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Danny Hopkins spares a thought for forgotten collections
As you walk the NEC halls, gazing at the amazing efforts of owners who have gone beyond the realms of reason (and often sanity) to create objects of perfection, have a think about the hours that go into making them shine. None of this stuff – as many of you know – happens by accident.
The road to classic revival is long and complex and, it appears, pressures of time and money mean that these days, some really important cars are falling by the wayside. For example, the unique Austin 3 Litre collection we featured in the January 2016 issue has become vulnerable, after the sad death of owner Malcolm Stephens.
Rescued initially by enthusiast Jerry Ansell, they are now up for sale and there is a danger that the cars might end up on an oval near you. Sadly, rarity still adds kudos to a banger racing choice and, in the case of all three cars involved – Austin 3 Litre limousine, ambulance and hearse – we might lose unique parts of our motoring heritage for good. To avoid this, enthusiasts need to step up and make an offer (contact Neil Kidby via email at neil@ austin three litre. co.uk for details). It won’t make financial sense to restore them, given 3 Litre values, but to me that isn’t the point and never has been. The revival of unique motors is a priceless endeavour, so here’s a pledge: if you buy and restore these cars, PC will feature you – that’s a promise.
Finally, here’s the important moral of the story. If you have a collection of cars, or you are part way through a restoration, for goodness sake, make sure you have a succession plan in place. None of us can predict what the future holds, so if your classic is important to you, plan for its future – so one day it might have a its chance to shine at the NEC.
‘If your car is important to you, do plan for its future’