In a long-vacant industrial building on Mare Island, once a vital cog in the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding machine, a very different kind of manufacturing hum has taken hold. Where trains once rolled inside carrying steel and supplies for submarines and ships, technicians now strip, rebuild and re-engineer classic vehicles, many of them reborn as electric cars designed to meet modern expectations of performance, safety and reliability.
Kindred Motorsports is a restorer and modifier, or “restomod,” founded by technology and supply chain veteran Rob Howard. Its mission is to do something traditional restoration shops have struggled to achieve at scale: deliver fully rebuilt, turnkey classic vehicles using standardized processes, proprietary technology and factory-like quality control. And all that while preserving the emotional pull that made the originals iconic.
For Howard, the Vallejo company is the culmination of decades spent restoring cars one painstaking evening at a time.
“When my family went to bed, instead of watching a rerun of ‘Shawshank Redemption’ or something like that, I would go out in the garage and work on restoring cars,” he said.
Each project took thousands of hours.
“I saw how hard it was to do that. It took me years to do each one of my restorations, and when I was done, they weren’t quite right,” he said.
That frustration, combined with a career spent building and scaling technology-driven companies, planted the seed for Kindred. It would be a restoration business designed not around one-off craftsmanship alone, but around repeatability, engineering discipline, and modern manufacturing principles.
From startups to sheet metal
Howard’s professional background is far removed from the grease-stained stereotype of the classic car restorer. Originally from Philadelphia, the longtime Bay Area resident has built his career in logistics, delivery and enterprise technology.
In 2003, he cofounded Ensenada Inc., a San Francisco-based appliance installation company focused on local delivery, which was sold to Transforce in 2013. He then started Grand Junction, a technology platform for local delivery that was acquired by Target in 2017. Howard stayed on as vice president of technology, including supply chain and retail systems, until March 2020 when Kindred started to get on a roll.
Kindred had opened its first small, “scrappy” facility in San Rafael in 2019. The early days were collaborative and chaotic, Howard said, marked by memorable mishaps and small-team improvisation.
In February 2023, Kindred took a far larger step by opening its current headquarters and manufacturing facility in the 105,000-square-foot building on Mare Island. The company delivered its first completed vehicle, a Bronco Heritage Edition, in December 2023.
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Workers restore and modify classic Broncos inside Kindred Motorworks’ 105,000-square-foot “restomod” facility on Vallejo’s Mare Island on May 16, 2024. (Courtesy: Kindred Motorworks)
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Workers restore and modify classic Broncos inside Kindred Motorworks’ 105,000-square-foot “restomod” facility on Vallejo’s Mare Island on May 16, 2024. (Courtesy: Kindred Motorworks)
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Factory-style restomodding
Kindred operates in a segment of the automotive world that has grown rapidly over the past decade: factory-style restomods.
Unlike traditional custom shops, which typically build one-off vehicles with highly individualized processes, these operations rely on standardized workflows, engineering documentation, and proprietary components. The goal is to deliver consistent quality at volumes far higher than a bespoke restoration garage can manage.
Industry data suggests the market is expanding. A Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) study estimates that more than 9.4 million pre-1990 vehicles remain on the road in the United States.
While many owners still pursue factory-correct restorations, a growing number are opting to modernize their vehicles with upgraded drivetrains, suspensions, electronics and comfort features, the report said. Younger owners are particularly drawn to the approach: 38% of owners under 45, compared with 2% of older owners.
Kindred’s strategy aligns squarely with these trends. Rather than offering dozens of vehicle types, the company focuses on a limited lineup, creating each model through an intensive development program.
“We bring a model in, take it down and build it up then test it, prototype it until it’s perfect,” Howard said.
The process is supported by extensive documentation and digital tooling, via a proprietary software system called Blueprint.
“We have a lot of technology in the building that maps the genome of each one of these cars, the 5,000 steps to restore each one of these cars,” Howard said.
This approach has yielded significant gains when it comes to efficiency. Traditional restorations can require more than 2,000 labor hours per vehicle. Kindred has reduced that figure to roughly 1,100 hours for a Bronco, while maintaining a high level of fit and finish.
“It’s true craftsmanship,” Howard said. “Modern auto manufacturers have maybe 30 hours of labor in their cars, and the rest is robots. But here, there’s no robots. It’s all craftsmanship.”
Gasoline and the electric ‘Grayback’ platform
Kindred currently offers both gasoline-powered and electric versions of the Ford Bronco. Its gas Bronco starts at $199,000. The electric Bronco, available since mid-2025, starts at $225,000. The company also produces a modernized Chevy 3100 pickup, a model originally built between 1947 and 1953, with restomods available since 2024 starting at $169,000.
A reimagined Volkswagen Bus is slated for availability in the second quarter of next year, starting at $249,000.
At the heart of Kindred’s electric offerings is its proprietary EV architecture, known as “Grayback,” named after the legendary Grayback II submarine launched from Mare Island in 1957. The platform reflects Howard’s insistence that electrification must meet modern automotive standards, not hobbyist-level conversions.
The vehicles have a 200-mile range and support fast charging on Level 3 networks, allowing owners to recharge in about 25 minutes.
Howard said that capability requires serious engineering.
“You have to have a very robust EV platform with cooling and heating for the batteries, depending on the temperature outside,” he said. “With those types of things, there’s not DIY work. That’s true engineering to delivers a platform that’s safe and reliable.”
Performance and drivability are central to the pitch. Howard described the electric Bronco as fully modernized.
“It drives like a modern car,” he said. “It’s all-wheel drive, independent suspension on all four wheels, so it handles turns and bumps really well compared to the original truck setup.”
While some automakers and startups have explored alternative propulsion technologies, Howard has little interest in hydrogen fuel cells.
“For hydrogen, there’s just no way to fill your vehicle. So in my opinion, that’s DOA,” he said.
Celebrity interest and capital
Kindred’s EV ambitions have attracted notable backers, including actor Robert Downey Jr.
“He really wanted to convert his entire fleet of cars to electric, and he embarked on trying to do that, and it was really difficult,” Howard said.
Downey’s investment helped validate Kindred’s approach and draw attention to its EV platform. Overall, the company has raised approximately $50 million from a mix of venture capital firms, angel investors and celebrity backers. Another celebrity investor and brand spokesman is expected to be announced in coming months.
The funding supports not only vehicle development but also the slow, deliberate scaling of production. Kindred currently produces roughly one vehicle per week of each model. The company plans to introduce a fourth model in fall 2026, to be announced early in the year.
A growing workforce on Mare Island
Kindred employs a mix of seasoned automotive professionals (bodywork, paint, mechanical assembly and electrical systems). But its hiring philosophy reflects both the labor-intensive nature of its work and its desire to build institutional knowledge over time.
“We look for people to have experience in one of those areas,” Howard said. “Entry-level people can come in here with no experience and learn from the experienced team.”
The company draws talent from traditional restoration shops as well as Bay Area technology firms and electric vehicle manufacturers, including Tesla, Lucid and Rivian. Headcount now is around 100, and Kindred plans to hire 50–60 employees as it aims to double revenue in 2026.
The buying experience includes a $1,000 refundable pre-order, followed by a contract with a 50% deposit. Owners and their families can take part in a “customer work day,” visiting the plant to contribute directly to the build. Vehicles undergo road testing before delivery or pickup at Mare Island, and each comes with a one-year comprehensive warranty.
Competition grows
Kindred operates in an increasingly competitive restomod factory landscape. Established players include Singer Vehicle Design in Torrance, California; Velocity Restorations in Florida; Icon 4×4 in Southern California; Relic in Houston; and Eagle in the United Kingdom. Some companies, such as Singer, have faced legal scrutiny over branding and intellectual property, highlighting the importance of clear licensing and positioning in this niche.
Traditional automakers have also entered the space. Chevrolet Vintage launched in Brazil early this year, while European brands such as Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover and Ferrari operate heritage divisions offering factory restorations with modern updates.
Despite the competition, Howard believes Kindred’s blend of technology, craftsmanship and electrification sets it apart, particularly as regulatory pressure and consumer preferences increasingly favor low-emission vehicles.
Restoring more than cars
The significance of Kindred extends beyond balance sheets and build schedules. The company’s presence on Mare Island is part of a broader story about reuse, reinvention and continuity.
“We have a lot of pride in our community, and our employees do as well,” he said.
Jeff Quackenbush joined North Bay Business Journal in May 1999. He covers primarily wine, construction and real estate. Reach him at jeff@nbbj.news or 707-521-4256.
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