Classicwise to open classic car sales and detailing service at Minster Garage, Southwell, and vehicle storage facility in Newark and Sherwood

A classic car company is revving up for the opening of its new premises.

Classicwise, owned by Sam Fretwell, has taken over the premises at Minster Garage, on King Street, Southwell.

The garage, run by Simon and Michael Ward for around 40 years, closed its doors some time ago, but will once again be filled with cars as Classicwise is expected to open imminently.

Sam said: “I’ve known the Wards for some years and my business, Classicwise, has been growing exponentially over the past five years to where we are now. We found ourselves in a position where we felt as though we needed to expand into having more of a high street showroom.

“The reason why Minster Garage was so special for us is because I went to the Minster School and I used to spend a lot of my childhood in Southwell, and so I’ve always remembered the garage on King Street as part of my childhood really — peering through the windows at the front at whatever cars were in the showroom.

“I’ve always been car-mad since I was a kid.”

From the garage, Sam will sell classic cars ranging from pre-war to 1990s cars, particularly specialising in 1970s British sports cars.

Back in the Seventies and Eighties, the garage would have sold the same cars when they were new, Sam explained.

Classicwise will also be operating its vehicle detailing service from the site, offering high-quality, in-depth cleaning, preservation and paint enhancement services.

It is not just one premises that the business is expanding into — it also has a new 30,000 square foot, purpose-built vehicle storage facility in Newark and Sherwood.

The secure, monitored and climate-controlled facility is designed to offer collectors peace of mind when storing their classic cars.

Sam has a lifetime of experience in the car industry to offer, with a background in MOT testing and plenty of knowledge of classic car sales though his father, Tim Fretwell.

“My father was in the motor trade before me, and he taught me the ropes dealing in classic cars in the Nineties,” Sam said.

“Prior to me setting up on my own, my father had moved into running MOT stations, of which we’ve got one in Newark and eight in total. It was our family business, which I was largely instrumental in running alongside my family members.”

After a horrific road accident, which was not his fault, stopped Sam from being able to carry out his work in the family business, he used the reparations from the incident to help him look into other avenues of work.

Sam said: “My father then helped me set up Classicwise at the end of 2012, during my recovery, and we’ve not really looked back since.

“Sadly I lost my dad in the midst of running it, but we have gone from strength to strength.

“Having started just buying and selling classics we’ve then migrated to doing storage and detailing as well.”