For some car fans, the mere thought of scrapping an iconic motoring marque, such as a Rolls-Royce or Bentley, is sacrilege. However, like those who donate their body parts to others in times of need, scrapping a motoring icon can breathe new life into many others.
As an owner of several rare cars (twelve at the last count), the thought of watching one rot away or allowing it to be scrapped is something I would do my level best not to allow. However, some cars are beyond saving, so the next best course of action is to disassemble them, allowing their parts to breathe life into another.
One company specialising in doing this, with both older and newer models, is Leicestershire-based Flying Spares, the world’s largest independent supplier of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, whose company motto and guiding principle is ‘Recycle to Preserve’.
When it comes to, let’s call it, repurposing Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars, there are few with more knowledge on the subject than Neil Arman, the Managing Director of Flying Spares.
He says, “As we shifted to Employee Ownership, with company founders Ben and Lucy Handford stepping back from the day-to-day running of the business, we had a lot of discussions about maintaining their ethos. It boiled down to something Ben told me years ago: ‘By dismantling one wrecked Rolls-Royce or Bentley, we keep another six on the road’.
“The new motto is useful for both our staff and customers, reflecting the fact that we know more and care more about these cars than almost anyone. It recognises that some cars are beyond repair – those badly damaged in crashes or fires or just sadly neglected – while also highlighting our overriding aim to always save as much original Rolls-Royce and Bentley engineering as possible.
“Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiasts are perfectionists. They want genuine same-model nuts and bolts, let alone grilles and mascots. As such, every heritage part is valuable, the rarer, the better, so we invest in the best people and equipment to fill our shelves with them.
“We scour the globe for original parts, for example, from specialist garages that are shutting down. We also buy cars in all states of disrepair. If they can be resold as restoration projects, brilliant. 
If not, they go for dismantling at our Market Bosworth HQ. Currently, around 95% of the parts we strip are recycled, and we’re continually working to improve this number. We go to extraordinary lengths, like taking apart tappets to see if any component can be reused.
“We’re proud to hold the world’s largest stock of recycled Rolls-Royce and Bentley parts, which we supply with a 12-month warranty. Every part is assessed, and if it is borderline, we always try to rescue it. Better still, we do even more of this work in-house in our state-of-the-art Technical Services Division (TSD) workshop.
“We transform smashed-up, burnt-out, rotting Rolls-Royces and Bentleys into quality recycled parts – great for vehicle authenticity and environmental sustainability, not to mention significantly cheaper than new parts. That’s not sacrilege; it’s a win-win-win.”
For more information on Flying Spares and their range of services, visit www.flyingspares.com.
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