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Bodyshop
Panel repair, welding, structural straightening and metalwork. We rebuild original geometry rather than disguise it — straight panels, correct gaps, honest steel.
About Imperial Motorworks
Real people. Real workshop. Real expertise.
A European restoration atelier in Croatia — built on craftsmanship, transparency, and a genuine love for classic automobiles.
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Who we are
Not a garage. A restoration atelier.
Imperial Motorworks restores classic and collectible automobiles for clients across Europe. We are based in Croatia, work to European standards, and treat every project as if the car belonged to a friend.
What we do is unhurried by design. A restoration is not a transaction — it is a conversation between the original engineering of a car and the people now responsible for its future. We listen first, plan carefully, and only then put hands on metal. Every step is documented; every decision is yours.
From tractors to collector automobiles.
The atelier did not begin with a business plan. It began in 2016, in Croatia, with machines nobody else was willing to save.
The atelier is founded
2016. The first commissions are agricultural: Porsche-Diesel and other post-war tractors, brought back after decades of standstill.
Tractors shape the method
Air-cooled diesels, worn castings, parts that no longer exist anywhere. Machines nobody stocks components for force the atelier to measure, fabricate and document rather than simply replace.
Automobiles follow
The same discipline moves to classic cars: body, paint, mechanics and interior under one roof, with the owner involved in every decision.
A new chapter
Today the atelier works from Vrbovec as Imperial Motorworks, led by James Wardell — the same hall, the same craft, now documenting restorations for collectors across Europe.
Imperial Motorworks is the trading name of Sunčana Zelena Polja j.d.o.o., founded in 2016 and registered in Croatia.
Engineering. Restoration. Preservation.
The lion represents strength and craftsmanship.
The cog represents engineering precision.
Together they embody the philosophy of Imperial Motorworks: restoring exceptional automobiles to factory standards while preserving their heritage.
Inside the atelier
The Workshop
A dedicated, organised, working European restoration workshop — not a showroom dressed up for photographs.
Our facility in Vrbovec is a real working environment: bays for bodywork, an isolated paint shop, a mechanical workspace, and quiet zones for detail and assembly. Each area has its purpose, and each project moves through them in a deliberate, documented order.
We have intentionally kept the workshop human in scale. Cars are not stacked. Projects are not rushed. The people working on your vehicle are the same people you spoke to at the start — that continuity is the difference between a restoration and a refurbishment.
Six disciplines, one continuous process.
From the first cut of the grinder to the final polish, every stage happens within a structured workflow — handled by specialists who have spent years in their craft.
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Paint shop
A dedicated, dust-controlled paint environment for primer, base coats and multi-layer finishes in original colour tones. Patience over speed; depth over shortcuts.
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Restoration workspace
The quiet heart of the atelier — where stripped shells become finished cars again. Trim, glass, wiring, badges, brightwork. Slow, careful, reversible.
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Mechanical work
Suspension, brakes, steering, transmissions and ancillaries are overhauled in-house, with original specifications respected and modern safety standards quietly applied.
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Engine rebuilding
For engine rebuilds we work with trusted external specialists in Europe whose machining and balancing capabilities exceed what any single workshop should claim alone.
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Final detail & assembly
The last stage is also the longest: alignment, road testing, fine adjustment, and the kind of finishing detail that separates a tidy restoration from a true one.
The story behind Imperial Motorworks
James Wardell — the person behind the workshop.
Workshop Founder · Restoration Consultant · Project Coordinator · Primary Client Contact
Imperial Motorworks was founded by James Wardell: an English car enthusiast who has been living and working in Croatia for more than a decade. The workshop exists because he could not stop restoring cars.
Long before there was a company, there were vehicles in his own garage — found, imported, taken apart, brought back. Years of private restorations turned into a steady demand from friends, then friends of friends, then collectors across Europe asking for the same care and the same honest process.
When the opportunity arose to take over a workshop in Croatia, the decision was straightforward. James already lived here, was married to a Croatian, and had seen first-hand how the country's deep tradition of skilled metalwork, paint and mechanical craftsmanship aligned with the way classic cars genuinely deserve to be restored.
Today his role is hands-on and deliberately personal: workshop manager, project coordinator, restoration consultant, and the first point of contact for every client. There is no layer between you and the work.
I started Imperial Motorworks because I wanted to restore cars the way I would want my own car restored — slowly, honestly, and in a workshop where you can walk in any time and see exactly what is happening to it.
— James Wardell, Founder
The Team
A network of specialists, led by the founder.
Imperial Motorworks works as a network of experienced craftsmen, technicians, specialists and restoration professionals — all working under the direction of James Wardell. The emphasis stays on craftsmanship, process and quality standards rather than individual profiles, so every project is backed by the right expertise at each stage.
Metalwork · Paintwork · Mechanical restoration · Upholstery · Electrical systems · Parts sourcing
What we believe a restoration should feel like.
A classic car is not a project. It is somebody's memory, somebody's investment, and somebody's future. Treat it accordingly.
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Craftsmanship over speed
We will quote you an honest timeline. We will not break that timeline by cutting corners we promised we would not cut.
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Transparency in every step
Photographs, videos, written updates. You see the car at every stage — not just the finished result wrapped in studio lighting.
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Passion as standard
Every person in this workshop chose this work. None of us are here by accident, and that shows in the parts of a car nobody else will ever look at.
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Precision in detail
Panel gaps, badge alignment, the click of a door, the run of a wiring loom — the details are not afterthoughts. They are the work.
How we keep you inside the project.
Restoration is a long process. Trust is built by showing — not by promising. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Photographic documentation
Every restoration is documented stage by stage. You receive structured photo updates, not occasional snapshots.
One point of contact
You speak directly with James and the people working on the car. No intermediaries, no rotating account managers.
Honest estimates
Costs and timelines are written down before work begins, and any deviation is discussed with you before it is acted upon.
Stewardship, not ownership
We never forget the car is yours. Every decision — from colour to component sourcing — is yours to make, fully informed.
Start a conversation Send Inquiry
Tell us about your car.
Whether you already own a classic in need of restoration or are still looking for the right one, we are happy to talk — no obligation, no sales pitch.
