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Learn about Rolls-Royce and Bentley Picnic Tables (video)

by Rau February 4, 2013

The picnic tables found in Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles from the late 1950s and 1960s are beautiful, and have unique obstacles for refinishers…

2012 Year in Review (video)

by Rau January 2, 2013

The Year 2012 is over, and we’ve made many videos. Here’s a little review of the videos from 2012. Happy New Year from Rau.

Ford Raptor Steering Wheel (video)

by Rau November 6, 2012

A loyal Rau customer recently became the owner of a Ford Raptor and wanted us to customize the steering wheel and shift knobs with carbon fiber…

Damaged Wood

by Rau November 1, 2012

One day in October, we received three damaged trim pieces from three different dealerships from across the country…

Bentley Azure – MEGA WHEEL! (Video)

by Rau September 10, 2012

It’s no secret to fans of our blog that we make many custom steering wheels. This Bentley Azure steering wheel is just one example of the several very unique custom steering wheels we’ve made recently, but this wheel is more than just another custom William Rau steering wheel…

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Wood (video)

by Rau July 30, 2012

When buying a used car, even a Bentley or Rolls-Royce, there are things most buyers know to look for. Maybe they’ll kick the tires, maybe they’ll check the fluids, and maybe they’ll check the upholstery for damage, but few know what to look for when looking at used wood trim. Hopefully this video series can give you a little bit of advice on what to keep an eye out for when shopping for your next used Bentley or Rolls-Royce automobile…

Rolls-Royce Corniche with Picnic Tables (video)

by Rau July 16, 2012

There are a lot of makeover shows on TV these days. There are shows about home makeovers, personal makeovers, bar makeovers, and car makeovers, like one of the show we were a part of “Pimp My Ride”. These shows all show the after, or the “reveal” at the end. Why? It’s not as much of a surprise if everyone knows the surprise is coming at the end of the show. We’ve recently refinished a set of wood from a Rolls-Royce Corniche, and here’s the beautiful after…

Rolls-Royce 1972 Silver Shadow gets Personalized (video)

by Rau July 8, 2012

Based on our extreme before and after photos, some may think William Rau Automotive Woodwork only does makeovers on wood that’s badly damaged, but this is not true. We often work on wood that looks almost as good as it did when it was brand new. Some owners grow tired of their wood, some want something new, or on the rare occasion, they have another car and they want the woods to match. The wood from this Silver Shadow (later named the Silver Wraith) with the long wheelbase was in good condition but the owner wanted a personalized interior with more visually interesting wood treatment…

BMW 650i 2012 interior wood makeover (video)

by Rau July 5, 2012

On this blog and on our YouTube channel we often highlight work done for Bentleys and Rolls-Royces. Sometimes we show wood for Range Rovers or Mercedes-Benz we have worked on. On the rare occasion, we’ll show work we’ve done for a Packard. BMW lovers may feel left out, but hopefully not for long. Many of our customers come to us with older cars; 10, 20, 30, and even 100 years old; but often our customers come to us with new cars like this 2012 BMW 650i…

Bespoke Steering Wheels for Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Mercedes (video)

by Rau June 14, 2012

A trio of bespoke wood and leather steering wheels from 1959-2009 displaying a few design possibilities for airbag, and pre-airbag steering wheels.

Shown: a Bentley GT steering wheel in Piano Black with Mother of Pearl Inlays, a Rolls-Royce Shadow steering wheel from the mid 1960s-70s with Walnut Burl and leather, as well as a Mercedes 1959 220s steering wheel also with Walnut Burl and leather…

Steam Bending (video)

by Rau June 10, 2012

Steam bending is a centuries old technique for bending solid lumber. Steam bending has been used to shape wood for automobiles since the dawn of the automobile industry…

Interior Options for Range Rovers (video)

by Rau May 29, 2012

There are many interior options available for Range Rovers and here is a video showing just a few of these options.

Rolls-Royce 1991 Corniche wood evaluation: A New Discovery (video)

by Rau May 7, 2012

While working on this 1991 Rolls-Royce Corniche door cap a discovery was made. Watch this video for an explanation…

Rolls-Royce Steering Wheel Before and After (video)

by Rau April 25, 2012

It’s hard to believe that you would find a plastic steering wheel inside of an otherwise beautiful Rolls-Royce automobile, but that’s what you would find in a Silver Shadow from the mid 1960s…

1991 Rolls-Royce Corniche wood evaluation (video)

by Rau April 23, 2012

The first step in wood restoration is a proper evaluation by a qualified wood restorer. The preliminary examination takes place when the wood arrives and prior to the removal of the old finish…

1959 Mercedes Benz 220s Walnut Burl Steering Wheel (video)

by Rau April 19, 2012

Pre-airbag steering wheels offer a unique design oppotunity as seen with this 1950 Mercedes Benz 220s Steering wheel…

Veneers used by Bentley and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (video)

by Rau April 17, 2012

Some people would like to see what the wood veneers look like before they’re turned into beautiful steering wheels and accessories…

Rau’s new youtube channel

by Rau February 28, 2012

Finally after a long delay, we set up our new Youtube Channel called “The RAU Collection”…

Mercedes-Benz Week (day 4)

by Rau August 23, 2011

280 THURSDAY

Mercedes-Benz Week (day 2)

by Rau August 21, 2011

220s TUESDAY!

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