You never forget certain things....
Swimming and skiing are things you never forget for the rest of your life. Even if you haven't skied for years, you can get back on the slopes at any time and ski as if you had never been away. It's the same for professionals who have done what they love for many years. I had the pleasure of meeting one man at the opening of the special exhibition "Graber bodies" at the Pantheon in Muttenz (CH). Werner Haas was the last employee to be hired by Hermann Graber in Witrach (Bern) (as of June 1, 1967). Graber re-trimmed numerous cars from various manufacturers and maintained a very special relationship with Alvis.
The Alvis TF21 with chassis no. 27475 was the last car chassis from the British manufacturer to roll off the production line in 1967 and was bodyworked by Graber. Werner Haas worked on the last Alvis Graber convertible as a coachbuilder. The wooden mold for bodywork construction played an important role. Unfortunately, after Hermann Graber's death in 1970, all the wooden models were burnt. No problem for Werner Haas, he built a completely new model for the special exhibition of his long-time employer in the Pantheon, using his extensive experience and mostly just his head and his instincts. If you are lucky enough to stand next to him and see how, 50 years later, his hands still perform every movement as they did yesterday, you can't help but be amazed.
You can find out more about the exhibition in our comprehensive exhibition report.
