Behind the day-to-day flow of insurance repairs at Classic Auto Body Panel & Paint is a workshop still driven by genuine automotive passion. From modern collision work to rare restorations like a 1950s Lancia B24S, the Pukekohe team combines technical expertise, craftsmanship and more than 30 years of local reputation.
Walk into Classic Auto Body Panel & Paint in Pukekohe on any given day and you'll find the workshop focused on what has become the backbone of the business — insurance repair work.
Modern vehicles, collision repairs, manufacturer-compliant processes, insurance assessments and customer service are what keep the workshop moving.
But look a little closer and you'll also find something else.
You might discover a classic motorcycle undergoing meticulous refinishing, a restoration project quietly progressing in the corner, or, as is currently the case, one of the rarest Italian sports cars ever built.
For Director Calum Withers, maintaining that connection to automotive passion remains an important part of the company's identity.
"Although the focus of the business has had to become insurance repairs from a purely business financial point of view, we still are doing that resto stuff, motorcycle projects, classic cars, certification work — really anything," says Withers.
"The boys actually enjoy having that. It's a sideline to doing the more mundane work every day and gives everyone something a bit different and interesting to work on."
One of the world's rarest Italian sports cars undergoing restoration and compliance upgrades at Classic Auto Body in Pukekohe.
A Rare Italian Masterpiece Arrives in Pukekohe
The current star of the workshop is a vehicle that many automotive enthusiasts will never see in person.
A Lancia B24S.
Built in the late 1950s, the B24S occupies a special place in motoring history. The model is widely regarded as one of the most technically advanced sports cars of its era.
Powered by a 2.5-litre V6 engine, featuring near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution and advanced engineering innovations that were decades ahead of their time, the B24S remains one of Italy's most celebrated automotive achievements.
What makes this particular example extraordinary is its rarity.
"They only built 521 of them," says Withers.
That rarity means owners don't simply hand these vehicles over to anyone.
Trust matters.
More Than Just a Paint Job
The Lancia arrived in New Zealand from overseas and initially appeared to be in excellent condition.
However, once it entered the compliance process, a different picture emerged.
As Withers explains, older vehicles often accumulate repairs throughout their lives, many of which were considered perfectly acceptable when they were completed.
Today's safety standards are very different.
"It wasn't massively rusty or anything like that," he explains.
"Cars that are that age pick up repairs along the way and some of them would have been done in a time when those repairs would have been fine, but from a safety point of view they're not viewed that way anymore in New Zealand."
The task for Classic Auto Body has been to carefully strip the vehicle, upgrade previous repairs where required, restore structural integrity, repaint the vehicle and return it to a standard suitable for modern compliance requirements.
It is delicate work requiring a blend of restoration knowledge, fabrication skills and modern repair expertise.
Built on Three Decades of Reputation
That expertise is one reason Classic Auto Body has become one of Franklin's most respected repair businesses.
Located in Pukekohe, the company has been part of the local automotive landscape for more than 30 years.
When Calum and Heather Withers purchased the business in 2005, it operated primarily as a paint shop servicing local panel beaters and was well known for custom paint work on classic cars and hot rods.
One of the first decisions made by the new owners was to expand into full collision repair services.
The move transformed the business.
Since then Classic Auto Body has:
- More than doubled its floor space
- Expanded from one panel beater to six
- Grown to a team of 15 staff
- Invested heavily in modern equipment and technology
- Transitioned to environmentally responsible waterborne paint systems
- Become a leading insurance repair specialist in South Auckland
Today the majority of work involves insurance repairs and warranty rectification work for modern vehicles.
But the commitment to quality remains unchanged.
Making Insurance Repairs Easier
For many customers, dealing with accident damage can be stressful and time consuming.
Classic Auto Body's goal is to simplify that process.
The company works directly with insurance providers to manage claims, assess damage, coordinate repairs and return vehicles to factory standards.
Services include:
- Panel beating
- Spray painting
- Accident and collision repairs
- Rust removal
- Parts sourcing
- Towing
- Sandblasting
- Warranty repairs
- Courtesy vehicles
- Vehicle transport services
"We've got our own transporter, courtesy cars, all of that sort of thing," says Withers.
The objective is simple: minimise disruption and get customers back on the road as quickly as possible.
A Different Approach to Business
Like many businesses, Classic Auto Body faced significant challenges following COVID and the labour shortages that followed.
Rather than simply accepting the status quo, the company made a bold decision.
In 2023, it introduced a four-day working week.
Initially trialled as an experiment, the system proved so successful it became permanent.
The result has been improved staff retention, stronger morale and a healthier work-life balance without compromising productivity or customer service.
It's an example of the company's willingness to evolve while maintaining its family-oriented culture.
Still Passionate About Cars
Despite becoming a highly regarded insurance repair centre, Classic Auto Body has never lost sight of the passion that first attracted many of its team into the trade.
That's why projects like the Lancia B24S still matter.
Not because they're the biggest jobs.
Not because they're the most profitable.
But because they remind everyone why they entered the industry in the first place.
"We'll have a punt at anything, really," says Withers with a smile.
Whether it's a late-model insurance repair, a custom motorcycle, a classic restoration or one of the world's rarest Italian sports cars, the philosophy remains the same:
Do it properly. Do it once. Do it right.
Classic Auto Body Panel & Paint Ltd
Trusted Insurance Repair Specialists
- Over 30 years serving Franklin and South Auckland
- Insurance claim specialists
- Courtesy vehicles available
- Vehicle transport service
- Modern waterborne paint systems
- Skilled panel and paint technicians
- Family-owned and operated
Pukekohe, Auckland
For insurance repairs, collision repairs, restoration work or specialist automotive refinishing, contact the team at Classic Auto Body Panel & Paint.
Source
Interview with Calum Withers, Director, Classic Auto Body Panel & Paint Ltd.