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Our History
THREE GENERATIONS OF WORKING WITH SERIES AND DEFENDER LAND ROVERS.
Meet Exmoor Trim - the British company that's producing authentic Series I seats and hoods to the same high standards of craftsmanship as the originals.
It's 1946. World War II has ended and young designer Bert Gostling has just started his career at the Rover car company's Solihull factory. One of his first jobs is to work on an experimental four-wheel drive vehicle based upon the US Jeep. Two years later that distinctive prototype with its central steering wheel would have evolved into the original Series I Land Rover.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Since then, Land Rover has forged an unrivalled reputation spanning over six decades. And so has the Gostling family. In fact the Gostlings' success story mirrors Land Rover's in an uncanny fashion. Bert grew up – he eventually became Land Rover's Senior Design Engineer – married, and his son, Lew, eventually followed in his father's footsteps through those famous factory gates in Lode Lane, Solihull.
Lew Gostling started his working career on trim development and eventually became Head of Experimental Trim. Nobody knew more about Land Rover seats than Lew. Lew's son Julian Gostling eventually left Solihull for Devon, where he set up his own company making aftermarket seats, covers and trims for Land Rovers, while his father continued with Trakkers in Solihull.
Today, Exmoor Trim is famous throughout the world for its products, which cover every model and span 62 years of Land Rover development. But the family firm, now run by a third generation, still has a soft spot for the original Series I which Bert Gostling helped launch in post-war Britain. In 1948, the sun still hadn't set on the British Empire, which stretched around the globe. Britain had a deserved reputation for engineering and design excellence – qualities that Bert's grandson and Exmoor Trim's Managing Direc tor, Julian Gostling, still hold dear today.
Julian is justly proud of the fact that his company's products span those decades to cater for all Land Rovers. And he is particularly proud of the Series I Seats and Hoods.
'Our skilled staff understand exactly what is required and ensure that all our seats and hoods are made with care and attention to detail,' says Julian. 'We still offer seats and hoods from pre-production hoods with brass gauze windows to bootlace-type early hoods and Mohair hoods for the latest Defender suitable for any restoration or upgrade.'