The Bodgewell Story
Where it all began…
The earliest beginnings of this Bodgewell nonsense can be traced back to New Zealand, a rather long way from the UK which has now become home for me (Jaz) and my 1965 Mk1 Mini – the car which now bears the Bodgewell name.
Since I got my driving license at the age of 15, I’ve been driving, modifying and messing around with old British cars – first MGBs, then my Mini which I bought sight unseen on my 18th birthday.
I moved to the UK in 2018, and within a couple of years, I dragged my little car across the world too!
It wasn’t long before I started tinkering again, and one day I decided to design a joke badge for the rocker cover. What did it say on it? Bodgewell.
Since then the name has stuck and I’ve continued to share my escapades under the Bodgewell moniker, prominently featuring the Mini along with other cars that I’ve bought and sold over the years!
Why “Bodgewell”?
I’ve always been intrigued by aftermarket tuning companies from the ’60s and beyond, who took standard Minis and turned them into cars that weren’t quite as slow as they left the factory.
Amongst other well-known tuners such as Downton Engineering, one particularly famous name is Speedwell, from which “Bodgewell” was derived.
It’s a little on-the-nose, but it’s as simple as that really!
The art of the bodge
In a way, Bodgewell is trying to reclaim and redefine the meaning of the word “bodge”.
Historically it’s been associated with unsafe corner-cutting; I prefer to see it as a descriptor of ingenuity, uniqueness, and something that a DIYer can achieve with a can-do attitude and some clever thinking.
Basically, don’t bodge so far as to put yourself or others in danger, but do give things a go, bend the rules, think outside the box, and have a bit of fun in the process!
Over the course of my Mini stewardship, I’ve applied those values in practice wherever I can. My cars are never perfect, even if they look half-decent in pictures (thanks Photoshop!)… but I’d sooner have a unique car that’s rough around the edges, than something I can barely drive out of fear of scratching an impossibly shiny paint job.
But what does Bodgewell even “do”?
Honestly? Not a lot.
Well not yet anyway!
Bodgewell is an outlet for various creative hobbies I enjoy, which is themed around DIY classic motoring and embodies my “perfection-averse” personal values.
Between driving and working on my own cars, I’m often pointing a camera at things, designing things, and talking rubbish with mates and like-minded enthusiasts.
Basically, expect to see some Mini-centric automotive social media content (quality and frequency not guaranteed!), and eventually I’d like to have some Bodgewell-designed things to sell you too.
Who am I?
I’m Jaz, short for Jasmine. By trade, I’m a Senior Project Manager with a background in digital tech (and I built this website!). That’s clearly a far cry from anything automotive, but tinkering with cars, taking photos and designing stuff is what keeps me sane after long days spent staring at spreadsheets and project plans.
Along with the Mini you see here, I’ve owned several other classics, and am currently dailying a 2007 Jaguar S-Type – that’ll no doubt need the Bodgewell treatment before long!
I also happen to be trans, so I’m trying to play a small part in boosting the inclusion & representation of fellow LGBTQ+’ers in the car scene.
Bodgewell is a culmination of my professional skillset, personal hobbies & values, and an outright obsession with Minis and all things automotive.
