Melomotive

Inside the Workshop Building a One-Off Maserati

We visited MotoRRetro in Sydney, Australia — a one-of-a-kind facility that combines coachbuilding training, contract fabrication, R&D, and commissioned restoration work… all under one roof. This isn’t just a workshop. It’s a place where traditional skills like metal shaping, aluminium panel fabrication, shrinking and stretching, English wheel work, power hammer use, and hand-tool fundamentals are taught step-by-step — and then applied to real client builds. In this tour we cover: What Motor Retro is (training + manufacturing + R&D + client work) Why fundamentals matter (shrinking & stretching before “the fancy machines”) The evolution of restoration in Australia and why it’s booming again The equipment ecosystem (including R&D with Hare & Forbes / Machineryhouse) Incredible projects in the shop (Pantera, BMW CSi, Dino, custom builds, and more) A pedal-car project with full plans/templates and build process A bespoke restomod design project built from an original Maserati foundation If you’re into classic car restoration, fabrication, panel beating, coachbuilding, metal shaping, or building a home workshop, this is a must-watch. Let us know in the comments: What skill would you learn first — shrinking, stretching, wheeling, or power hammer work? #Coachbuilding #MetalShaping #CarRestoration #SheetMetal #EnglishWheel #PanelBeating #AutomotiveFabrication #ClassicCars #Restomod #Sydney #Australia #WorkshopTour #HeronForbes #Machineryhouse #FabricationShop