Just off Route 5 in Bradford, Vermont, a modest brown warehouse houses one of the world's foremost Bugatti restoration operations. Sargent Metal Works, run by seventh-generation Vermonter Scott Sargent, focuses on preserving the original character of these rare prewar automobiles rather than erasing it.
Sargent's philosophy is to keep the "human fingerprint" on each car. "It's not my job to make this thing perfect," he said. He preserves hammer marks in sheet metal and irregular rivet patterns, believing these details represent the soul of the car.
His career took off after restoring a 1936 Bugatti Atlantic coupe. Despite pressure to use a different color, Sargent matched the original paint found on an interior wood piece. That car won Best in Show at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and later the 2018 Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award in Paris.
Each restoration takes about two years. Sargent completely disassembles the car, working on body, chassis, and motor. He said Bugatti's engineering sets it apart: "The motors and the drivetrains are completely unique and very special."
Sargent learned the craft with his father in Fairlee, restoring prewar Fords. After college in Arizona, he returned to Vermont and opened his own shop around 1992.
Originally reported by North Star Monthly.
Photo: cottonbro studio via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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