Classic Car Panel Beater / Coachbuilder

Aston Workshop; Beamish; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts & cashback

Cycle to Work scheme

Free on-site parking

Training and development opportunities

Career progression across the group

Job summary

Aston Workshop, based in Beamish, England, seeks a Classic Car Panel Beater / Coachbuilder to join our body restoration team. You will work with aluminium and steel, shaping, beating and finishing panels for world‑class Aston Martin restorations.

You will develop traditional techniques, collaborate with paint and engineering teams, and contribute to ground‑up restorations on iconic cars in our 40+ specialist team.

Qualifications

• Practical experience in panel work, vehicle bodywork or fabrication.
• Ability to weld aluminium and steel.
• Strong general metalworking and fabrication skills.
• Good eye for shape, fit and finish.
• Willingness to learn and develop further skills.

Responsibilities

• Repairing and restoring aluminium and steel bodywork.
• Welding aluminium and steel as required.
• Panel beating and metal finishing to high standards.
• Hand-forming panels and repair sections.
• Fabricating sections where replacement panels are unavailable.
• Developing traditional coachbuilding techniques.
• Collaborating with other departments on restorations.

Skills

Panel work

Vehicle bodywork

Fabrication

Welding aluminium & steel

Metal finishing

Hand skills

Tools

Welding equipment

Job description

Do you have experience working with aluminium and steel and a passion for classic and performance cars?

Would you like the opportunity to develop those skills further while working on some of the world's most iconic motor cars?

Aston Workshop is one of the world's leading independent Aston Martin specialists, with an international reputation for the restoration, preservation and development of Aston Martin vehicles.

From our extensive facilities in the Beamish countryside, our team of more than 40 specialists work on cars spanning the history of the marque, from early pre-war examples through to some of the most recognisable Aston Martins ever produced.

We are looking for a Classic Car Panel Beater / Coachbuilder to join our specialist body restoration team.

For us, the most important starting point is a good foundation of practical metalworking skills, particularly the ability to work with and weld both aluminium and steel.

You do not need to arrive as a master coachbuilder or have experience in every traditional restoration technique. If you have the right core skills, take pride in your work and have a genuine desire to learn and develop, there is a great deal we can teach you.

Equally, if you are already an experienced panel beater or coachbuilder, we would be very interested in hearing from you.

The Work

Our body restoration department undertakes everything from localised repairs and preservation of original bodywork through to complete ground-up restorations involving hundreds or thousands of hours of skilled work.

No two projects are quite the same.

Depending on your existing skills and experience, your work could include:

• Repairing and restoring aluminium and steel bodywork
• Welding both aluminium and steel
• Panel beating and metal finishing
• Hand-forming panels and repair sections
• Fabricating sections where replacement panels are no longer available
• English wheel work
• Shrinking and stretching
• Repairing and preserving original body panels wherever possible
• Structural body and chassis repairs
• Panel alignment, fitting and gap correction
• Working from patterns, templates and original components
• Developing traditional coachbuilding and restoration techniques
• Working alongside our paint, mechanical and engineering departments on complete vehicle restorations

We don't expect every applicant to be experienced in every technique listed above. Some may already be part of your skill set; others may be techniques you have always wanted the opportunity to learn.

Employee Benefits

As part of the Aston Workshop team, employees have access to a range of benefits and discounts across the wider group, including:

• Employee discounts & cashback across a wide range of high-street and online retailers
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Use of our workshop facilities outside of business hours
• Staff discount on vehicle parts
• Opportunities to represent the company at events across the UK and Europe
• 30% staff discount on food and drink at The Black Horse Beamish when visiting socially
• Discounted staff accommodation at The Black Horse Beamish, subject to availability
• Preferential friends & family accommodation rates at The Black Horse Beamish
• Free room hire for employees' own events at The Black Horse Beamish, subject to availability
• Two complimentary Aston Workshop tours each year for friends or family
• Free on-site parking
• Staff events and social activities
• Training and development opportunities
• Opportunities for career progression across the group

Who We're Looking For

The foundation we're looking for is relatively straightforward: someone who is good with their hands, understands metal and can competently work with both aluminium and steel.

You should ideally have:

• Practical experience in panel work, vehicle bodywork, coachbuilding, fabrication or a closely related metalworking environment
• The ability to weld both aluminium and steel
• Good general metalworking and fabrication skills
• A good eye for shape, fit and finish
• Practical problem-solving ability
• Pride in the quality of your own work
• A willingness to learn and develop further skills

Previous experience with classic cars is advantageous, but not essential, and previous Aston Martin experience is not required.

What matters more to us is having the right foundation of skills, a genuine interest in producing high-quality work and the desire to develop.

Develop Your Craft

You will be working alongside people who have spent many years developing specialist restoration, panel beating and coachbuilding skills, giving you the opportunity not simply to do the job you already know, but to continually broaden your abilities.

If you already have extensive restoration experience, there is an opportunity to apply that knowledge to some exceptional projects.

If you have strong core skills but haven't yet had the opportunity to develop every aspect of traditional coachbuilding, don't let that put you off applying.

We're interested in what you can do now, but also in what you could become with the right environment, projects and people around you.

Working hours are Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week, including a 30-minute paid tea break each day.

Paid overtime is available, along with flexible start and finish times to provide greater flexibility around the working day.

Salary is competitive and fully negotiable depending on experience and ability.

We recognise that candidates for this position may come from different backgrounds and levels of experience, and remuneration will reflect the skills you can bring to the role.

If you have good aluminium and steel working skills and would like the opportunity to develop them while working on some of the world's most iconic classic cars, we'd like to hear from you.