Seaford businesses are streets ahead

Behind the façade of the Seaford industrial estate exists a thriving local car sector where businesses are collaborating in an extensive supply chain to turn clients’ cars into showpieces.

Council’s Economic Growth Officer Glenn Hickling, himself a car enthusiast, says classic car-related businesses clustered in Seaford are “flat out” with long order books due to their talent and professionalism. As Glenn explains, over the past decade, classic cars have steadily increased in value by 15 per cent per annum.

“A new wave of Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers are now realising their 1950 to 1980s automotive dreams, since they can no longer holiday interstate or overseas. In addition, there is a generation of millennials also entering the market for 1980 to 1990s cars that are a similar age to them. Purchases of classic cars are generally based on emotion and passion for a particular brand from decades ago,” Glenn says.

Lonsdale Autoshop’s owner Jason Riding, who moved the business to Seaford seven years ago, has been servicing and repairing pre-1980s cars for 12 years.

“We essentially work on any car with a chrome bumper. We specialise in custom work and rebuilding street machines, race cars and classic cars,” Jason says. “We’re always busy but bookings have increased dramatically since the pandemic started. No-one can travel, so people are spending their money on cars.”

Jason and fellow mechanic Jaiden work hard to provide a quality service to customers who are mostly local, but also come from other parts of South Australia and interstate, through word-of-mouth recommendations.

“People come to me with a dream of what they want to do with their car, but they often don’t know where to start. I act as the customer’s project manager of sorts, collaborating with other classic car and automotive performance experts in Seaford to provide other services, whether it’s paint and panel, trim, wheel alignment, or other specialties.”

Some of the specialty businesses include Auto Parts, AMPL Auto, Midcoast Mechanical, European classic car specialist Le Grand Garage, and JC Mechanical, Diesel and Performance, who relocated to a high-profile site on Seaford Road in mid-2020 after their business growth doubled.

“The businesses around here are second to none in SA, if not nationally. There are so many exceptional businesses in Seaford alone. It’s great to share our skills and ideas,” Jason says.

Australia’s biggest selling and most respected modified car magazine Street Machine featured cars rebuilt by Lonsdale Autoshop in collaboration with other businesses including Procoat Custom Detailing, Performance Auto and Dyno, R&D Mechanical, Southern Classics and Customs, AJ Trim, Seaford Steering and Suspension, and NDR Fab Precision Race Fabrication. A two-page spread appeared in this year’s May edition followed by another car in the August edition.

“Some of our rebuilds are next level, so it was great to be featured in Street Machine,” Jason says.

Asked if he has plans to expand Lonsdale Autoshop, Jason says he wants to stay as they are for now so he can maintain his hands-on approach with the cars and continue to focus on quality service.

Jason is a member of the City of Onkaparinga’s ON Business Partner Program and his business is listed on the local business directory.