TUCKED behind a supermarket is a place where vintage Range Rovers are brought back from the dead.

Damon Oorlof and his team at Kingsley Cars in Eynsham strip the vehicles to their shells and return them to their former glory for clients spread far across the globe.

He first picked up the hobby as a teenager and says it's far more than just a business to him – it’s his passion.

Mr Oorlof said: “I started off doing it from home. I had a few cars, then a few more. Before you know where you are you’ve got loads.

“I didn’t expect it to get this big. I now have about 20 staff and we are known worldwide for the things we do in restoration.

“My background is cars. They’re my hobby, not my business. I used to work in software but I was lucky enough to be able to follow my passion

“It's the same for everybody here: they're all happy because everybody wants to be here. Money is important but the most important thing is that they’re happy.”

The yard at Kingsley Cars is a sprawling mass of Range Rovers in varying states of disrepair. Some of them are sent in by customers who want to see the lifespan of their cars extended. Others, Mr Oorlof and his team buy, restore and sell themselves.

It is when working on the wrecks that the team really thrive. They are able to produce vintage Range Rovers with the body of a 1970s classic with nothing but 2016 technology tucked underneath the bonnet.

Mr Oorlof is insistent that there are no half measures. When rust is found the team do not simply patch it over. It is removed like a tumour.

He said: “Rust is like cancer. It eats its way through things.

“The only way to stop it is to remove it totally. You can patch it up and it will look okay and it may even be fine for five years.

“But it will be there – festering and growing.”

Mr Oorlof has a lot to say about why the business, which is now pushing its work servicing modern cars, focusses on Range Rovers.

He said: “Most classic cars are not drivers. They’re not practical. Garage queens. But you can drive a Range Rover every day.

“Range Rover classics are a vehicle that can be seen anywhere. They fit in whether they’re parked outside a building site or the Dorchester. And they’re quintessentially English.”

“People react to you differently. You pull up at a petrol station and people want to talk to you.”

The Range Rovers restored at Kingsley Cars can sell for £10,000 or more than £100,000, depending on the work the team carries out.