The definition of a motor mechanic has altered considerably over the last century, corresponding to the opening and closing of opportunities for workers. This paper explores the ways in which changing educational pathways and terminology have transformed the perceptions and realities of work and class status for motor mechanics. It examines how these perceptions were shaped by external forces that formalised the trade by the 1930s with certification requirements and formal education. Initially, motor mechanics were situated on the border between metalworking and engineering. However, by the 1960s, motor mechanics were positioned as a working-class trade, newly restricting their opportunities to transition into other, more esteemed, engineering fields. This paper will demonstrate how external social forces have shaped the class formation and positioning of the trade, but also how this position continues to be challenged by motor mechanics, redefining themselves and their work up to the present.