Retro Rides

Steering an active website project to success

hite Ford Capri Mk1 classic car with blue racing stripes parked outdoors, "Retro Rides" number plate, front three-quarter view

Digital

User experience (UX) Digital design E-commerce Motion graphics WordPress Web development Members portal
Retro Rides approached walterwakefield with an ambitious vision for a specialist automotive marketplace and enthusiast community platform.
The website needed to support classifieds, auctions, events, clubs, editorial content and multiple third-party integrations, all while preparing for a major advertising campaign already locked into market. The project had already begun with other suppliers before reaching walterwakefield. Several systems and plugins were already in place, timelines were compressed, and the platform still required significant refinement before launch. The immediate challenge was stabilising the existing website, connecting multiple moving parts and delivering an MVP quickly enough to support the campaign rollout.

The approach

Rather than restarting the project entirely, walterwakefield stepped into the existing environment and worked iteratively to bring the website into a launch-ready state.

The project was delivered using an MVP approach, allowing the Retro Rides team to launch quickly while continuing to evolve the platform after release. Development, UX, integrations and stakeholder coordination all progressed simultaneously through agile sprints and close collaboration with the client team.

As the project evolved, walterwakefield also acted as the central point connecting multiple suppliers, technologies and stakeholders across the platform ecosystem.

The solution

Retro Rides successfully launched the website in time for campaign activity and continued building on the same platform foundation after launch.

The final website provided:

  • A scalable WordPress-based marketplace platform
  • Integrated listings, events, clubs and community functionality
  • Improved lead capture and enquiry workflows
  • A mobile-friendly experience designed around campaign traffic
  • A flexible structure capable of evolving alongside the business

The project demonstrated walterwakefield’s ability to step into complex digital environments, coordinate across multiple technologies and stakeholders, and deliver practical outcomes under significant time pressure.

Retro Rides "Why sell with Retro Rides" page, showing six seller benefits — Enthusiast Community, Expert Local Team, Curated Listings, Protect Against Data Theft, and Flexible Selling Options — beside a blue "Reach an audience of 2 million+" call-to-action with social media icons.
Retro Rides article page titled "Mazda's short film '25 Years With An RX-7' claims top honours at International Auto Film Festa" by Patrick Jackson, featuring a silver RX-7 in a flower field with a sidebar of related Entertainment stories.
Retro Rides website homepage showing the "Latest from News" section with articles on Bruce McLaren's original road car, RR Auctions' weekly auction shift, and a report on manual cars, plus a countdown banner for a live performance and classic car auction.

The outcome

Retro Rides successfully launched the website in time for campaign activity and continued building on the same platform foundation after launch.

The final website provided:

  • A scalable WordPress-based marketplace platform

  • Integrated listings, events, clubs and community functionality

  • Improved lead capture and enquiry workflows

  • A mobile-friendly experience designed around campaign traffic

  • A flexible structure capable of evolving alongside the business

The project demonstrated walterwakefield’s ability to step into complex digital environments, coordinate across multiple technologies and stakeholders, and deliver practical outcomes under significant time pressure.

Laptop on a wooden desk displaying the Retro Rides "Choose a package" pricing page, showing Standard, Premium, Boosted, and Auctions listing options for selling a classic car.

One of the realities of a startup is that your product strategy evolves constantly. As you learn from customers, priorities change, features move, and new opportunities emerge. You don’t just need a development agency, you need a partner that’s agile enough to adapt with you.

walterwakefield embraced that approach, working alongside our team to accommodate rapid shifts in direction without losing momentum. Their flexibility, collaborative mindset and ability to solve complex problems under significant time pressure were critical in helping us launch a platform that continues to evolve with our business.

Cameron Jurd, Founder & CEO, Retro Rides

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