Kindred Motorworks, the Bay Area producer of modernized vintage vehicles, celebrates its first year of operation with a return to Monterey Car Week and announces that it has officially begun production of customer vehicles, ahead of schedule, at its Mare Island headquarters and manufacturing facility. Kindred Motorworks is once again present at Motorlux at the Monterey Jet Center, where the all-electric Kindred Chevy 3100 pickup will be on display.
“A year ago, we introduced ourselves to the world here in Monterey during Car Week,” said Kindred Motorworks founder and CEO, Rob Howard. “It’s been a rocket ride ever since, as we built out our lineup, opened our order books, and moved into our permanent home at Mare Island. It’s good to be back, and we’re ecstatic to announce that we are officially in production and will deliver our first customer vehicle in the Fall of 2023, well ahead of our original schedule.”
“Six months ago, we were three or four people in one corner of this cavernous building,” said John McGinn, Kindred Motorworks’ Director of Production. “Thanks to the incredible level of collaboration and shared sense of mission, we have a fully documented set of build processes and complete teams executing every element of vehicle production right now. To be in this position so quickly is a huge point of pride for all of us.”
A Fully Operational Production Facility at Mare Island
The Kindred Motorworks team has spent the last year meticulously documenting the end-to-end restoration process, and this is reflected on the production floor, where the shop is broken into four distinct zones:
- Teardown: In this area, Kindred Motorworks techs can tear a donor Bronco down to its bare frame in under four hours. Only the most suitable examples are approved for a production slot after a detailed inspection is completed.
- Metal Fabrication: In this state-of-the-art shop, Kindred’s artisans weld, cut, bends, and mill the sheet metal panels and key components for assembly. The Kindred Bronco body is the result of over 1,600 hours of development and optimization.
- Paint: Once prepped, vehicle bodies are meticulously sprayed to the color ordered in Kindred’s paint booths. Following paint application, the booth is heated to 180℉ to deliver a quick, even, and perfect finish.
- Assembly: Powder-coated frames are reunited with their newly painted bodies along with powertrain, suspension, electrical harnesses and interior components in this zone. Kindred’s Assembly Technicians bring each vehicle to life with a meticulous attention to detail.
First customer vehicle to be a Kindred Bronco
Kindred Motorworks’ milestone first customer vehicle is a 5.0-liter V8-powered Kindred Bronco Heritage Edition whose production is already underway at Kindred’s Mare Island headquarters, which houses design, engineering, manufacturing, and business operations under a single roof.
“It’s a testament to the dedication and expertise of the Kindred team that we are in position to make our first customer delivery several months ahead of schedule,” said Rob Howard. “This process has also helped us refine how we work with our clients to maximize their satisfaction across every step of the customer journey. It will be a thrill to hand over the first Bronco later this year.”
“It’s really cool that we’re on the verge of delivering the company’s first Bronco,” said John McGinn. “But it’s just as thrilling to see the next customer cars already making their way through manufacturing behind it, and that number will just grow as we continue to scale production moving forward.”
Further details surrounding the first customer vehicle delivery will be shared this Fall.
Visit Kindred Motorworks at Motorlux
Attendees at Hagerty’s Motorlux event at the Monterey Jet Center on August 16, 2023, will be able to see the electric Kindred Chevy 3100 pickup truck as it makes its debut on the Monterey Peninsula. Introduced in late 2022, the Kindred Chevy 3100 is based on the iconic 1947-53 Chevrolet 3100 pickup, which hides a state-of-the-art 294-horsepower electric drivetrain beneath its classic lines. Like every other Kindred Motorworks vehicle, the Kindred Chevy 3100 boasts a modernized suspension, brakes, lighting, and is loaded with modern amenities that make it a turnkey daily driver.
