{"id":2776,"date":"2019-09-06T09:00:56","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T09:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=2776"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:23:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:23:51","slug":"studio-434-petrolhead-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/studio-434-petrolhead-heaven\/","title":{"rendered":"Studio 434 – Petrolhead Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"

Generally speaking, car collections tend to err on the dull side. Stay with me here, because there is a point to this. And that point is that car collectors tend to follow themes, or have a penchant for one particular marque. For me, and for many of you, a car collection is only truly interesting when it contains the weird, the wonderful and the eclectic. It\u2019s on that basis then, that I\u2019m pleased to tell you that\u2019s exactly what Studio 434<\/a> is. And it is nothing short of dizzying. I did my best to capture as much of the metal as I could, but honestly, there was so much there it was somewhat overwhelming. This is, for me at least, the ultimate collection of classic cars. <\/span><\/p>\n

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But how did it all come to be? Who is behind this collection of cars that numbers into the 400s? It has to be a consortium of sorts, right? No one man could amass so much metal, surely? Well, actually, one man has. That man is Rodger Dudding, and he\u2019s every bit the charming, engaging and delightfully eccentric chap you\u2019d hope him to be. This is not a collection that could have been amassed by someone beige and straight-laced. No, this is a collection that could <\/span>only<\/span><\/i> be born out of someone with a giddy and enthusiastic outlook on life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On arrival at the relatively anonymous-looking Studio 434<\/a> building, I\u2019m ushered into an office in which I\u2019m visually slapped by a wealth of motoring memorabilia. Models, a V8 block on the floor, countless posters, trophies, badges and more. It\u2019s the ultimate in man-cavery, except this is more than a cave, it\u2019s a two-storey industrial building.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The office was also playing host to Rodger himself. He\u2019s an interesting, and somewhat captivating man. You can\u2019t help but be drawn to his warmth. Put it this way, I was excited to be there to see this collection, but Rodger was just as excited to have me there. He lives for this collection of cars. He\u2019s proud of it, and he brims with enthusiasm for every wheeled machine under his roof. The collection is obviously worth a considerable amount of money, but honestly, it could be worth eight quid and Rodger would still be passionate about it. His excitement is contagious, and I can\u2019t help but sit there and hang on to his every word as he explains how it came to be. <\/span><\/p>\n

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I could write a story (more than one to be honest) on Rodger, but we\u2019re here for the cars, so I\u2019ll summarise for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rodger started his career in the Royal Navy, though he left after suffering a not inconsiderable back injury. From there, he went to Rothmans Cigarette Group and worked in marketing, before going onto American Machine and Foundry where he progressed from sales to vice president in just three years. However, it was 1970 when things took an exciting turn. You know those ticket machines you get in the shops; pull a ticket out, that\u2019s your number in the queue? Yeah, that\u2019s Rodger. This made him more than a couple of quid.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Morris Minor that started it all<\/strong><\/p>\n

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And then there was the development that perhaps defines his working life. You see, Rodger is known as \u2018Mr. Lock Up\u2019. An odd nickname, until you learn he owns some 14,000 lock-ups across Greater London. He started buying a few back when we only had three channels on the TV. Then he\u2019d enquire on others and buy them when possible. This has turned into a colossal business, aided in no small part by society\u2019s recent obsession with storing stuff rather than chucking it. It\u2019s this that has afforded Rodger – for the best part – his collection of cars. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Rodger\u2019s collection is fueled (heavy-handed pun intended) from his early days. Rodger\u2019s father owned a Morris Minor<\/a>, a car he bought from new and a car that Rodger was charged with caring for while his father was away (he too was in the forces). The Minor was genesis. It was kept in the family after his father\u2019s death and now, somewhat fittingly, it is pride of place within the collection. Rodger laughed heartily as he explained that in its whole life, that Minor has only ever seen rain three times at the maximum! He also told me that, if God forbid the building were to be in peril, the Minor is the one car he\u2019d exert every effort to save, so dear is it.<\/p>\n

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Over the years the collection grew and grew, with Rodger buying cars not for savvy investment reasons (though that is a benefit in some cases), but because, quite simply, he liked them. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll find a Ford Orion next to a Ford Capri<\/a>, it\u2019s why you\u2019ll find a Citroen<\/a> DS drophead in the same room as a Ferrari<\/a> F355. It\u2019s why there is a Bamby microcar sat around the corner from a Rover<\/a> P4. It\u2019s all wonderfully eclectic as you can see from the pictures. And when it comes to the pictures, don\u2019t just look at what\u2019s in the foreground, look at what\u2019s behind, too. There is plenty for your eyes to drink in. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Of course, there are some highlights in the collection. There is the right-hand drive DeLorean<\/a>, for example, that featured on Channel 4\u2019s <\/span>For the Love of Cars\u2019 <\/span><\/i>and broke records when it sold. Then there\u2019s the Audi<\/a> convertible that used to belong to Princess Diana. Or, how about a Lotus<\/a> \u2018buck\u2019 that was used for styling exercises and is in reality nothing more than a big Hot Wheels car? And of course, there\u2019s the \u2018White Rabbit\u2019, which is an exceptionally rare Austin<\/a> 7-based race car, bought for no other reason than because Rodger liked it. He actually knew little of the car\u2019s provenance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the other stuff, which is more prolific in the main building. The dealership signs, the model cars, the bikes, the posters, the clothing, the motorcycles, the bumper cars, the\u2026 it\u2019s endless. There is even a vintage recorder in there that was used to create masters of Rolling Stones songs. It\u2019s so bizarre, but so good, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The most, dare I say, bizarre part of the collection would be the Aston Martin Lagondas<\/a>, the big wedge from the \u201870s and \u201880s. Rodger has twenty-four. As you do. He freely admits that it simply has to be the largest private collection of this weird and wonderful car, and I can\u2019t think of a reason not to believe him. And I must say, standing in a room with them is quite the experience.<\/p>\n

The collection is so big now, well over 450 cars, that it needs to be housed in two buildings. And this begs an important question: how can one man possibly drive all of these cars? Well, simply, he doesn\u2019t. He instead employs a small, dedicated team who look after the cars and see to it that each one is driven at least once a month, as Rodger is all too aware that cars left sitting are cars that break down.<\/p>\n

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These cars also earn their keep. Many of them have been used in film and television projects. <\/span>Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Kingsman, Luther <\/span><\/i>and more have all featured cars from Rodger\u2019s collection. He\u2019s proud of his cars, but he\u2019s not overly precious about them, at least not in the same way some other collectors are. Rodger likes to see his cars being used, he wants them to live a life outside of the walls of his two buildings, and that\u2019s admirable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there is the business of Studio 434<\/a>. This isn\u2019t all kept secret, far from it. Rodger and his team are keen to accommodate. Need to store cars? There is that facility here (and those cars in themselves are quite the collection, but alas, not for showing off here). Do you need to hold an event? Studio 43<\/a>4 can do that, and with great success. McLaren amongst others have launched cars here, there have been gala dinners here, it\u2019s a full function facility. But then, that\u2019s simply testament to Rodger\u2019s ability to generate business. He\u2019s making the collection and the facility that houses it pay its way, which is very clever indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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There\u2019s so much more to see, to say and to talk about, but you\u2019ll have to wait for that. We have cherry-picked some of the cars we saw for full features, so we\u2019ll be making a return visit soon. Until then, drink in the pictures, head over to the website<\/a> and be in wonder of how amazing this collection is, because honestly, if there isn\u2019t at least one car here that you want to take home, you\u2019re on the wrong website!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t