Classic & Sports Car UK – September 2019

40 Classic & Sports Car September 2019

LOST & FOUND COMPILED BY MICHAEL WARE

familiar?

Want to track down a lost love or looking for

history on your current classic? Send details

and pictures to the p12 address or email your

requests to [email protected]

Look

MICHAELWARE

Former curator of the National Motor

Museum, Beaulieu. Send submissions

to [email protected]

FAST FORD SEARCH

John Joyce is looking for his old

Ford Escort RS2000, RHE 222M.

“I sold it when I couldn’t afford to

keep it,” he says. “It doesn’t seem

to have been taxed for a long

time, but I would love to try and

find it to see if I could buy it back.”

Email [email protected]

FINDING A ‘FROGEYE’

“I owned 7 HTD from 1965-’66,

prior to emigrating to Australia,”

says Ian Scott of his old Austin-

Healey Sprite. “Many happy miles

were enjoyed during my early

courting days. Is she still giving

the present owner happy times?”

Email [email protected]

MODENESE MARVEL

David Roberts is keen to fill in the

pre-’98 history of his 1979 Ferrari

400i auto, chassis F101CL 30361.

“It was delivered to a Mr Oades on

EE plates in April 1980, painted

Marrone Metallic with a sunroof,”

says Roberts. “It’s now in Australia

and painted Grigio Metallizzato.”

Email [email protected]

RichardBakerwasa retiredBritish

ArmyofficerlivinginPakistan,

whofrequentlydrovearoundina

1926 Austin Seven Chummy.

EnthusiastJavaidLatifstopped

himfora chatandthetwobecame

firmfriends,suchthatwhenBaker

movedtoAustraliain 1979hesold

LatiftheAustinandgavehima ’33

MorrisMinortwo-seaterforfree.

“TheMorriswasnotin working

orderandhasremainedsooverthe

years,” saysLatif’s sonFaraz.

“Betweenmyfather’sbusinessand

hissubsequenthealthissues,he

nevergotaroundtorestoringit.”

TheMorrissatinanopenyard

until2016,whenFarazembarked

upona restoration.“Theelements

havetakentheirtollanda lotof

partshavegonemissing,”hesays.

TheVintageMinorRegisterhas

helpedwithsomeparts,butmany

moreareneeded;emailfaraz.latif@

ntlexpress.comif youcanhelp.

InMay,readerPaulGreyandhis

partnerwerewalkingTheKumano

KodopilgrimagetrekinJapan

whentheyspottedwhatappeared

tobeaSunbeamAlpine,lying

partiallycoverednearthevillage

ofFushiogami.“Itwasreasonably

completeandhadlotsofparts

stackedunderneathandbehindit,

includingfourspokedwheelrims,”

saysGrey.“Itwasparkedbesidea

ratherrun-downhousewithafair

bitofotherdebris,butitdidn’t

appeartobeparticularlyrusty

eventhoughit’saverywetclimate

inthisregion.”Thecarhasclearly

suffered,withheavilycrazed

paintworkinseveralcolours,yet

itstillappearsworthsaving.

SUNBEAM

SLUMBERS

INJAPAN

The Alpine looks rough but salvageable

The Aalholm Automobile Museum

in Denmark was founded by Baron

JO Raben-Levetzau in 1964. After

his death, the collection was put up

for sale in 2012. Lars Soe-Jensen is

a trustee of the Royal Danish Air

Force collection, and was asked to

look at an F-35 Draken jet in the

display. Soe-Jensen had previously

been a mechanic specialising in

Minis, and he spotted a tatty blue

Cooper badges conceal early Mini

Minor needs major work

example badged as a Cooper. He

noticed a number of inconsisten-

cies, but it had the floor-mounted

starter and correct seat hinges for

an early Mini. Under the bonnet he

found a plate showing that it was

a Morris import and chassis 131.

Soe-Jensen waited for the sale,

but the car was not included. A year

later it was offered in a sealed-bid

auction, and he was the high bidder.

“It was built on 15 May ’59 as an

Old English White De Luxe for

export,” says Bill Bell of the 1959

Mini Register. “It is the second

oldest surviving Morris, and the

oldest built on the Cowley line.”

The car was bought new by a

Danish Naval Commander.

The rebuild is now complete and

the Mini will go on display at the

Cowley factory this year.

Clockwise from main: the

restored Mini; Soe-Jensen

with the car in its Cooper

disguise; ’59 chassis plate

From top: 1933 Minor

came free with an Austin

Seven; tiny four-pot