Autodec Supplies Ltd

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s classic car enthusiasts we sometimes overlook the fact that one of the easiest ways to upgrade a car’s interior appearance is to strip out that old carpet and replace it — brand-new carpet will immediately enhance the cabin of any vehicle, plus there’s the potential benefit of increasing the car’s overall value. Replacing interior carpet is also a way to restore a vintage car to its former glory, and for those of us who relish the challenge of restoring older cars and rebuilding them, replacing the carpet is one of the first things to do in order to create a new appearance for a car.

The experienced team at Autodec is well aware of the challenges faced by restorers and enthusiasts alike. Autodec started as a family business back in the late ’60s, and in 1990 was bought out by Shaun Smaill and Philip Yuill, whose parents were the original owners.

While they still make complete replacement carpets for vehicles, over the years they have moved into primary manufacturing, and they make all their own carpet — right from scratch. Autodec imports the yarn from overseas, tufts it into carpet, bonds the backings on and converts it into finished goods. This is the raw material for the company to produce a car’s replacement carpet set, be it sewn or press-moulded. The carpet replacement industry is predominantly centred on pre ’90s classics. Once the volume of imported Japanese became larger here, the renovating of everyday cars reduced dramatically. However, this also significantly increased the number of those wanting something just a little bit special for their ’60s to ’80s classics.