Dodgy dealings and the power of advertising
A conscientious club registrar will try to trace every existing example on their books, and in the Crayford Convertible Car Club Barry Priestman is that man. More than 20 years ago, he was given a cutting of a BT advertisement featuring a Crayford-converted Ford Cortina Mk2, registered UGT 640F, that was unknown to the register; he noted it in his records.
Then, in October 2017, a dealer contacted him to say he had taken in a Crayford Cortina, which was outside his normal expertise, and would any club member be interested in the car? It was UGT 640F, which had been off the road and badly stored for 20 years or so. “The car had been given a T-cut and polish so was bright and shiny,” says Priestman, “but 20 years in a damp lock-up had taken their toll. The hood was in bad shape and the whole interior stank of damp and mould. The braking system and clutch had rusted solid.”
The car went to auction, but failed to reach its reserve. A few weeks later, Priestman received a letter from a long-time member saying that he wouldn’t be renewing his subscription because his Crayford Cortina had been stolen from its lock-up; it was UGT 640F.
When the case came to court, the dealer was found to have faked his proof of purchase. The club member got his car back and it will now be recommissioned. Back to that advert: the member explained that he’d previously owned a garage where, long ago, he was approached by BT, which used it as a set.