29/04/2026
Today marks the 16th anniversay of Kevin Woods passing.
Here he is pictured outside the original Milton workshop on Milton Street in Maidstone as part of a feature for Classic & Sports Car Magazine, sitting on the bonnet of Steve Littlers lovely low mileage example which had one of the first steering rack conversions and a custom 5 link set up on the rear, it ended up running a VeganTune twin cam motor and competing in many a sprint. I was offered the car by Steve many years ago and I should have bought it as there were so many of Kevins little touches on the car that most people wouldnt notice but they all went together to make it such a lovely little thing.
In the background is Trevors Cossie powered Anglia van, which is almost finished apparently, an absolute work of art and anyone who was lucky enough see its build in progress, the cage was lovely and the pedal box Tony designed was just an absolute work of art. The brief was, Trevor wanted to sit in the original factory position, but with the bulkhead coming back and the bigger tunnel to take the T5 gearbox some real innovation was needed to get the pedal box into what was left of the space and present the pedals in as close to the factory position as possible. Tonys design put the pedals at 90 degrees to the bulkhead, running parallel to it and operated using bell cranks. Between Tonys design and Kevins fabrication it all came together.
For many old school Anglia people a trip to Milton Street to collect parts or drop parts off to be modified was always a great day out. I remember driving up the driveway for the first time thinking this cant be it and looking at a row of lock up garages and thinking I must be in the wrong place, but one door was open and as I walked up to ask the person inside if they knew where Milton was, I realised this was it, I had arrived at my destination.
Kevin always had time for people and would always take time to explain everything and answer the endless questions people had in those days before forums and facebook and he just loved to talk about Anglias. Although strangely his favourite car was the 100E, but as Old Ford Autos were doing the parts of them he stuck to the Anglias he had raced back in the 70's
That was Kevin and his dad Tony, both old school, proper people, lovely to deal with.
Many of you will no doubt have a memory of Kevin so please feel free to share them, I often chat to the likes of Russ who helped Kevin out with fabrication after he took ill and who worked with Lee throught his tenure at the helm and we do have a laugh about Kevin and some of the things that went on. Speaking to Jeff who does bits for Milton now and John Castelle a very long in tooth Anglia man, we often share a story or two and think of the old boy.
I've heard it said Milton finished when Kevin died, but it didnt, Tony and Lee and then Lee & Sue kept it going and now I have the responsibility of keeping it going and Kevin is still here in everything we do now, every change I make every new product I release the first thought is always, would Kevin be happy with that ? You cannot hire that kind of quality controller.
So for those of you who knew him, its a lovely day today, have big mug of tea and take your Anglia for spin round the block.
Kevin Wood - 17th May 1958 - 29th April 2010
