These are the people behind Noble House

The Noble House firm started with the enormous passion Kees Huis in ‘t Veld has for British cars. “When I was 16 I was looking out of the classroom window and saw a Jaguar Mk. II drive past. I knew instantly it was the most beautiful car in the world. I bought my first Mk. II a few years later for one thousand guilders.” Kees restored that Jaguar, laying the foundation for Noble House. “I successfully continued to restore and repair exclusive British classic cars. Nowadays I divide my time between the workshop and my office. The daily contact with cars and the people of our team are of immense value to me. Noble House offers a wonderfully inspiring environment.”

Ron Hengeveld (53) is crazy about classic British cars. He has been driving his second Jaguar, a superb dark green S-type, since 2000. This car was preceded by an XJ40 and two Daimlers. Hengeveld may seem like a refined car dealer, but he isn’t. Until last year, he held various management positions within the organisation that provides Dutch national employee insurance. “The position of Parts Manager involves a lot”, says Ron, now four months into his new job. “Most importantly, I have to make sure that the guys in the workshop get the right parts – in time, of course. Sometimes, I have to be quite inventive to source very rare parts, and need to phone and send emails to the farthest corners of the globe. When we recently needed special plugs, I found them in Finland! I’m responsible for selling parts to other parties, and I also take on other tasks that need to be done. I’m always busy and this makes me feel like an important part of the Noble House team.”

Albert Brunnenkreef exudes experience, knowledge and peacefulness. Excellent qualities for a workshop manager, and he grew up amidst cars to boot. “After graduating from the automotive business school IVA Driebergen, I moved through all possible positions at a large Opel dealership, from mechanic to salesman. It was a good time.” Albert next broadened his work field to shipbuilding, as a technical specialist for a dynamo manufacturer. He also worked as a teacher at the IVA in Driebergen. After managing a filling station with an all-round workshop, Albert followed his heart by founding a company called Classic Car Restoration towards the end of the 1990s. “Business grew rapidly, in the end I had ten staff members. I didn’t really want that any more though; I wanted to get back to the workshop. At Noble House I now work on the most exclusive and unique cars, and I have a lot of interaction with colleagues and clients. I am completely at home here.”

Classic cars and Joop Heespelink go together like need and speed. “A classic car is an emotional experience,” Joop declares passionately. “You are on the road with a personality, which talks to you, and you need to listen. New cars are wonderfully carefree, but a bit boring for me. My newest car at the moment is 21 years old. That’s what I call modern!” Joop began restoring cars when he was 20. His first project, a BMW 2002, is still regularly used by him for his commute. Joop started his career with a Porsche restoration firm and later worked for a dealer in classic cars. Kees Huis in ‘t Veld spotted Joop’s talent early on, and offered him a position as Project Manager in 2007. “This position at the moment puts me in charge of the realisation of four very special restoration objects. Unique work that suits me down to the ground.”

From the workshop of the local Ford dealership to the factory hall of the exclusive Spyker Cars. Six years ago that was a wonderful step in the career of Marcel de Graaf. “I was responsible for the quality control of the cars. I also put together a workshop manual with a number of my colleagues, which served as a guideline for the construction of a Spyker.” When Spyker production moved to England, Marcel was approached by Kees Huis in ‘t Veld with the request to join his team as Project Manager. “It was a big switch to move from a factory where new cars are being built to a restoration company where classic cars are first of all dismantled down to the bare metal! But by now I feel completely at home here.” Marcel also runs four large restoration projects. “They offer great technical challenges, and that makes working for Noble House especially interesting.”