Joss Campbell

[Ian Williams]

Thank you all for your kind words and to those who messaged me privately, Joss memory will live on in the cars he helped create and knowledge he passed on to others.
I may compile some photographs of a small selection of his creations and attention to detail under the 'Joss Campbell special" thread I put up here a while back.

[jansens]

Like Atho I gained much from knowing Joss who spent the time and effort to try to teach me some of the art of coachbuilding (as well as other things). Starting from no knowledge at all I wouldn't have got anywhere near where I am now with my cars without his help, guidance and encouragement. And he really did teach, he didn't just do things for you. I am proud to say everything on my special I did myself but there is no way at all I could have done anything at all without his help. Or his English Wheel! 

I am sure Atho can relate to hours in the shed, a bit of instruction from Joss then off he would go only to come back to check on you later and say 'why did you do it that way, this way is much easier' and he'd show you the much simpler and 'obvious' way to do the thing. And you'd ask yourself why didn't I think of that and realise you've just been taught something you won't forget by a master.

He'll definitely never be forgotten, especially given it's just a 15 minute drive for me now to go see the car Joss (and Ian and Richard) built. Joss selflessly donated the belt he was wearing to provide the bonnet strap. That was definitely a very Joss thing to do!

Hopefully you don't mind me sharing the link Ian, it's a great story about you guys and has some great pictures.

https://www.driven.co.nz/lifestyle/class...st-austin/

Simon

[Ian Williams]

Thanks Simon,
Richard McWhannell's CCM Dieppe sports body also pictured in the article was another of Joss's creations together with the backstory about it. The story of any car was very important to Joss, he felt that if you couldn't tell a story about about the period and why it was created then the finished article would not stand scrutiny as a vintage car. To simply build something because you can and not have reasons for the shapes, forms and specifications would never do in Joss eyes. He also was a master at simplification of design and understanding how that was driven by the price point that a car would be built to, for example you would not build a Rolls Royce or Lagonda spec body on an Austin 7 chassis.....unless of course you were an eccentric or wanted to go bankrupt in short order.

[Dave Wortley]

Very sad to hear about Joss. He was an expert and an excellent teacher in his craft by all accounts. There are too few people with his skills. At least he managed to pass on his skills to Ian, Atho and Simon and others perhaps.