Our Story

Growing up in a village outside Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, my passion for classic cars was born by being surrounded by incredible makes and models of cars, such as Lamborghini Miura, Ferrari Dino, Porsche 911 930 Turbo, as well as my mother’s Morris 1000, all of which inspired a deep enthusiasm for all things motor.

My first car was a Mini, hotted up to 1340cc – it drove my father mad, but I spent hours taking it apart and having him help me put it back together again. A particular problem was the door which often fell off. I got caught speeding, and I managed to stop the door from falling on the Constable’s foot. After I sheepishly asked for it back, he thankfully saw the funny side and let me off with a warning.

After sadly losing my dad, my mum bought me a brand-new Escort RS Turbo in 1989. I was then offered a job with a company car, which meant I could swap my Porsche 911 for a Ferrari 308 GTB Qv, which I used as my daily car for four years.

After many years in the IT industry, I decided to follow my passion and began selling cars. I started from home, upgrading to an old car showroom in Ringwood to a 5000 square feet unit down the road. After four years we learnt of the original 1940’s garage for sale in Burley – following a conversation with the owners, who loved my plans for the space, the dream came true, and Dawson Engineering Ltd, the building and its contents, were ours.

We kept a lot of the old belongings, with parts that date as far back as the early 1940s, which made excellent additions to our collection. We still serve the same fuel and are proud to be able to add our touch to what was already a rare jewel in the heart of the New Forest.