Keeping trim

Ever wondered why Eagle interiors are so immaculate? Allow us to introduce Alison Leeves, upholstery maestra

- WORDS OLLIE MARRIAGE PHOTOS HUCKLEBERRY MOUNTAIN

If craftsmanship takes time, welcome to the place where time stands still.

In many ways, Eagle is a time capsule. It celebrates trades and skills that we assume are dying out. And highlights precisely why they deserve to survive. Here you will find masters of every art of car building, from panel beaters and metal workers to painters and mechanics.

In many ways, Ali Leeves has the most responsible job of the lot. Up in the upholstery room, hers is the last job to be done. She works on cars that have already been lavished with thousands of hours of work, where one tool slip could gouge the lustrous paint. And when her work is done, it’s her leatherwork, fabrics and stitching that owners will be constantly exposed to as they drive their cars.

If this affects her, she doesn't show it. After 18 years upholstering one off pieces of furniture, she found her way to Eagle four years ago. “I saw it advertised and thought ‘not really my bag’, but then I looked at the company, then came and had a look around and I was hooked.”