When we think of bodywork, our mind goes immediately to a meticulously metalwork clean factories, where robots spot weld various pieces of sheet metal, or hydraulic presses shaping body panels. However, in the olden days, things were somewhat different.
Back then, complex sheet metal shapes were formed with the help of an English Wheel, which consists of two parallel rollers that sandwich the metal between them.
By controlling the pressure over the metal, and having different roller profiles, a skilled craftsman uses this seemingly simple tool to shape the contours of curved body panels.
Nowadays, this lost art serves not only for restoring vintage vehicles, but for small volume production artisanal automobiles. We invite you to enjoy the video below.