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<strong>Celebrating</strong> Father’s <strong>Day</strong><br />
CAR MAD?<br />
IT’S BECAUSE OF DAD<br />
We asked you to tell us the stories<br />
of how Fathers had got their<br />
children into classics cars –<br />
and you didn’t disappoint<br />
T<br />
hey say most football fans support<br />
the teams they do because of their<br />
dads, but what about more<br />
important things – like cars?<br />
We asked you to tell us the stories of how<br />
fathers had got their children into classics, and<br />
had responses from sons, daughters and dads.<br />
Growing up around old cars seems to rub off<br />
on children, because so many of you told us<br />
that this was the reason why you now had your<br />
own classic, whether it’s a Mini, Peugeot 205 or<br />
Triumph Toledo.<br />
It’s more than just inspiration for many of<br />
you, though – there were touching stories of<br />
relationships built on a shared interest, <strong>with</strong><br />
joint restorations a common theme, often<br />
<strong>with</strong> children helping to restore cars that they<br />
would be gifted when they reached 17. So too,<br />
you shared stories of multi-generational classic<br />
car families, <strong>with</strong> oil truly running in some<br />
families’ veins.<br />
Here are 12 of those stories, as we approach<br />
Fathers’ <strong>Day</strong> and the time to say ‘Thanks, dad.’<br />
Words Charlie Calderwood PHOTOGRAPHY CCW Collection<br />
this week p2-11 out & about p14-15 living <strong>with</strong> classics p22-24 buying & selling p26-35 CLASSIFIEDS p38-57<br />
ANDREW<br />
& GEORGE<br />
JACKSON<br />
CUMBRIA<br />
‘My youngest son George has<br />
been brought up around classic<br />
cars because I have quite a large<br />
and varied collection that we’ve<br />
showed all over northern England<br />
ever since George was born.<br />
‘The collection includes a 1978<br />
Pontiac Trans Am, a 1963 Ford<br />
Galaxie 500 convertible, a 1977<br />
Jaguar XJC V12, a 1939 Rover<br />
14HP, a 1972 Rover 2000, a 1966<br />
Wolseley 16/60, a 1969 Rolls-<br />
Royce Silver Shadow and a pair of<br />
Triumph Stags.<br />
‘George and I have been working<br />
on a 1972 MG Midget since last<br />
summer. I’ve owned the car for<br />
more than 15 years, but it has sat<br />
unloved in my workshop. George<br />
set an aim to get the car finished<br />
for this year’s Whitby Traction<br />
Engine Rally, which was planned to<br />
run at the end of July. Last year we<br />
cleaned off all the old underseal,<br />
welded three small areas and then<br />
re-coated the underside.<br />
‘George has pushed the<br />
restoration on over the last six<br />
weeks. We cut out all of the rust,<br />
welded in new repair sections and<br />
primed and re-painted it.<br />
‘The car is road legal, now, and<br />
we will be off to Whitby as soon as<br />
the current coronavirus lockdown<br />
is lifted.’<br />
Andrew Jackson<br />
and his son George<br />
restored this MG<br />
Midget together.<br />
DAVID &<br />
ROBERT BERG<br />
LONDON<br />
‘Dad has always been a petrolhead,<br />
owning a variety of cars including<br />
Morgans, Bentleys and Rolls-Royces. I<br />
have grown up around them and got the<br />
bug for them as child, encouraged by him.<br />
‘I’m now restoring my grandad’s<br />
Wolseley 6/110, which has only done<br />
34,000 miles from new. I’ve had it resprayed<br />
and the leather re-trimmed, I’m<br />
just waiting for the wood trim – which is<br />
stuck in north Norfolk at the moment – to<br />
arrive but I’m very excited to get it back<br />
in the car.’<br />
David Berg got<br />
into classics<br />
through his dad,<br />
Robert, and is<br />
now restoring<br />
his grandad’s<br />
Wolseley 6/110.<br />
BEN GITTUS-NASH & TONY NASH WARWICKSHIRE<br />
‘My father has been an enormous<br />
classic car fan ever since I was young<br />
– I remember taking a trip in my<br />
grandfather’s midnight blue MGB that he<br />
had rebuilt when I was quite young.<br />
‘This love for cars was further<br />
cemented when my father bought his<br />
1971 MGB in 2002 – the highlight of my<br />
weekends throughout summer was<br />
going to car shows and on classic rallies<br />
<strong>with</strong> him. I specifically loved the ‘tulip<br />
run’ style where I’d be his co-driver. We<br />
always listened to Jeff Wayne’s War of<br />
the Worlds and Glenn Miller. These rallies<br />
were always superb because he makes<br />
excellent picnics!<br />
‘My very first car was a 1976 MGB GT<br />
(which dad bought for me) and I’ve never<br />
been so proud to have such a stand-out<br />
car as a 17-year-old.<br />
‘My cars were predominantly<br />
turbocharged and Japanese in my 20s,<br />
but I inherited my grandfather’s Triumph<br />
Roadster 1800 18 months ago. It was<br />
his prized possession for 43 years so<br />
to say that I’m now obsessed <strong>with</strong> it is<br />
an understatement. It belonged to my<br />
mum’s boyfriend when she was 17; when<br />
he came to visit in 1976 my grandmother<br />
TOBY & NIGEL BROWN BERKSHIRE<br />
‘Living on the family farm since I was<br />
born, I have always been brought up<br />
around machinery and vehicles. I’ve<br />
always watched from behind while my<br />
dad fixed his old cars and machines and<br />
would constantly be the designated<br />
“chief torch holder” on various projects.<br />
‘He’s owned a 1942 Willys Jeep for<br />
as long as I can remember; there are<br />
countless photos of me fast asleep in<br />
the back from a young age, despite the<br />
bumpy ride. I learned to drive in that<br />
same Jeep, which bit me in the backside<br />
Ben inherited his Triumph Roadster from his grandfather; he and dad, Tony, got him into classics.<br />
when I had to switch from left- to righthand-drive<br />
for the first time when I took<br />
my driving test!<br />
‘Now 19, I’m a partner in our family<br />
garage, Browns <strong>Classic</strong>s, in West<br />
Berkshire, and own a 1985 Mini, 1952<br />
Fordson Thames lorry and three MGB<br />
GTs — one modified for hillclimbing.<br />
‘I’m grateful I still live on the farm,<br />
otherwise I wouldn’t be able to keep<br />
buying these rust buckets!’<br />
was so taken <strong>with</strong> the look of it that she<br />
told my grandfather that he should buy<br />
it and it has been in our family ever since.<br />
‘I wholeheartedly point my finger at my<br />
father and grandfather for my vehicular<br />
obsession, though I’m not complaining!’<br />
What to get your classic-mad dad this Father’s <strong>Day</strong> (21 June)<br />
Personalised Technical<br />
Portrait from £45<br />
Graeme Jenner’s technical portraits<br />
are more than just attractive wall<br />
hangings (though that they very<br />
much are) – you can also get your<br />
dad’s classic exactly replicated in<br />
the prints, complete <strong>with</strong> his name<br />
and the correct specifications for<br />
his exact model in the text. As long<br />
as Graeme has already prepared<br />
an illustration of the model – and<br />
by now he has covered most 1960s<br />
and 1970s British classics, among<br />
many others – he can produce<br />
the personalised portrait for £45<br />
– slightly more if non-standard<br />
features need to be added.<br />
❚ classiccarportraits.co.uk<br />
Poorboy’s World Bird Sh#T Remover £9.95<br />
This might seem like a joke, but anyone who has left bird<br />
droppings on the beloved classic’s paintwork for too<br />
long will tell you that serious damage can be done by<br />
your local avian wildlife. Provide your dad <strong>with</strong> Poorboy’s<br />
unambiguously named Sh#t Remover, however, and he’ll be<br />
able to remove droppings, no matter how toxic and tar like,<br />
<strong>with</strong> ease. What’s more, he’ll be able to do so <strong>with</strong>out having<br />
to wash the entire car, saving him precious time. Far from<br />
the most glamorous gift, but a damn useful one.<br />
❚ poorboysworld.co.uk<br />
Exclusive<br />
CCW offer<br />
Follow<br />
the link<br />
Air Force Blaster Sidekick £108<br />
The perfect car clean is as much in the drying as the washing, which<br />
is where this dryer comes in. Designed for drying out areas that are<br />
difficult or impossible to dry by hand – whether that’s wire wheels,<br />
grilles, mirrors or aero screens – the Blaster Sidekick can level up the<br />
car cleaning abilities of even seasoned detailers. It comes <strong>with</strong> a twoyear<br />
warranty, and – in a CCW exclusive offer – a replacement filter<br />
pack, three feet of hose and UK mainland free delivery included.<br />
❚ cardryers.co.uk/ccw ❚ Offer valid until 13 June<br />
Stanley Seven-Piece<br />
Toolkit £66.73<br />
Is your dad making do <strong>with</strong> a worn old<br />
toolbox? Or does he have tools strewn<br />
across multiple drawers and cupboards?<br />
This 16-inch toolbox is a perfect way of<br />
organising a large selection of tools, and<br />
includes a hammer, screwdriver set, tape<br />
measure, knife and spirit level to top up<br />
his tool collection.<br />
❚ toolbank.com<br />
16 | classic car weekly Wednesday 3 June 2020<br />
Wednesday 3 June 2020 classic car weekly | 17
<strong>Celebrating</strong> Father’s <strong>Day</strong><br />
AARON & DAVID TURNER<br />
BERKSHIRE<br />
‘My dad David had owned his 1972 MG<br />
Midget for nearly ten years before I was<br />
born, so I was used to being <strong>with</strong> classic<br />
cars as far back as I can remember. I used to<br />
help him when he was cleaning it or working<br />
on it, and then accompanied him on classic<br />
car runs when I could hardly see through<br />
the windscreen!<br />
‘I’d always loved Minis and after a long<br />
search we finally bought an ‘Italian Job’<br />
Limited Edition just before my 17th birthday.<br />
Dad gave me some early driving lessons on<br />
private land so that I was ready to go out<br />
on the road as soon as I turned 17. I’m now<br />
thoroughly enjoying introducing it to my<br />
two-year-old son.<br />
‘Then, to mark my 21st birthday, dad<br />
and I joined the four-day ‘Brussels-Paris-<br />
Brussels’ event commemorating the Mini’s<br />
50th anniversary. We were the only British<br />
crew and shared the driving and navigating,<br />
which was rather challenging as the route<br />
books were designed to catch you out!<br />
‘Dad’s MG TD had been laid up for several<br />
years when I told him that I’d love to use it<br />
as my wedding car.<br />
‘I helped him to get it back on the road,<br />
which included a clutch change, plus an<br />
overhaul of the brakes and fuel system. It<br />
was great to be able to use a car that we<br />
had both enjoyed over the years and now it<br />
has an even more special place in my heart.‘<br />
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Lance Forty’s Dad<br />
Phil sold Jaguars<br />
in the 1960s.<br />
Aaron helped to<br />
recommission<br />
Dad David’s MG<br />
TD, which was<br />
then Aaron’s<br />
wedding car.<br />
MG TD Engine 1250cc/4-cyl/OHV POWER 54bhp@5200rpm TORQUE<br />
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IAN & ANTHONY EDWARDS<br />
GLOUCESTERSHIRE<br />
‘My dad was a young apprentice for<br />
Le Mans winner, Ivor Bueb, and was<br />
taking part in trials back in 1950 in his<br />
1938 MG TA. I have been in a world of<br />
cars, whether motorsport or classics,<br />
ever since I was born. My earliest<br />
memory is the 1970 Gold Cup at<br />
Oulton Park and a visit to Beaulieu<br />
shortly after.<br />
‘My latest classic is an Austin A30<br />
which has been built to Historic<br />
Racing Drivers’ Club Academy spec,<br />
but I haven’t been able to show it to<br />
dad recently because he is currently<br />
in isolation.’<br />
Ian Edwards currently has an<br />
Academy-spec A30, having grown up<br />
seeing his dad racing classic machinery.<br />
Aaron and Dad David completed<br />
the Brussels-Paris-Brussels run<br />
together in Aaron’s Mini.<br />
RACHAEL &<br />
EDDIE FOSTER<br />
LANCASHIRE<br />
‘My dad has always loved classic cars<br />
and bought a Morris Oxford when he<br />
hit his “mid-life crisis” at 40 and I was 11<br />
years old. I fell in love <strong>with</strong> classics from<br />
attending classic car shows and meets<br />
for many years and together we decided<br />
that a Morris Minor would make the<br />
perfect first car!<br />
‘We bought a 1969 Morris Minor<br />
1000 six months before I turned 17 and<br />
tinkered away on it to get it ready for<br />
me to start driving lessons. Dad took<br />
me for my first driving lesson on my 17th<br />
birthday and a few months later I took<br />
my test in the Moggy and passed (well,<br />
second time lucky!)<br />
‘I’ve had “Bella” for ten years now and<br />
she was my daily driver until I started<br />
work in Liverpool and I felt the 50-miles<br />
commute just wasn’t fair on her.<br />
Rachael Foster got her Morris<br />
Minor as her first car <strong>with</strong> the<br />
help of dad Eddie ten years ago.<br />
‘She now comes out on sunny days,<br />
and continues to raise a smile on my face<br />
and those of the many people who I pass<br />
on the roads.’<br />
REBECCA & ANDREW SALES<br />
KENT<br />
‘My dad owned classic cars before<br />
I was born. The first ones I can<br />
remember (and which he still owns)<br />
are a 1961 Ford Zephyr MkII and a<br />
1964 Ford Anglia 123E Super. His<br />
collection has since grown <strong>with</strong> a 1961<br />
Ford Thames Van, ‘62 Ford Thames<br />
Van, ‘59 Chevy Apache Truck and a<br />
‘59 Chevy Apache school bus.<br />
‘My dad has currently been<br />
restoring a 1971 Fiat 500 for my 21st<br />
birthday in June. I’ve always attended<br />
classic car shows <strong>with</strong> my dad ever<br />
since I was a baby and have always<br />
enjoyed every minute of them – and<br />
still do now.<br />
‘I can’t wait to show my classic Fiat<br />
500 off at car shows.’<br />
LESLIE & STUART MURRAY DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY<br />
‘When I was a boy the Triumph Spitfire was<br />
my dream car; I lived across the road from<br />
a garage where one of the mechanics had<br />
one. My wife hired a Spitfire for a day when<br />
I turned 50, which made me want one even<br />
more, so I trawled online until I found one.<br />
‘We have always enjoyed classic cars so<br />
it was no surprise that my son decided that<br />
he wanted one, too; he was very keen on a<br />
Triumph 1300, but was still a student at the<br />
time so they were out of his budget. We<br />
were at the Thirlestane Castle classic car<br />
show <strong>with</strong> my Spitfire in June 2016 when he<br />
spied a 1975 Toledo, which he got for £1400<br />
and since then we have been to a local<br />
show in our cars twice.<br />
‘He went back to university to do a<br />
Masters so the car hasn’t been out much,<br />
but he says that he will never part <strong>with</strong> it.’<br />
Tim and brother<br />
Martin bought their<br />
dad a Ford Anglia as a<br />
retirement present.<br />
TIM & JOHN YORK Somerset<br />
‘My late and much missed father, John,<br />
spent his life working in the motor trade<br />
following an apprenticeship at Bristol<br />
Vauxhall dealer, Bawns. His infectious<br />
enthusiasm got me into classics by the<br />
time I was 21 <strong>with</strong> an Anglia 100E and I<br />
currently have a stable of nine, ranging<br />
from a 1928 Singer Junior through to a<br />
2008 Mustang GT V8 convertible.<br />
‘My brother Martin and I bought a Ford<br />
Anglia E494A for him as a project when he<br />
retired, and helped him to restore it.<br />
‘Fast forward more than 20 years<br />
and the Anglia now lives <strong>with</strong> me and I<br />
displayed it at the <strong>Classic</strong> Motor Show last<br />
year on the Boston <strong>Classic</strong> <strong>Car</strong> Club stand.<br />
My brother was able to bring mum to see<br />
it there and it was a very emotional time.<br />
‘The genes have been safely passed<br />
onto my son, Ollie, who runs a Ford Capri<br />
2.0 S and my eight-year-old grandson<br />
Callum is being suitably brought up, so it<br />
looks like the love of classics is safe for<br />
generations to come!’<br />
Leslie and Stuart got into classics<br />
together – Stuart bought his Toledo<br />
shortly after Leslie bought his Spitfire.<br />
LANCE &<br />
PHIL FORTY<br />
GLOUCESTERSHIRE<br />
‘I have been selling cars for more than<br />
40 years; I was inspired by my late father,<br />
who was in the trade from 1950 to 1992.<br />
‘When I was at school, he had the local<br />
dealership for Jaguar and Daimler. He<br />
would take me to school in E-types and<br />
other demonstrators. My school mates<br />
were most impressed! I’ve since tracked<br />
down one of those E-types and have<br />
arranged to view it after the lockdown.<br />
‘My dad was also a classic enthusiast,<br />
<strong>with</strong> cars of the 1920s and 1930s the<br />
classics of his age – he owned several<br />
and my most vivid memory is of his 1938<br />
Austin 10 Cambridge. I would assist him<br />
<strong>with</strong> maintenance and polishing and now<br />
my classics are those of the 1950s and<br />
1960s, similar to what my father sold<br />
new. I currently have a very low mileage<br />
1962 Wolseley 1500.’<br />
Lance has tracked down the E-type that<br />
his dad was photographed <strong>with</strong> and<br />
plans to go and see the car.<br />
What to get your classic-mad dad this Father’s <strong>Day</strong> (21 June)<br />
Reckitt’s Karpol Can £69.99<br />
Your dad’s workshop may be stocked<br />
<strong>with</strong> tools, but is it well decorated? These<br />
original Reckitt’s Karpol cans (a polish<br />
brand dating back to the 1930s) make for<br />
the perfect shelf decorations for a garage<br />
or home office. The largest is 15cm tall<br />
and they are sold as a trio – there’s only<br />
one set in stock though, so be quick.<br />
❚ vintageautomobilia.co.uk<br />
Luft Sportscar Toy £35<br />
Dads who spend their working days<br />
stuck at a desk will appreciate this<br />
stylised Porsche 911. At 17.5cm long it’s a<br />
good size, but more importantly, it has<br />
rolling rubber wheels, making it a perfect<br />
procrastination tool. Green, black, grey<br />
and orange are available.<br />
❚ meandmycar.co.uk<br />
Formula 1: <strong>Car</strong> by <strong>Car</strong><br />
1950-59 £50<br />
EVRO’s ‘<strong>Car</strong> by <strong>Car</strong>’ series has<br />
been a delight for historic F1<br />
fans, presenting a rundown<br />
of a decade of top-tier motor<br />
racing. What’s been particularly<br />
refreshing is that the books are<br />
broken up into small sections on<br />
every car that took part – not<br />
only keeping it focused on the<br />
cars – when so many historians<br />
love to focus on the drivers<br />
– but also keeping it light and<br />
readable. The latest decade of<br />
F1 to receive this treatment is<br />
the formula’s first, the 1950s,<br />
released just this May. With Alfa,<br />
Ferrari and Maserati bringing<br />
Italian exotica, while Vanwall and<br />
Cooper represent the plucky<br />
privateer Brits, it’s a decade of<br />
firsts, heroics and massive change<br />
and should be considered an<br />
essential book for F1-mad dads.<br />
❚ Publisher: EVRO<br />
❚ ISBN: 978-1-91050-544-1<br />
❚ Author: Peter Higham<br />
❚ Publisher: EVRO<br />
Polishing ‘Puck’<br />
£4.30<br />
Even those who have full<br />
detailing sets for their cars can<br />
always use more polishing cloths<br />
and applicators. This polishing<br />
‘puck’ is designed to be used as<br />
an applicator and polishing pad,<br />
but its moulded ‘handle’ means<br />
that it’s much more ergonomic<br />
than a traditional block of<br />
material. It’s useful even for<br />
those <strong>with</strong> machine polishers,<br />
being the perfect tool for hardto-reach<br />
or delicate areas.<br />
❚ spautopia.co.uk<br />
‘MY DAD GOT ME INTO CLASSICS’<br />
DAVID SIMISTER EDITOR<br />
‘One of the earliest things I can<br />
remember is hearing the deep<br />
rumble of my dad’s Range<br />
Rover bursting into life – and<br />
I’ve been hooked on old cars<br />
ever since.<br />
‘When I was growing up<br />
most of our weekends would<br />
involve mucking around <strong>with</strong><br />
the Rangie – the last one that<br />
FLM Panelcraft converted from<br />
two doors to four – or taking it<br />
up rutted lanes to see other old Land<br />
Rovers strutting their stuff on the<br />
Lancashire hillsides. School runs were<br />
in a V8-hauled One Ten, too.<br />
‘We’d take the Range Rover to<br />
car shows, so I had more than my<br />
fair share of poking around Minis<br />
and MGBs as an impressionable<br />
eight-year-old, which is probably<br />
why I ended up owning both, many<br />
years later. It was also through my<br />
dad’s membership of the Red Rose<br />
Land Rover Club that I got my first<br />
gigs writing about old cars, long<br />
before I started scribbling for local<br />
newspapers.<br />
‘And the Range Rover? It’s still in his<br />
garage, thankfully…’<br />
18 | classic car weekly Wednesday 3 June 2020 Wednesday 3 June 2020 classic car weekly | 19