For our second photoshoot of the summer, Ettinger has partnered with British brand RBW EV Cars, creators of handcrafted electric vehicles that combine the timeless style of classic British motoring with modern electric technology. Their beautifully designed cars accompanied us throughout our London shoot in May, providing the perfect backdrop for showcasing our travel accessories and bags.
To learn more about the inspiration behind the brand and its vision for the future of classic motoring, we sat down with RBW's Founder and CEO, Peter Swain.
What inspired you to create RBW EV Cars?
"It all started with my wife.
She’d always loved the look and character of classic British sports cars, but like many people, she didn’t want the worry that often comes with owning one. The reality is that classic cars can be temperamental. You never quite know whether they’re going to start, whether they’ll get you home or what might need fixing next. That got me thinking - surely there was a way to enjoy everything people love about these iconic British cars without the compromises.
That was really the beginning of RBW.
From the very start, it was a family business in every sense. In fact, the name RBW comes from my three children - Rose, Becky and Wes. They’ve always been my inspiration, and it felt right that the company should carry a part of my family with it as we built something for the future.
What started as an idea to build a car my wife could enjoy has grown into a business with customers around the world. Today, we export British-built cars globally and are preparing to open our EV Village in Virginia, USA, but the original idea hasn’t changed. We simply wanted to build a beautiful British sports car that people could enjoy every day.
For me, RBW has always been about family, British craftsmanship and giving these timeless cars a future."
RBW combines timeless British automotive design with modern electric technology. How do you balance preserving traditional craftsmanship and heritage while creating something innovative for the future?
"I've never believed that innovation means forgetting where you've come from.
When you look at classic British sports cars, they've got proportions and styling that people have fallen in love with for generations. You don't improve that by trying to reinvent it.
What you can improve is everything you don't see.
Modern electric technology gives us reliability, smoother performance and a far more enjoyable ownership experience, while the craftsmanship remains very traditional. Every RBW is hand-built here in Britain by skilled people who genuinely care about what they're creating.
We're not trying to recreate the past; we're building its future. We respect the heritage of these beautiful British sports cars, but we're giving them a new chapter that people can enjoy every day.
To me, craftsmanship isn't old-fashioned. It's timeless. Technology changes, but quality never goes out of style."
What similarities do you see between RBW and Ettinger?
"I think we're cut from the same cloth.
Both companies are proud to manufacture in Britain and both believe that quality comes before quantity.
Whether it's one of our cars or one of Ettinger's leather goods, you're buying something that's been made by skilled craftspeople using traditional techniques, not something that's simply been mass-produced.
We're also both family businesses at heart, built on values rather than trends. I think customers appreciate knowing there's genuine passion behind what we do.
Heritage isn't something you simply talk about. It's something you earn by making products properly, year after year.
There's a real honesty in that, and I think that's something both brands share."
Your factory is located in Lichfield, close to Ettinger's factory in Walsall. What made you choose this area as the home for RBW, and how does the region influencer your work?
"The Midlands has always been the home of British engineering, so for us it felt like the natural place to build RBW.
Within a relatively small area you've got generations of engineering knowledge, specialist suppliers and incredibly talented craftspeople. That's something you simply can't replicate overnight.
There's also a huge amount of pride here. People understand manufacturing because it's part of the region's DNA.
We're building cars for the future, but we're doing it in the very place that helped build Britain's automotive reputation in the first place. I think there's something rather special about that."
Looking back on RBW's journey so far, what are the achievements or moments you feel most proud of since launching the brand?
"I think I'm most proud that we've stayed true to the original idea.
When we first started talking about building brand-new British electric sports cars, quite a few people thought we were mad. But we believed there was a market for beautifully built British cars that combined timeless design with modern technology.
Since then we've developed our own electric platform, built an exceptional team here in the Midlands and created a manufacturing business that is proudly British.
What really makes me proud, though, is seeing RBW recognised around the world. We now sell our cars globally, with customers who appreciate British craftsmanship and engineering wherever they are. To see something that started from a conversation at home now being enjoyed internationally is incredibly rewarding.
The next major milestone is the opening of our EV Village in Virginia, USA. That's a hugely exciting step for us because it represents much more than selling cars. It creates a destination where people can experience our vision, our technology and our passion for British craftsmanship first hand.
For a company that's still relatively young, that's something I'm incredibly proud of."
And now, looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of RBW and the evolution of British craftsmanship in the automotive world?
"What excites me most is that we're only just getting started.
The opening of our EV Village in Virginia is a major step for us. It gives us a real presence in one of the world's biggest automotive markets and demonstrates that British craftsmanship has global appeal. People all over the world recognise the heritage of British sports cars, and we're proud to be taking that story overseas in a modern way.
We're continuing to invest in new technology, new products and new partnerships, but without ever losing sight of who we are.
I also think British manufacturing has a tremendous future. The world doesn't need more products that all look and feel the same. It needs products with authenticity, craftsmanship and a story behind them.
That's what RBW is all about. We build every car with pride here in Britain, but we build them for customers all over the world. If we can continue to showcase the very best of British engineering and craftsmanship on a global stage, then I think the future is incredibly exciting.
At the end of the day, I still get the same satisfaction I did when we started. Seeing someone fall in love with one of our cars never gets old. People don't buy an RBW because it's electric. They buy it because it makes them smile. The fact that it's electric simply means they can enjoy that smile every single day."