NEW NEXT GENERATION DIARIES
Our new series looks at how younger enthusiasts got into the hobby. This week: Luke Roberts’ Armstrong Siddeley, which is used for racing. And delivering beer...
SO, HOW DID YOU COME TO OWN YOUR CLASSIC?
The car came into my wife's family, really. It was rebuilt in the 1980s as a ‘hot-rod’ Sapphire for racing but then spent many years in a shed before we restored it once more.
I grew up with classic cars – my family has been racing and restoring old cars for as long as I can remember and I passed my driving test in a Series I Land Rover. My current stable of classics includes 1920s and ‘30s Ford Model A cars and trucks, plus a Frazer-Nash.
The Sapphire needed some work when I got it, chiefly to the pre-selector gearbox, which was too far gone. I replaced it with a four-speed manual and it's now in a good, usable condition, but it's not concours. It appeals because it's an underdog compared to the Bentleys and Jaguars of the period, while racing an Armstrong Siddeley has a somewhat rebellious quality.
WHAT DO YOU USE IT FOR?
The car sees service on an almost daily basis for the Wriggly Monkey Brewery (wrigglymonkeybrewery.com). The roll cage is constructed to carry beer barrels, there’s a cooler unit in the boot and it also pulls a trailer with additional supplies. A full 3m-long bar had to be built on the side, which then folds away back into the car afterwards.
It leads a second life in historic racing through the Vintage Sports Car Club, competing regularly at Silverstone and Goodwood. To this end it has replica Dunlop alloy wheels – the Armstrong Siddeley steel items crack under the strain – and limousine front springs with hearse-specification rears.
These extra-leaf units are mainly to accommodate the weight of the beer but they stiffen it up nicely for the track, allied to an Aston-Martin DB7 limited-slip differential. The handling is interesting, to say the least!
The engine is a bigger unit (modified to 4.3 litres) from a Sapphire Star.
ANY OWNERSHIP TIPS?
My main classic ownership tip is to use the car regularly; leaving it standing is the worst thing you can do. Buy a well-used example, not a museum piece. Insurance is the biggest challenge for us. We have team members aged under 30 and the Sapphire is used commercially and, generally, insurers don't like any of that. It was hard to get it covered at all.
WHAT DO YOU SEE BEING IN YOUR GARAGE IN FIVE YEARS’ TIME?
I’d like to say the current cars will all still be here – but you never know. I’d really like a Renault 4, but it's difficult finding one with a good body and in original condition. Otherwise, a vintage touring car of some sort would seriously appeal to me; or maybe even an aero-engined special with chain drive.
ENGINE 4300cc/6-cyl/OHV
