THE BRITISH INVASION
On the Road Again
A
Written & Photographed By Craig Lore
t the age of nine, Bill Hiland
was cruising across Calero
Reservoir on a homemade Sunfish sail-
boat. “I can remember times when I had
to swim back to shore towing the boat
with the rope in my mouth because I
hadn’t learned how to sail upwind.”
Once he learned, though, there was no
turning back. Hiland’s first career was
designing, piloting, and racing world-
class sailboats, including participation
on a winning America’s Cup team.
Hiland is the co-owner and partner
with Rachel Hill of On the Road
Again Classics: Classic & British Auto
Restoration & Repairs, located at
16840 Joleen Way, Unit G4, in Morgan
Hill. Hiland’s piloting skills expanded
to British cars while in high school,
owning several Sunbeam Alpines, and a
Sunbeam Tiger, a high performance V8
partially designed by American racing
driver Carroll Shelby. “Probably the
only smart thing I did as a young man
around cars was to sell the Tiger before
I killed myself,” he said.
After Hiland retired from sailing,
in 2007, and after selling a highly
successful computer recycling business
(his second career) he had to do some-
thing with a collection of MGBs he had
acquired, so he opened On the Road
Again Classics, for his third career. The
business started with just two employ-
ees. Today, he has eight employees; a
UK-themed showroom complete with
a pool table and dartboard, and walls
covered with British car photos and
racing posters, a full garage, and a
painting booth.
On the Road Again’s British car
culture reaches beyond the showroom:
48
They host Pub Nights January through
April, inviting British Car fans to drop
by for food and drink, to stroll through
the garage to see what is being worked
on, chat with Hiland, the mechan-
ics, and each other. April’s pub night,
the last of the season, drew about 60
people. On the Road Again Classics
also sponsors the British Fall Classic,
now in its 8th year. This charity
event, held in Morgan Hill October
12-13, benefits Community Solutions.
Business and Fall Classic details at
ontheroadagainclassics.com
Although service, paint, or
restorations of your British car from
the frame up are the stated business
model, Hiland said, “We are actually
in the emotions business. We had a
visit from an older couple in their 80s.
They had an old MG TD that they’d
had when they were courting. They said
‘Make it new—bright red. Make sure
you do everything right.’ It had been
stored outside under a torn tarp. Weeds
growing up through the floor. Tires
were flat. It took about a year. After they
picked it up, he sent us a really nice
note that said, ‘You did everything just
right. And that bright red color: This car
is a real chic magnet.’”
Most of Hiland’s clients are between
50 and 60 years old, but continuing the
love of British cars into the millennial
generation is their newest hire,
ON THE ROAD AGAIN CLASSICS
16840 Joleen Way, G4 • Morgan Hill
408.782.1100
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
june/july 2019
Sawyer Dell’Aquilla, 20, an apprentice
mechanic. Dell’Aquilla grew up helping
his dad tinker on a 1968 MGB GT, and
shadowing his uncle who owns a sports
car performance shop. Dell’Aquilla
aspires to have his own shop one day
and plans to inspire younger people to
appreciate classic British cars.
Many of the cars that On the Road
Again works on are restored to original
factory specs since their value can
decrease if they’re modernized. That
said, “People like to modernize,” Hiland
said. “They want the car to look like an
MGB, but they want to clean it up.They
want a five-speed transmission, air
conditioning, power steering, and
power windows. So that’s what we do.”
Rachel Hill, partner and business
manager joined On the Road Classics
about six months ago. She grew up in
a car family where “fixing cars was just
part of what we did. And now my two
boys are car people too.”
“In an age where many automobiles
have become rolling digital entertain-
ment centers, the traditional British car
appeals to those who value a visceral
experience, based on simple mechani-
cal components and unique exterior
design,” Hill said. “One must simply
drive such a car to feel the exhilaration
of needing both hands on the wheel
and feeling the curve of the road . . .
and it’s not about speed or power. It’s
about the quiet country road, the left
arm sitting atop the door and the wind
in your hair.”
“It’s been a fun ride putting it all
together,” said Hiland. “And trying to
do the right thing by people.”
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