About Us

The phrase ‘Tearing Calico’ finds its origins in the 1930’s as a description of the sound of Pre-War Grand Prix Bugatti engines.

Based in the Suffolk Countryside amongst some of England's finest driving roads and picturesque villages, we specialise in automotive restoration, design, motorsports and the sale of exceptional sports, competition and touring cars.

The company was founded by Oliver Sharp. With a family background steeped in Motorsport, engineering and restoration projects, Oliver trained at the Royal College of Art as a Vehicle Designer. He went on to work as part of the Exterior Design team for Mini in 2009 and then Rolls-Royce in Munich, playing a key role in leading noteable designs such as Cullinan and Phantom.

Subsequently, he ran a world leading Historic car restoration company for a number of years gaining in depth experience of historic car restoration, sales and engineering to the highest levels. During this time, projects were led by Oliver to Pebble Beach class wins among many other accolades. 

Oliver's aim at Tearing Calico is to provide a service that operates to the clients brief whilst offering both advice and fair guidance as to the best approach. Be it a small or large project, a philosophy of clear communication and transparency is seen as key to the enjoyment and success for both company and client. By nature and training, Oliver is a stickler for detail and perfectionist when it comes to seeing through a project to the highest standard.