Old Renault from Indiana Jones among beauties on sale at classics showroom
FOR sale: 1928 Renault Type NN Tourer, one careful owner, a snip at just £19,995. Admittedly, that owner was Indiana Jones – and we all know what he’s like behind the wheel.
The car, which appeared in Harrison Ford’s 1989 blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, is just one of the gleaming motors lined up at Sunningdale Classics’ Little Aston showroom, which is essentially a tour of the motor industry’s golden years.
It is in particular a shrine to West Midland manufacturer Jaguar.
And one of the most eye-catching vehicles on sale is a 1973 Jaguar E-Type V12, with just 40,000 miles on the clock. It too has a rich provenance.
The striking silver sports car was owned by Canadian tycoon Charles Greb, who lavished more than 40,000 dollars on restoration.
The rare E-Type was then bought by Toby Grafftey-Smith, the keyboard player with chart-toppers Jamiroquai. He died in April, at the age of 46.
The Indiana Jones Renault – painted black for the movie and driven by Nazi stormtroopers – came to Sunningdale via a Berkshire family.
But the men behind Sunningdale, brothers David and Geoff Wellman, from Aldridge, admit their overriding interest is all things Jaguar.
Just last week the Halesowen Jaguar Owners’ Club attended a Sunday meeting at the business, a veritable museum to the Coventry bespoke car company.
The collection of Jags include a 1955 XK140 SE for £74,995 and a 1991 Jaguar XJS, with just 38,000 miles on the clock, for £11,995.
Motors that will also top any classic car lover’s wish list include a 1963 Triumph TR4, with just 16,000 miles on the clock, for £22,995; a 1929 LeaFrancis P Type for £14,995; a 1974 Lotus Elite for £8,995, and a 1924 AC Royal for £19,995.
The showroom only opened in April but already business is brisk as more people realise the investment value of classic cars.
The brothers decided to turn their passion for classic cars into a business after running their own engineering firm, making door and window fittings, for 25 years.
“I had 30 motorcycles and 12 classic cars,” said 71-year-old David. “Starting this good idea.
“We’re not trying to set the world on fire, I’ve had a go at that. It’s a hobby horse, really. We don’t pretend to know that much about the classic car trade.
“My wife had passed away. It was just me and two cats, I was bored to death and this seemed like a good idea.
“We get the cars from auction or from private individuals – I prefer to get them privately.”
The business launch coincided with a clamour for classics as investments.
“People in the know will tell you the Government changed the rules surrounding pensions,” added David, “and made it easier to extract pension funds. There are currently two things that appreciate in value – property and classic cars.
“At one time it was wine. business seemed a
“Jaguars, in particular, are getting stronger and stronger. You used to be able to pick up an E-Type for next to nothing. Not anymore.”
The E-Type will be forever associated with the Swinging Sixties and fea- tured in the opening sequence of the Simon Dee show. Celebrity owners included Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison, George Best and Tony Curtis.
“Getting parts is not a problem,” said David. “With Jaguar, there’s a cottage industry in parts. In fact, the hardest one to get parts for is the XJS.”
The striking vehicle was Simon Templar’s runaround in 1970s series Return of the Saint, starring Ian Ogilvy.
For owners of pre-1930s vehicles, such as the rare as hen’s teeth LeaFrancis, tyres can be costly. They are sourced from specialists Blockley Tyres, based in the Cotswolds, and cost in excess of £120.
Among the collection of breathtaking beasts is a 1971 Fiat 500L, a strange beehive-shaped motor that was originally purchased in Rome. Italian coins can still to be found in the glovebox.
Sunningdale PA Becky Foxall said: “That looks set to be bought by someone who intends to take it back to Rome, which is great. To us, it’s like the Fiat is going home.”
The most unique motor in the collection is a 1924 Jowett White Lady, basically a one-off assembled from the company’s other models. It has a £16,000 price tag.
Bradford-based Jowett operated from 1906 to 1955 and provided lowweight vehicles at a rock bottom price.
A portion of the room is given over to bikes and petrolheads will salivate over such gleaming examples as a 1971 Moto Guzzi 500 (£4,450), 1952 Norton Model 7 (£12,995), 1959 Ariel NH 350 (£3,995) and 1973 MZ Trophy 250cc (£2,250).
Even the premises has rich history attached to it.
“It was a Ferrari and Maserati garage,” says David, “and, before that, a Porsche garage. When we got it, it had been empty for nearly nine years. It was literally rotting away.
“The place was derelict, but me and my brother had a dream.”
In 1986, the garage was used as the setting for seven-episode romantic
I had 30 motorcycles and 12 classic cars – Starting this business seemed a good idea David Wellman