
I was recently enjoying some reminiscences of earlier years with some friends and the discussion soon turned to ‘first cars’ or cars that we enjoyed the most. Having been in the business all my life, I’ve had the benefit of all kinds of motoring enjoyment, often at someone else’s expense, either as a ‘demonstrator’ or as a company car.
Earliest forays into the motoring world were actually on motorbikes – my twin brother and I got around on small sporty Hondas, funded by part-time jobs at a local supermarket. We rode quite a long way to school, about 25 miles, and soon got fed up with turning up like drowned rats in the inclemency of London’s weather.
We seconded mum’s car, as she hated driving and never used it; a 1958 Ford Anglia two-door in a dog’s vomit shade of light green, an 848cc side-valve four-pot which left this mortal coil at 40,000 miles after having guzzled more 20/50 oil than gas! The result of failing big-end bearings (and I suspect the flogging we gave it on a daily basis). The three-speed gearbox howled like a banshee and had no synchro in first gear.
We shared a 1965 Austin Mini van with a seat conversion in the back and it was put to all sorts of uses, most of which were never intended by the manufacturer! We acquired it with 22,000 miles and sold it with 89,000 – it turned out to have been “clocked” in the first place! It was as reliable as sun up and we loved it.
We went our separate ways for work and love lives and Robin bought a Renault 4, which he thought was very bohemian and his taste in cars never recovered! I went for more reliability and went backwards to a 1961 VW Beetle of indeterminate color – greige with a matching plastic interior. As with most Beetles in those days, it was built like a tank and continued to run in spite of almost seized kingpins and a backfire that launched one of the tailpipes like a Scud missile. A garishly bright blue 1963 Standard Eight didn’t last long as the steering and suspension needed an overhaul and were beyond my financial or technical capabilities.
Three Mini Coopers followed in quick succession, the first being discarded with a rotten rear sub frame and the others got tarted up with go-faster kits, wide wheels and straight through exhaust systems. They were all the rage at any strata of society from me to the Beatles, Bridget Bardot, Peter Sellers and the like. After three years on a management-training program at a Vauxhall/Bedford dealership in London I was packed off to GM’s European business school in Luton, Bedfordshire for a three-month residential diploma course. I was granted my first company car for the purpose; a brand new 1971 Vauxhall Victor SL. I felt like I’d made it!
My passion for cars has led me in many directions. My first company car in America was a 1982 Mercury Marquis from Budget Rent-a-Car’s Florida floating fleet – to me, it was huge. A Lincoln Mk V Coupe was even bigger. I’ve always indulged a passion for Land Rovers from Defenders to Range Rovers of various vintages and still own a 1997 AA Yellow P38 Range Rover, driven since new. I had a Rolls Royce at one time: a long wheelbase Silver Spur. Just like a boat, it was a great day when I bought it, an even better day when I sold it and a money pit in between.
Today, a small fleet graces the garage – a 1998 Morgan Plus 8, my Land Rover and a Jaguar F-Type R – all yellow!!