Almac Reinforced Plastics was started in 1971 by Alex McDonald in Upper Hutt.

Initially the company specialised in industrial fibreglass products, however Alex who was a fitter/turner and draughtsman by trade also had a huge love for cars, in particular, the legendary Shelby 427 SC Cobra.

In 1981 Alex and engineering friend, Graham Berry, joined forces and set out to build a very accurate Shelby 427 SC Cobra replica, initially just for themselves.

In March 1984 the first car was completed and taken to the National Hot Rod Show. Demand was so great that a new company (Almac Cars) was formed and seventeen 427SCs were built and sold in their first year of production.

Back then Alex believed he might be able to sell between 25 and 35 cars total before the New Zealand market was saturated. However, he was very wrong as well over 500 427SC cars were manufactured between 1984 and 2023, of which 30 were sold overseas, including the USA.

In 2024 Alex McDonald decided to retire and Malcolm Sankey (Owner and Director of Matamata Panelworks) jumped at the opportunity to purchase Almac Cars.

Since its establishment in 2000, Matamata Panelworks has been recognised as a leader in automotive restoration and custom paintwork. The company has earned an award-winning reputation for excellence in custom design and fabrication, offering specialised services in collision repair, car restoration, custom builds, custom paint, specialist vehicle sales, as well as performance parts and accessories.