‘Keeping on top of them is a vocation’
Martin Hiscox habours an obsession with British classics, which unsurprisingly keeps him rather busy. But will he ever be able to stop buying?
My first car at 18 was a Cortina MKI made to look like a Lotus,’ says Martin Hiscox. ‘Second was an MGB that I renovated and my third was a Lotus Elan +2.’ A familiar grounding for a petrolhead, then, and a relatable tale – before the inevitable happens and the interest in old cars withers with resources strangled by adulthood, family and all those other realities of being a grown-up.
Martin is the first to acknowledge that he’s more fortunate than most, because business successes have allowed him the luxury of being able to buy interesting cars throughout his life. He likes to share them with friends, and if there’s a theme to the current clutch, it’s that they tend to be British, with Vee engines – apart from random gems that I encounter scattered about outside, such as the Little Grey Fergie and Air-portable Land Rover.
The bulk of the collection lives in a listed timber-framed barn… with a disco ball in the roof. ‘This was the boys’ party barn before the cars took over. Being timber-framed means you don’t need a dehumidifier because the wood absorbs all the moisture.’
Though he says he’s not going to buy any more cars, Martin admits to a hankering for a Bristol, the only thing obviously missing from the collection. ‘I want a Fighter – I found one but it was £110k.’ Yet I can’t help notice the new oak-framed four-place barn hiding in the orchard, almost complete and currently homing a sole Land Rover Discovery 110 that’s looking rather lonely…
The Burns Special
This one-off Alvis-based special was created in 1967 for guitarmaker Jim Burns, the mechanical work being done by Jim Keeble’s Keewest Developments company. The chassis is TF21 with the lowered-roof bodywork in steel and aluminium by Williams & Pritchard. Sculpted sides are the giveaway that it’s not by Graber, as you might first assume. The most radical change is that it’s powered by a Corvette engine, unsurprising since Keeble had a number of them kicking about spare after production of the Gordon-keeble ended. The small-block Chevy V8 is a very tight squeeze in the engine bay vacated by the original slender 3.0-litre straight-six but almost looks as if it belongs there, fag-paper clearances for the exhaust manifolds and all. The original 327 sits on a stand having spun a bearing which spoilt the crankshaft, and temporarily in its place is a 350ci (5.7-litre) unit. ‘Buying a crate engine was the most cost-effective short-term solution,’ says Martin. ‘But we’ll rebuild the original and put it back in.’
‘All the dress-up bits on the engine came home as hold luggage. It was actually a lot cheaper to buy them in America and have them delivered to my hotel when I was on a trip to New York than to buy them in England.’
Inside, the dash and centre panel look very Gordon-keeble, with banks of aircraft-style gauges and switches, fronted by a unique two-spoke Moto-lita steering wheel that was made specially for the car. There’s a very period single-bar heater on the rear shelf to demist the Perspex rear window. ‘I hope I don’t ever have to replace that. The car’s had a few bits of paint, and new stainless wire wheels. I’ve kept the old ones – I keep everything.
‘The worst part for a bloke my size is getting in and out,’ observes Martin. ‘But once you’re in there it’s pretty comfortable. I’ve had the steering rebuilt and added electric power assistance and we’ve driven it quite a bit – it’s a delight, though it does get a bit hot inside. It’s a bit of a tart – with the two-speed Powerglide automatic it’s more looks than performance, though we decided it was too vintage to take out.’
Jensen C-V8
Turning from the Alvis, Martin introduces me to ‘The Beast’, one of 181 C-V8 MKIIIS built. It has had its original 6.3-litre V8 replaced with the 440ci (7.2-litre) engine. It sounds fantastic through 3in tailpipes, though like almost all of Martin’s cars it runs a decent sound system fed by a retro radio which, though a bit Wurlitzerlike, looks fairly period. Today, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers feature heavily, which suits the swoopy glassfibre coupé perfectly.
‘I’ve had it four or five years. Of all my cars it gives me the best driving experiences, and I paid just pennies because no-one loves them. It was probably restored about 10-15 years ago. I don’t usually get involved with restorations and prefer to buy the very best I can because it’s less cost-effective to fix things up, but I will probably get the carpets redone.’
Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
Hoisted up on a lift to save space is a nicely preserved 911 Turbo Cabriolet with almost all original paint apart from the bonnet which has been refinished – ‘stone chips, of course’. It’s a late 930 with G50 gearbox. Says Martin, ‘This was my first classic. I remember it being delivered on my 31st birthday, so I’ve had it quite a few years! Before that I had a bottle-green Interceptor that I’d renovated, which I sold to buy a new Maserati Biturbo in silver. But I fancied something older. It’s been to Le Mans several times, and for years I used to take my three boys, now all grown up, to judo in it on Saturdays. After that it spent a few years at our place in France. I got it with 50,000 miles and it’s showing 63,000 now.’
Turbo, cabrio and five-speed with almost all original paint make this the most collectable G-series. ‘I paid £37,000. You could probably put a one in front of that now.’
Though it had stood for six months – ‘that’s the problem with putting it up on the ramp’ – it fired (eventually) on its own without the need for a jump pack. All Martin’s cars are on the button because he keeps them connected to battery conditioners.
Jensen FF
His formerly gold Jensen FF MKI sits on later GKN wheels and has been fettled by Rejen to now include fuel injection, cleverly hidden within what looks like a four-barrel Holley carburettor body and with the brain under the left seat. The row of four eyeball vents across the parcel shelf give away the added aircon.
‘I don’t usually get involved with restorations – life’s too short and I prefer to buy the very best I can ‘
‘I am the second owner. As a MKI, number 118 of the 195 built, it’s an incredibly rare car, with just 3799 miles since its full rebuild at the Jensen factory in 1975/6, which included attention to bodywork, leather, engine, brakes and drive chain. Our best trip ever with it was to Le Mans four years ago with two of our sons, stopping every couple of hours to refuel yet again.’
Although 98% perfect there are the inevitable small bubbles in the paint on the hatchback frame. ‘Keeping on top of them is a vocation. It’s going to have that done soon, plus the bubbles at the bottoms of the rear quarter panel.’
Bentley S3 ‘Betsy’
‘I had a nice Bentley MKVI that wasn’t quite right. Pretty, but not reliable enough. Then Betsy the S3 came along, with lovely patina to the original interior. Tony Absolom of Automotive Solutions looks after many of my cars and we’ve just had the wings off to fix the incredibly complex heating system and to remove a few “beauty spots”, as we affectionately call them.’ As well as the retro radio, this has rare Marchal parking lights on each B-pillar.
The answer to the inevitable question? ‘Yes, I have been roped in to do several weddings. She goes to Goodwood every year, but the best thing is taking her into London. With the high seating position you can see everything, and everyone gives way. ’
Jaguar E-type S3 2+2
His Series 3 V12 is thought to be one of only seven made with an electric steel sunroof, which still works perfectly. Unusually, Martin commissioned much of the restoration, ‘It came from the family of a BA pilot and was a red left-hand-drive US car. The five-speed was fitted when it was renovated and changed to right-hand-drive, and I had the cylinder heads rebuilt by Hoffmans of Henley. It needed new floors last year – when we lifted the carpets Tony shone a light through, it sparkled like a Christmas tree from the other side.’
Triumph Stag
The E-type shares a barn with a recently acquired Triumph Stag, previously owned by Alan Carr, though we’re not sure it’s that Alan Carr. ‘He must have been an obsessive because the only way you’d get it all this clean is to take it apart and then put it all back together again.’
Morgan Plus 4
Next to that is a Morgan Plus 4 belonging to his wife Heather. It’s registered L15 LTD after one of the companies they helped build up and later sold. Behind are a couple of random motorcycles, a four-stroke 175cc BSA trials bike for riding in the fields, and a newer Royal Enfield. ‘That I’m not allowed to play with,’ he says.
Jaguar Mk2 3.4
With overdrive, and used for the annual Goodwood pilgrimage, is a Jaguar Mk2. ‘We go en masse every year, taking five or six of my cars. I don’t get involved with restoring cars very much – life’s too short – but New Forest Classic Cars did the body, and I had the interior redone.’ John Heffer did most of the refit, engine and upgrade. The dashboard was made perfect by Classic Dash in Stokenchurch which also refinished the original timber and veneers, plus the centre console in the FF.
‘I wanted a Coombs-lookalike car, so it has the rear arches, and I’ve promised myself one day I’m going to add bonnet louvres.’
Alvis TA14
Bodied by Park Ward, ‘Lulu’ is also Heather’s car, and only acquired last year. This ‘lovely old thing’ is a well-toured car that has driven all the way across America, but last went out three weeks ago, to the pub. It still starts second kick. ‘I’ve got Heather to double-declutch but the steering is a shot in the dark, and that’s not good. I’m thinking about fitting an MG rack on this one, and maybe adding power steering. I’ve got no problem with modifying cars to make them nicer to use, as long as they can be put back to standard if needed.’
The keeper
It’s an eclectic mix, bound together by no other criteria than simply being cars that Martin likes, and what better justification to own and enjoy them, which Martin most certainly does, solo or in convoy. Most impressive is that they all work, all of the time. But which would he rescue from the hypothetical fire?
‘That’s a tough one. It’s a bit like asking which child you love the most. I think it would have to be the Jensen FF or the Porsche 911, if only because they have the most history with the family and are certainly great drives!’