As the year starts to slow down, it feels like the right time to stop, take a breath, and look back on what’s been a properly busy one for us.
2025 has been full of miles, late nights, half-finished jobs, big wins, small setbacks, and a lot of time spent with good people around cars.
We spent a lot of this year out on the road. Attending shows has never really been about the “showing” for us, it’s always been about turning up, supporting others when we can and seeing familiar faces in different places. From smaller local events to bigger weekends away, every show felt like a chance to catch up, talk cars, and remind ourselves why this whole thing started in the first place.
No matter where we went, the same thing stood out: the people. Seeing builds progress in real life after following them online, meeting new faces who’ve been quietly supporting Rollhard for years and reconnecting with old friends from years gone by.
Japan
The Japan trip in January was a big one for us. Something we’ve talked about for years and it finally left the group chat. It wasn’t just about the cars although they were as expected incredible, but about seeing where so much inspiration comes from firsthand and finally meeting friends we have spoken to on socials for years previously.
Workshops, street cars, late nights, early mornings, and just soaking it all in. Coming back home with full cameras and even fuller heads reminded us why curiosity and travel are such a big part of car culture. It definitely left its mark on how we think about builds and events moving forward.
The Builds: Slow, Honest Progress
The Datsun, Golf and Volvo builds carried on ticking away in the background this year. No rushed deadlines, no shortcuts, just steady progress when time allowed. Anyone who’s built a car alongside real life knows how that goes.
Some parts were rewarding, some parts were painful, but all of the builds continued to reflect what we enjoy most: learning as we go and not pretending everything’s perfect. The Datsun and Volvo are far from finished, but that’s part of the fun. In 2026 we are making extra effort to bring you more content on the builds to keep you updated.
Bicester
Our show at Bicester Heritage remains the heartbeat of the year. Every time it rolls around, we’re reminded how lucky we are to be able to host something that still feels relaxed, welcoming, and genuinely about the community.
Seeing the site filled with such a wide mix of cars and people, all styles, all stages, all levels never gets old. It still feels more like a big meet than a traditional show, and that’s exactly how we want it to stay. This year we introduced our Saturday evening meeting and it made for the perfect adition to the weekend, work has already started for RH x BH 2026 and we cannot wait to spill the beans.
Once again we would like to thank our team member Odds for the hours put into this years awards, firmly our favourite to date and thank you to the guys at Carbon Collective for the amazing giveaway bags, which included custom RH x CC detailer bottles.
Privateers
The Privateers event was another standout moment. A slightly different pace, more intimate and very much focused on the experience rather than the spectacle. These kind of events remind us that smaller, considered gatherings have just as much value as the big ones. It was great to have Nitron Suspension involved with our first Privateers event and meet the faces from Swift Performance, we are excited to announce some more dates for 2026.
15 Years of Rollhard
Somewhere in the middle of all this, Rollhard quietly hit 15 years. A huge milestone for a brand that operates as a "hobby business". We won’t go too deep here there’s a proper post for that here, but it did give us a moment to reflect and host a little get together at Hagerty HQ. Fifteen years of friendships, ideas, cars, mistakes, and moments we never expected. Still humbling to think about.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, we’re focused on keeping the momentum without forcing it. More time with good people, the cars being built the right way and more moments that remind us why we started this in the first place. 2026 will see us focusing back on the apparel side of the brand and refine the content we post.
Thanks to everyone who came out to an event, said hello at a show, followed a build, bought some merch, or just quietly supported from a distance. None of it works without that.
Team Rollard
