Rodney Butterfield | Historically Significant Automobiles

Rodney Butterfield has spent a lifetime around exceptional machines.

From early racing and engineering work, to Formula One in the 1970s, to running a major London showroom representing some of the world’s most important cars, his career has been shaped by one principle:

Correctness matters.

Not trends.
Not hype.
Not shortcuts.

Philosophy

"I am not interested in noise. I offer certainty."

That certainty comes from decades of hands-on experience with the world’s most important automobiles — how they were built, how they raced, how they were restored, and how they should be preserved.

Sourcing

Finding the right car requires patience, discretion, and access built over a lifetime.

Representation

Cars are placed properly, with serious buyers, without spectacle.

Restoration

We do not improve history. We preserve it.

This work is not about transactions. It is about stewardship.

The Story

The long way around.

Those lessons never leave you.

I began building and racing cars at a young age. That early work led naturally to professional motorsport, including time within the McLaren Formula One and Indy team during the 1970s.

The 1973 team photo (background) was taken at the David Rd premises on Poyle Trading Estate, Colnbrook, England. Formula One teaches clarity quickly. Precision is not optional. Mistakes are visible. Standards are absolute.

Later, I ran a major showroom in London, representing historically significant automobiles for collectors across Europe and beyond. The work was never simply about selling cars. It was about provenance, accuracy, and knowing precisely what belonged — and what did not.

I source cars others cannot find.
I represent cars I believe in.
I stay involved when correctness matters.

Discretion is assumed. Standards are non-negotiable.

“Experience does not announce itself.
It shows up in the details.”

What I Do

Expertise, not services.

Commissioned Sourcing

Finding a specific automobile at the highest level is rarely straightforward. The best cars are not advertised. They move quietly, through private relationships built over decades.

I work closely with collectors to locate the correct example — not the closest approximation, not the most convenient option, but the right car with the right history.

Consignment Representation

I represent a limited number of automobiles on consignment. There are no public listings. No speculative conversations. No tire-kickers.

Cars are presented discreetly to qualified buyers who understand what they are looking at.

Restoration Philosophy

Restoration is not about making a car better than it was. It is about returning it to what it should be. Factory intent, period correctness, and mechanical integrity come first.

The best restoration does not draw attention to itself — it simply feels right.

If your priorities are provenance, correctness, and long-term value, we will speak the same language.

Selected Works