It is a fact that more than 60 per cent of Rolls-Royces built since the first one glided onto British roads in 1904 are still roadworthy.

Of course one of the reasons is the quality of the engineering that has gone into these majestic cars over generations which has frequently led to them being referred to as the best cars in the world.

But another major reason for their longevity is the dedication of enthusiasts who care for them.

One excellent example can be found in the unlikely surroundings of Little Clanfield in west Oxfordshire.

Fiennes Restoration has been in operation since 1980 when it was set up by Will Fiennes who took over vacant workshops in this small stream-side hamlet.

Mr Fiennes explained: "I had studied physics at university and went on to be involved in research and at that time I owned a pre-war car of my own.

"I was looking for alternative employment — so I rashly decided to turn a hobby into a business.

"I enjoyed doing the actual work, with my head under the bonnet as it were. But these days I usually have clean hands and am stuck on the telephone at my desk."

That is down to the fact that Fiennes Restoration now has a staff of 24, indicating the demand for their services from enthusiasts of what remains a niche car manufacturer, despite the company now being owned by BMW.

Of course most of the work has little to do with contemporary vehicles.

Much of it is concentrated on the manufacture of spare parts for the entire range of pre-World War II cars produced by Rolls-Royce.

On the mechanical side it deals only with Rolls-Royce and Bentley but for bodywork may have cars of other marques in its workshops.

How long they may stay depends on the complexity of the work needed — which may be more than at first appears and on how extensive a restoration an owner is seeking.

When the 2008 rally of members of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club took place at Kelmarsh Hall, Northamptonshire, this summer, two of the cars that won trophies owed their appearance in prime condition to work undertaken by the company.

The trophy-winning cars were both 1934 three-and-a-half litre Bentleys, one judged the most elegant car in the show, with unique continental coaching and the other the best touring car.

The company always provides a display at this event and this year took a car from the workshops to illustrate 'work in progress' and a selection of the parts which it supplies.

The car which was on show at Kelmarsh Hall, a Rolls-Royce 20/25, has already been at Little Clanfield for seven years.

This is a project that has required extensive research, for the car has had a chequered history, including being lifted out of a lake in Switzerland. Its life story began in the 1930s according to Mr Fiennes: He said: "It was built for a Swiss gentleman and originally had a formal limousine body, made by the Swiss coach-builder, Dangloss. But two years later he decided to go for a very rakish open two-door body built in its place by another Swiss coach-builder, Graber.

"He died before he could drive it and the car was sold to the brother of the King of Afghanistan, who was in the diplomatic service in Switzerland.

"In the summer of 1939, probably after a very good lunch, he misjudged a bend and dropped 30 metres into a lake. He and the car both survived and it was lifted out of the lake on the following day."

The car's next incarnation was a more sedate one, as the personal transport of a Church of Scotland minister just after the war. It was used to visit camps for prisoners of war and similar establishments.

By the 1960s it was in the United States, the property of the father-in-law of the present owner, who brought it back to this country in 1998.

The restoration is ongoing, for in this field of engineering time is not of the essence — in-depth research is needed before a car can be returned to its former glory.

An occasional visitor to Little Clanfield is a 1929 Skoda, a Type 422 model and a classic of its kind. It is owned by Skoda UK and is used by the company to go on show at motoring events. Bright yellow in colour, it always catches attention.

When the Peking to Paris rally is taking place, staff at Fiennes Restoration can look out for news of cars on which they may have worked, or for which they have supplied parts.

This event usually has a large number of pre-war cars among its entry, for, as Mr Fiennes explains, their larger wheels give good ground clearance over the rough terrain, where the lower more modern cars may have problems.

There is nothing standard about any of the cars that come into the workshops.

Many had unique coachwork — such as the one that began its life in Switzerland — built on to a Rolls-Royce chassis, to the owner's specification.

So each car that arrives is likely to provide a new and interesting challenge — one which that great engineer, Henry Royce himself, would doubtless have approved.