goal to focus all of his knowledge and experience on creating a fabrication operation that looked to preserve traditions of the early 20th Century while employing the advanced manufacturing capabilities that looked to the 21st. This vision involved going back to his ‘A’ levels and graduating with a full industrial design degree in 2001. As we’ll see Colin has brought together the traditions of journeyman metalcraft with CAD and CNC proceesing bringing to the fore the finest modern industrial capabilites. Thus was born The Design Cast Ltd. Of Auckland. Jane had her own vision. To take advantage of the dynamic real estate market beginning to move in the Auckland area she set up shop. Simultaneously she donned the green accountant’s visor and beneath desk lap put in shape the books of TDC. Actually it was more computer monitor backlight, but point made, and the business side of TDC was securely under a watchful eye.
Knowing this was no one man operation, it was time for Colin to invite in some talent. The invitation was extended to, and excepted by, Gavin Tindell. Gavin had gained his in the trenches experience at Auckland’s renown Classicar Restorations Ltd. Starting as a panel beater and spray painter, to use his terms, his attention to detail soon garnered him an invitation into CRL. He went on to master the art of aluminum panel shaping and the chassis beneath. His Journeyman thesis was the ground up fabrication of a 289 Cobra. This was followed by two Daytona Coupes. The latter two were produced from original working drawings supplied by Kiwi and original Shelby team member John Olson. The 289 was a study in 1950s simplicity and understatement, the Coupe, not so much. Even if Shelby did get Pete Brock’s coupe approved by the FIA under the Normal Evolution of Type for the GTIII class. Gavin’s reputation was sealed by an unexpected event. McLaren F1 team manager, Alistair Caldwell had brought his long owned Ferraro 330GT to New Zealand to be rebodied as a GTO. The firm contracted to do the job went bankrupt in the early stages of the project. Alister then turned the project over to Gavin who put together a team specifically to complete the task. What Alistair took delivery of was, in his own words, “A toolroom Ferrari GTO.” Colin and Gavin have been conspiring together for 13 years, as of this year.
