After 46 years, John buys back his dad’s old Jaguar

A SON has tracked down and bought his late father’s Jaguar – 46 years after it left the family.

Sentimental John Pitts, 55, spent four years looking for the classic 1961 car before finally snapping it up for £35,000.

His father, also John, bought the dark-blue Mark 2 saloon new and owned it for a decade before selling it to buy a newer model.

Ever since, John had treasured childhood memories of being driven around on trips in it.

In 2013 he decided to see if it still existed and, after searching its number plate on the internet, found it had just been sold at an auction. Despite his disappointment he often checked to see if it was coming up for sale again and two months ago found it was.

John, a managing director from Tiverton, Devon, went to the auction in Surrey and registered a winning bid of £31,000 plus fees.

After being reunited with the Jag, he said: “The car pre-dated me by six months so I grew up with it. It’s the first time I’ve seen it in all those years and old memories have flooded back. I thought long ago that it had gone to a scrapyard so it was a surprise when I found out it still existed.

“It had been sold at auction so I thought I’d missed my chance but I tried to follow its movements by Googling it, then found it was coming up for sale again.”

The car spent 20 years parked unused on a farm before being resold. It has been lovingly restored, still boasts many original parts and has done only 44,000 miles.

Simon Hope, chairman of action house H&H Classics, said: “I have seldom seen a car buyer so thrilled with their purchase.”