Cotswolds ina classic
HAVING ENDURED TWO years of lockdowns, we decided to give the ’Healey a proper road trip around the Cotswolds, terminating at Healey specialist JME for a replacement hood. Why bother to replace a hood we very rarely use? Well, it was in very bad condition in 1988 when the 3000 MkIII was imported from Texas, so a replacement 34 years later doesn’t seem too extravagant.
With the roof down, we departed East Kent on a blustery, damp morning to take on the M2, M20, M25 and M40. Since our last drive on these congested motorways, the authorities have converted sections to ‘Smart’ status. Driving a classic car with no hazard warning lights on sections that don’t have a hard shoulder was not appealing, so I turned to eBay and purchased a magnetic warning beacon of the type fitted to AA vans, just in case the worst happened.
We based our adventure at the Kings Arms in Stow-on-the-Wold, a 500-year-old coaching inn located in the market square. From there we ventured out to visit historic and automotive attractions, starting with a drive to Prescott Hill, home of The Bugatti Trust. It’s always a pleasure driving country roads in the ’Healey and, with Waze navigation, we experienced many a secret byway that I would never have plotted on an OS map.
I first took the ’Healey to
Prescott in 1989 to attend the Roy Lane hillclimb-driving school for a story published in Supercar
Classics magazine. So, after a quick photograph on the hill’s start-line, we parked and were greeted by Angela Hucke and Hugh G Conway in the Trust headquarters, which is like the Tardis in its ability to display vast amounts of fascinating Bugatti automobilia, models and cars. I always learn so much by talking with a group of knowledgeable enthusiasts. In May, the Trust opened its summer exhibition about Jean Bugatti, with a focus on the Type 57: find out more at bugatti-trust.co.uk.
Our second excursion took us to Bourton-on-the-Water early in
the day, before the tourist coaches arrived, to visit the motor museum. I had photographed the museum years ago and, then as now, I enjoyed the vast and eclectic mix of enamel signs, cars and period memorabilia on display. What was encouraging was the number of children with clipboards, who were searching cabinets for items listed, as well as staff dusting the exhibits. It’s very much a living museum.
Next stop was the excuse for our 400-mile drive and we headed for Warwick, home of JME (jmehealeys.co.uk), for the guys there to fit a replacement hood and perform a long-overdue full service on our car. More about that next month.