RSD was set up back in 1997 when I decided that I had had enough of chasing rally cars around the world, working in all weathers for VW Motorsport. Spending most of the year away from home, stuck between airports, service stops and hotels, meant I couldn't devote the amount of time I wanted to my daughters.
To stay within the world of rallying, I set up RSD where I started by preparing the recce cars for VW and SEAT. I developed the F2 Ibiza replica rally car for road use - this was featured at the 1998 London Motorshow. We still produce the body kit for the F2 Ibiza.
At the end of 1999, RSD won the sole importer rights for Oettinger Performance GmbH into the UK and Ireland. At the same time, we also became sole UK and Irish importer for Projektzwo. This meant that we had a strong hold on the Germany body styling market in the British Isles.
In the summer of 2001, we widened our horizons further and took on sole importership for leading Belgian Styling House, Caractère. This means that we can now offer a very wide variety of styles to meet virtually everyone's tastes.
In June 2003, RSD reformed as a new partnership. Back in September 2000, a colleague at SEAT UK had requested that, as a favour, I do a service on a car for a SEAT UK employee... Some might say I was tempting fate! I serviced her car, we got on, she started spending time helping me with the Customer Service/Sales side of the business... In June, Trish became my business partner and in October 2003, she became my wife! One way of keeping a close eye on the partnership, you might say!!!
In August 2005 we moved the business to our present location Unit 15 as we started to expand the business, by September 2006 we took on Unit 17 to expand our service workshop facility. Unfortunately we out grew both units 15 and 17 rather quickly, and by June 2007 we expanded into unit 16.
Our service workshop has the latest Volkswagen Group Diagnostics Equipment, and we are fully geared up to service and repair all Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Commercial Vehicles. We also run two VW Beetles as courtesy cars, and a SEAT Inca Van as a business courtesy vehicle.
During 2006 we became the UK & Ireland Sole Importer for Milotec Auto-Extras, in 2007 Milotec produced their first catalogue in English!!!
In December 2007 RSD Ltd. became the UK Sole Importer for a Dutch company that supplies OEM for all vehicles... The potential is huge and we have just set up a new business "Vehicle Styling" to cope with the workload.
Currently we have a workforce of 10 employees, and are keen to employ a further two members of staff for the new business to expand.
Danny Whitrow
Managing Director
Road and Sport Developments Ltd.