ClassicarGarage Newsletter - EXTRA EDITION, 30 november 2017


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CLASSICAR GARAGE NEWSLETTER - EXTRA EDITION, 30 NOVEMBER 2017
Dear classic car enthusiast, In the previous newsletter I asked you, loyal E-mail subscribers, to share your most memorable ‘classic high-light' with me. Among the contributors three copies of the book 'THE BIG HEALEYS' are to be allotted to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the ClassicarGarage newsletter! I was happy to receive 32 friendly and special reactions and contributions; thank you! Nine contributions met largely with what was asked; send me a photo, with yourself in it, and a short description of your ‘classic high-light’. These short stories, illustrated with photos can be read below! I found it very remarkable that the majority of the stories and adventures included British classics and that the makes of MG and Triumph are driven by adventurous owners! Furthermore, I feel generous so I have decided that all the nine contributors of which you can read the surnames and the stories below will be rewarded for their efforts; They will all receive the book ‘THE BIG HEALEYS’ written by John Nikas and illustrated by yours truly. Congratulations! I have translated the stories in a VERY short time so forgive me any textual mistakes... Do you also want to read this beautiful and very informative BIG HEALEY book during the Christmas holidays? Then order your copy on the website click here. Enjoy all the adventures and stories of your fellow readers! Very truly yours, Marc Vorgers NB The regular newsletter with many newly arrived classic and sports cars for sale listed, may be expected next week! Forward this newsletter to friends!
L. FLUTTERT, TRIUMPH 2000, THE NETHERLANDS

Laurent prepared a Triumph 2000, which was sleeping in a farmers barn for ten years, 'in no time' to compete in a demanding reliability run… "Last year October my brother Dion and I competed in the 'Round Britain Reliability Run, organised by the Club Triumph of Great Britain. In this very demanding event one has to drive a Triumph classic car from the north of London to the far end of Scotland in the north, then all south to the coast of Cornwall and back to the start location in only 48 hours. Two thousand thrilling miles! Three weeks before the event was taking place it appeared that we did not have a 'driveable' Triumph which was up to the task. I proposed to my brother to have a try to get the Triumph 2000 in working order. The 2000 saloon was 'garaged' in a farmers barn ten years earlier because a rear wheel had packed up. Three weekends of hard work and burning midnight oil followed. On the wednesday before the event the car passed the MOT scrutiny successfully and after some fine-tuning and final repairs on the Thursday (on this day we were successfull to improve the top speed from 80 km/h to normal, we repaired the petrol gauge, the speedometer and some other snags), we were ready to embark on the ferry to England on Thursday evening! All went well and we started on Friday! We expected otherwise, but the Triumph proved itself to be a very reliable companion! we finished in the specified time and without any troubles! In the photograph you see us driving through Dartmoor, myself behind the wheel. The very nice photo was taken by a photographer of the Triumph Club. The beautiful weather pictured in the photograph was with us during the full event, also in Scotland!"
R. KOCH MG TF 1250, THE NETHERLANDS

Rob was affected by the MG-virus on a young age. His father owned an MG 'Midget' even before Rob was born. Father Koch still cherishes the same MG over fifty years later... Rob presents another story; He brought a beautiful MG TF back 'home'... "I found this gorgeous 1954 MG TF 1250 on ClassicarGarage and purchased it at Imparts. This without knowing that I was going to bring the MG home after a long time! This MG TF 1250 was sold new to the first owner in The Hague in 1954. The original owner lived in the Benoordenhoutseweg 227 (Nirwana Flats), only about 600 yards from where this photo was taken and only 400 yards from my house in The Hague! So one may say that I brought this MG TF 'home' after 62 years!
R. PAOLIN, MG MGC ROADSTER, ITALY

Roberto from Italy made a 6000 kilometre long road-trip to Great Britain accompanied by his partner and their six-cylinder MG MGC roadster. "We decided to make a ‘road-trip’ to the Cotswolds and Cornwall in England last year. In 15 days’ time, we have driven 6000 kilometres in our MGC roadster! It took us three days to reach England with a stop in Colmar, continuing via the beautiful wine road through the Alsace, a stop in Reims and then on to the Dunkerque Ferry harbour. In Great Britain we very much enjoyed the winding and narrow roads of the South, the Cotswolds and Cornwall. The almost ten days gave us all kinds of weather, from storm to sunshine! It took us three days to drive back home to Italy again. We made our first stop in Cherbourg, then 700 kilometres to Mulhouse, and another 700 kilometres to our hometown via the Schaffhausen Waterfalls. The MG MGC went like clockwork all the time! Absolutely an unforgettable holiday, wonderful!"
R. VAN DONK, TRIUMPH TR 3A, THE NETHERLANDS

Raymond restored a Triumph TR 3A to immaculate concours condition, and then... “My Classic High-Light takes my memory back to the National & International Concours d'Élégance Paleis het Loo in the year 2012. My Triumph TR 3A was competing for the laurels in the 'Autovisie' National concours. On the Saturday afternoon I received the thrilling news that my car was elected as 'best of show', absolutely magnificent and I received a gorgeous 'Flying Lady'-like glass sculpture. This 'high' was to be followed by the realisation that the 'best of show' winner of the National concours is automatically being upgraded to the International concours on the Sunday... Sunday afternoon, just about three o'clock the rain had ceased to fall. I was busy drying the TR 3A as I noticed someone looking at me. I turned my head and the man said (I thought jokingly): "If you promise to dry the car up to the last drop, then I will reward you!" The man put his hand in his bag and in one swoop he put a laurel on the right windscreen-wiper of the TR 3A... The text on the laurel read the praising text: 'Class Winner', and that in the Gentlemens Sports Car class! WoW, absolutely incredible, I never even could have dreamt about this! On the Saturday 'Best of show' in the National Concours and on the Sunday 'Best of Class' in the International Concours! Around four o'clock all the winners were expected on the 'Koningslaan' in front of the Palace. For the second time in 24 hours the TR 3A with its proud owner crossed the winners platform! Prizes were gratefully received and I thanked the organizers for the magnificent weekend with the words: "I feel like I lived throug a thriller movie with a very happy ending!"
H & M QUERIDO, TRIUMPH TR 6, THE NETHERLANDS

Hélène and Marcel made a magnificent road-trip to Italy with their Triumph TR 6... "During two weeks we have driven almost 5000 kilometres over the most beautiful by-roads and scenery routes in Europe. We just hopped from hotel to hotel, free as birds in the sky. We stayed for three days in Cannobio at the Lago Maggiore. We also conquered the route des Alpes from Cortina d’Ampezzo into France. Everything over small meandering roads, wonderful! The drive was not completely without problems, I had to tinker with the car because unsuitable and aggressive E5 / 10 petrol had eaten away an old rubber petrol hose and later-on the front wheel bearings had to be adjusted. It was a magnificent road-trip and an unforgettable high-light!"
M.A. DE BRUIN, MG TD, THE NETHERLANDS

Rien tells me that he has shiploads of classic 'high-lights'. The problem is that most of them are stored 'between his ears' and not illustrated by photographs...But... "Ik clearly remember a Rally in France with our Mini Cooper 1300. It was in a cold November with a lot of snow and road salt on the entire road back to the Netherlands. After coming home I had to strip down the Mini to get rid of all the salt!" "Another moment was during a rally reunion in a large anonymous industrial 'shed'... To my big surprise I was confronted with a massive private classic car collection (mostly Jaguars and very rare ones included). I learned that the collection was insured for 50 Million..." His most memorable 'classic high-light' is from November 1967. "I purchased my first MG car from the renowned MG dealer Rob Leqlercq in Maastricht. All the old T-types were offered for sale, from TA up to the TD. The TD's were quite young cars then and Rob asked 4000 Guilders for a TD and 3000 for any other MG. You could just take your pick. I chose the TD because it was only 15 years old and because it had independent front suspension. Better suited for daily use then the older models I imagined then. Much later in time I regretted my choice. But the view of all the T-types and all the other cars crammed together, in sheds, along the road, outside under the naked sky... It was a picture I never saw before or since. I can memorize the entire setting clearly every time I close my eyes. But NO photo... The MG TD which I purchased in 1967 is still with me... This year exactly 50 years! In the photograph you can see it in the current 'sporty' trim with ‘cycle wing’ mud-guards attached!"
J. DE WITTE, BELGIUM
Johan has sent me so many photographs of him accompanied by the classic cars he has owned that only one thing can be concluded: He has too many 'classic high-lights' to choose from! Being a ClassicarGarage website visitor and newsletter reader of the first hour he has owned and driven all the (classic) cars he ever fancied. And surprisingly Johan came up with a memory which he described as a personal 'classic high-light'. In the photograph we see Johan and his partner very smartly dressed in 'James Bond' like 'black-tie' style accompanied by the stately two-tone Rolls Royce. The idyllic picture was taken in front of the marvelous holiday home in Brittany while they were waiting for many friends to also arrive in style. All set for a festive weekend in grand style! La Dolce Vita!
M. HOPSTAKEN, FACEL VEGA \| AUSTIN HEALEY, THE NETHERLANDS

Marc restored a Facel Vega with his own hands and his Austin Healey jumps like a frog... "In these pictures you see the Facel Vega which I restored by myself. I started with a scrap-heap and I am quite proud to say that I completed the enormous job with an excellent result! These photos have been taken on her maiden-trip, the first outing with the Facel , my wife and children. It was a beautiful trip through Zeeland (South-West Netherlands) on a cold day. The car was a delight to drive and we experienced no problems!" Driving their Austin Healey 3000 they once had quite an incident:"We have christened our green Healey 3000 ‘de KIKKER’ (the FROG). Why? During a trip on a beautiful day the sun stood so low in the sky that we were blinded by the 'shattering' light, we did not notice a 'sleeping policeman' (speed bump) in the road and we went over it at cruising speed... The car jumped up with all four wheels free in the air, we were launched from our seats but fell back in… All turned out well, no damage done but the tears were rolling over our cheeks. From laughter I always want to believe, but is was quite a shock and the incident with a happy ending is still on the top of our minds when it is time to tell yarns!"
A. OLDENHOF, ROVER P5B, THE NETHERLANDS

Albert has warm memories of his Rover P5B, a car he regrets to have sold... "Marc, here I have a photo of my gorgeous 1970 Rover P5B. I regret to have sold the old lady but all the dear memories are still much alive. Especially a fantastic trip (for work purposes) to the centre of Germany. It was the summer of the year 1997 as I was enjoying this road-trip to my customer, Behringwerke GmbH, in Marburg. Oh, how I enjoyed driving for miles and miles, over the hills and through the valleys, the sunshine roof open and with the sonorous rumbling of the V8 engine in my ears. Before our business meeting started all the people present rushed out in exitement: ‘Um sich das Superauto von Herrn Oldenhof anzuschauen!’ (To have a look at Mr. Oldenhofs' Super car!) In May of the same year I participated in the Concours d'Elegance of the Dutch rover Club with the Rover P5B. The car won the 1st prize! ...Happy memories!"
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