About Us

With a boundless sense of humor and love hate relationship for all things British, Ted has had his head under one bonnet or another since 1980. He tricked out his first car in high school, a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine with three European rotating license plates, hidden control panel in the dash, tail trim which unfolds to reveal a toy machine gun extruding from rear lights, and a converted Toyota twin cam engine.

Putting in over three decades professional experience, Ted previously wrenched for Sports Car Craftsman and Scotland Yard before opening his own shop.  Having the opportunity to work on a wide range of European sports cars is a particular delight. Ted's expansive knowledge and experience with these cars is critical to the great reputation of Allies Vintage, and has been the keystone of the shops success since 2016. 

"The passion for old and interesting cars is multi-faceted. Vintage cars embody history, engineering, and art, offering a window into the culture at the time of their creation and minds of the people who designed and built them.  They are also a form of self-expression just like one’s clothing, house, sunglasses or shoes might be, and you can use them for work or fun, and even after spending staggering amounts of money on one, sometimes you end up making a few bucks after selling!  Personally, I consider fixing them and driving them daily as a sort of “badge of honor” because it IS difficult, then enjoying them as art, props, and transportation turning a commute into a fun part of my day".    

Like Ted, Hayden began working on classic cars in high school, starting with his '68 Ford F100 4x4 as a weekend project. While earning his degree in Industrial Design at MSU Denver, he made connections in the local vintage automotive scene. After working with friends and mentors on their Euro sports cars, he caught the bug, and bought a '66 Volvo 1800S - a parts car. He spent the next year bringing it back from the dead, including a hopped up engine rebuild, loads of rust repair and metal work, and just about everything else a car could need. That Volvo has now taken him many thousands of miles across the Rockies, as well as to work every day. 

Hayden took the opportunity to work at Ax and Allies in January of 2022, and has been there ever since. Now a half owner of the shop, he uses his years of experience to fix and restore a variety of vintage cars. Despite his age, he packs a mechanical punch beyond his years, having learned from some great wrenches in the Denver classic car scene. He uses his Industrial Design perspective to approach car repair from a unique angle supported by creativity and craftsmanship. 

In the 2023, Hayden earned his competition license in Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing, as well as the title of Rookie of the year in RMVR, wielding none other than a race-prepped Triumph TR4A. 

When not at the shop, you might catch Hayden on a sports car camping trip out west, playing guitar with his buddies, or fabricating some fun design project.