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History

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Image of old photographs.  Image coutrtesy of Classic and Sports Car magazine.
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Image of a Alan Jenner showing old photo graphs of cars bodies made by HMSMW.  Image coutrtesy of Classic and Sports Car magazine.
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Image of a 1952 HRG 1500
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Image of an Elva MK3 racing car with Les Tye, Alan Jenner and Roy Watson who built the bodywork
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Image of a BRM racing car.  Bodywork completed by HMSMW
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Image of the Jenson Esporando.  Bodywork built by HMSMW
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Image of the CanAM racing car
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Image of a Jaguar special made to customers requirements
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Image of a Ferrari racing.  Bodywork by HMSMW
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Image of the Rolls Royce Handleigh special
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Image of a Terigy racing car.  One of a kind.
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Image of a Wolesley 6-90 car restored by HMSMW

Photos of car bodies produced at HMSMW.   Image coutrtesy of Classic and Sports Car magazine May 2020.
Alan Jenner showing old photographs.    Image coutrtesy of Classic and Sports Car magazine May 2020.
1952 HRG 1500
Elva MK3 racing car with Les Tye, Alan Jenner and Roy Watson
BRM racing car
Jenson Esporando
CanAm racing car
Jaguar body made to customers requirements
Ferrari racing car
Rolls Royce Handleigh special
Terigy
Wolesley 6-90

The company was founded in 1932 and was based in Halton area of Hastings. Early days are sketchy, however the company moved to Caves Road in Hastings. During World War 2, the company was busy working for the war effort making parts for search lights etc. Lesley Tye who worked for the aircraft company Fairies during the war and after the war for Caffyns in Eastbourne, took over the company. During this time Les Tye collaborated with Mr Moore and although they were not partners the company was known as Moore and Tye.

Alan Jenner joined the company in 1955 to build six HRG's along with Arthur Rothon who made the ash wood frames. Before this Alan worked for St.Leonards Engineering where he also made HRG bodies. The last of the HRG bodies were built at Hastings Motor Sheet Metal Works and the original patterns still hang in the workshop

Later on Alan became partners with Les Tye and then continued the business when Les retired. The firm has subsequently been taken over by Alan's son Ian however, Alan has helped out building special cars such as the Elva mk3 and to this day still helps out delivering work produced to customers.

Beside the HRG's, HMSMW built most of the aluminium prototype bodies for the Elva racing cars during the late 1950's and 60's. In 2010 the Bexhill Museum purchased an Elva mk3 in the USA and brought it back to the UK to be restored. HMSMW were asked to build a complete new body for the car which brought Alan out of retirement and meant the car body was completed by the same person who made the original body.

HMSMW have an extensive coachwork history and over the years the firm have made many cars, their photo library is quite extensive.

Below are listed some of the cars that have been built over the years:-

  • 1955-1957 Last six of the HRG's were built
  • 1957-mid 1960 Majority of bodies made for Elva racing cars
  • 1967-1968 Three BRM formula 1 racing car bodies made
  • Rixon Bucknall special
  • 1969 Three bodies made for the Carol Shelby CanAM series
  • 1971 Jenson special body made
  • Ford GT70, Ford Escort and Fiesta development work
  • More recently the Rolls Royce Handleigh special 
  • 2000 Fraser Nash Replica copy
  • 2010 Elva mk3 project
  • 2016 Terigy
  • 2018 Wolseley 6-90 restoration