Telford coachbuilder reinvents career as economic climate proves challenging

Toby Southan, who used to specialise in the practice of designing and manufacturing custom-made vehicles, now focuses his skills on creating unique pieces of artwork and sculptures worth thousands of pounds.

Toby, of Telford-based Southan Industries, said turning towards art felt like a natural progression after believing there was no future in the coachbuilding side of his skill set.

Coachbuilding helped to create some of the most unique cars throughout the 20th century. In short, a coachbuilder was somebody that built a unique body and interior, usually to the buyer's specifications.

But due to the evolution of new technology and mass production, some people believe coachbuilding has become a lost art.

Speaking to The Graveyard Shift podcast, Toby said: “The reason coachbuilding is disappearing is not because of progression, it is being forced out of the market. There’s a massive difference.

“To say something is obsolete means there is no demand for it, but the demand is still there and people still like the skill."

“I think the amount of cash people have in their back pocket has decreased. If you could go to someone like me and say ‘I want my car to look like this’ - would you not do it? If you have money in your pocket you could do this.

“But I think inflation has driven a lot of cash from people’s back pockets. The people that were extremely wealthy are now feeling the pinch and have less money to throw at things.”

Toby touched on many subjects during the podcast including becoming a TikTok sensation, making props for the film industry, how he came up with the ideas for his unique sculptures, and how he got into the coachbuilding industry.

“I’ve always loved product design. At school it was my only A*. In my head you’re only good at what you want to be good at. That was always going to be my career path really,” he added.

Toby can be heard in full on The Graveyard Shift podcast, which is out now at shropshirepr.co.uk