In pictures: The tiny Sussex firm with a giant reputation for its model cars and aircraft

Scale Model Technical Services was founded in 1983 by Keith Williams and John Allen. It actually started up in an agricultural shed in Keith’s home town of Horsham but moved to Hastings shortly after when new premises became available.

It creates beautifully crafted and highly detailed specialist models that are prized by collectors all over the world and used by famous businesses to promote their brand.

Keith explained: “When we first started we went from employing two or three people to having 32 staff and a larger factory, but then the Chinese entered the market in the 1990’s and changed everything forever, although to start with their models were quite crude it didn't take them long to up their game.

"We were forced to scale back and move to a smaller premises, but we are still going with nine staff.”

Commenting on how the business has changed, Keith said: “Our products are still essentially hand made but tooling now starts with 3D design and 3D printing. The people who use to tool part from brass are now old and retired or have passed on. It has become a lost art.”

Inspired by Keith’s passion for classic and racing cars, that is what the company started out with and still makes them today, but they have branched out into aircraft, ships and other vehicles, including one-off marketing models. John and Keith are still working for SMTS but are both semi retired. Simon Elford now runs the business alongside the new owners.

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