Transformed Vintage Car Restoration Business through a Lifelong Education Experience
Rob Howard's Kindred Motorworks: Blending Classic Car Restoration and Modern EV Technology
Rob Howard, the founder and CEO of Kindred Motorworks, has combined his lifelong passion for cars and his experience in technology and retail to create a unique company that redefines classic car restoration. Based in San Francisco, Kindred Motorworks specialises in restomod versions of iconic vehicles like the Ford Bronco, Volkswagen Bus, and Chevrolet Camaro, offering both internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicle (EV) powertrain options.
Each Kindred car is a labour of love, requiring 1,500 hours of work compared to around 30 hours for a Tesla. The meticulous restoration process is carried out entirely by hand, with the Kindred team overseeing every phase to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The company's EV Ford Bronco conversion, for instance, features a fully electric powertrain with 402 horsepower and 492 lb-ft torque, twin Cascadia Motion IDM 190 motors, an 80 kWh Kore Power battery, and advanced tech like front and rear Wavetrac limited-slip differentials, Level 3 DC fast charging, regenerative braking, and four-wheel power disc brakes. Kindred Motorworks prides itself on engineering excellence, building new suspensions and carefully selecting reliable EV components, rather than simply retrofitting existing parts.
Kindred Motorworks' board of directors includes Felix Stellmaszek, the global leader of auto & mobility at Boston Consulting Group. The company has raised over $50 million in investment from various sources, including Fifth Down Capital, CPMG, Goldcrest, Lunch Pail Ventures, Helium 3, and Robert Downey Jr.
The Kindred team's dedication to their craft has resulted in the completion of over 50 petrol-powered Broncos and several EV Broncos, both as prototypes and for production. The company aims to rapidly expand its EV restomod production to meet the growing demand.
While the EV Bronco project is the most documented, Kindred Motorworks also restores and modifies other classic vehicles such as the Volkswagen Bus and Chevrolet Camaro, offering both ICE and EV powertrain options to give enthusiasts modern performance with classic style.
Rob Howard's journey to Kindred Motorworks began in Philadelphia, where he grew up in a large working-class family and learned about car repair from his father. After studying environmental engineering in college, Howard's interest in sustainability was sparked. He then moved to California and worked with Target, first at Grand Junction, a tech company in the logistics space that he founded and led after selling Ensenda in 2014. After six months of integrating the company into Target, Howard took a six-month backpacking trip with his family. Upon his return, Target had fully taken over at Grand Junction.
Determined to improve his skills, Howard studied for an MBA and continued working with the executive team at Target for a couple of years, learning about retail. In 2019, he launched Kindred Motorworks, combining his passion for cars and his expertise in technology and retail to create a unique company that bridges the gap between heritage and cutting-edge automotive technology.
[1] Kindred Motorworks. (2021). Kindred Motorworks. Retrieved from https://kindredmotorworks.com/ [3] Stickney, K. (2020, February 28). Kindred Motorworks: The Future of Classic Cars. Retrieved from https://www.evannex.com/kindred-motorworks-the-future-of-classic-cars/
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Kindred Motorworks not only caters to car enthusiasts with a penchant for classic vehicles, but also offers a unique blend of education-and-self-development by providing insights into the process of restoring and electrically converting iconic cars like the Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Camaro, and Volkswagen Bus. Beyond the classic cars3, Kindred Motorworks' work encapsulates a lifestyle that merges the traditional with modern technology, offering both internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicle (EV) powertrain options in their restomod projects. The company's dedication to both the classic aesthetic and advanced engineering technology makes it an ideal place for individuals interested in both areas to observe and learn.
