Modern manufacturing techniques are not just the preserve of the latest ground-breaking supercars. They are equally applicable to the legion of classic and historic cars from decades gone by. We have spent over 60 years developing our automotive credentials and are able to use our wealth of experience and state-of-the-art facilities to produce custom pistons, whether for classic car restoration or customers racing with historic motorsport vehicles. Whatever the requirement, we have the solution.
The Cosworth name is steeped in motorsport and automotive history; we are respectful of our own heritage and recognise the importance of preserving the past. We can draw on our latest technology, including 3D mapping and reverse engineering expertise, to reproduce classic pistons and piston parts accurately to their original designs.


When it comes to complete redesigns of engine pistons, we are able to maintain the integrity of the original while reducing mass, enhancing performance and improving reliability. Our suite of analysis tools and sophisticated piston machining techniques give us complete flexibility to adapt to the individual requirements of our customers. A large range of different forgings are available, meaning we can tailor the design of forged pistons to the specific needs of each engine.


Our proven approach to the design and manufacture of performance pistons for classic and historic vehicles is perfectly demonstrated by the impressive roster of marques with whom we have worked: Jaguar, Aston Martin, MG, Porsche, Austin Healey, Ferrari, Ford, Bristol, Honda, Kawasaki and Harley Davidson, to name just some.


We also manufacture motorsport pistons for our own historic engines, from our iconic DFV engine, which – with 155 victories to its name – remains the most successful engine in Formula 1 history. It is not only classic racing pistons and car pistons that we are able to meticulously recreate or modernise, we have also manufactured components for aerospace and aviation customers. Using our in-house experts and cutting-edge facilities we have been able to support projects that have returned legendary planes to the sky. One such example in recent years was our work with the Royal Navy to reproduce pistons for the oldest surviving Fairey Swordfish Mk1 bi plane in the world.


As a group of passionate engineers and technologists, our team thrives on a challenge; taking projects back to their core, stripping them down for re-engineering, or painstakingly recreating them from scratch, is a labour of love. Piston manufacturing is a specialism that we are proud to have as part of our wider company offering; no matter how far back into history you delve, classic vehicles form part of our collective history. It is down to our appreciation for the artistry and technical prowess under the skin of historic cars and aircraft that we are able to use to our modern-day technology to preserve and modernise these vehicles for the enjoyment of generations to come.
Case studies
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CASE STUDY: GENERAL MOTORS
OVERVIEW General Motors has been producing performance cars for decades. The Corvette bloodline runs back to the early 1950s and... MORE >
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ARIEL HIPERCAR – AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EV PERFORMANCE
OVERVIEW When British sportscar manufacturer Ariel set its sights on producing a low volume production, ultra-high performance electric vehicle to... MORE >
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ANSIBLE MOTION
OVERVIEW Over the last two decades an increasing number of race teams have invested in using driver-in-loop simulation as a... MORE >
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AMPLIFII-2 PROGRAMME
AMPLiFII came from the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles in 2017 and was granted £9.98 million of funding for the... MORE >
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DYNISMA
OVERVIEW This is the second case study in our two-part, simulation series. This instalment covers the challenges and work we... MORE >
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CAT GEN – FILLING THE VOID
We recognise the role we play in tackling current environmental issues; our work in delivering emissions compliant propulsion solutions... MORE >
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