The classics you love, drive and restore
‘We took a fence out to move it’
1989 Citroen 2CV Rod Russell, Stotfold
I bought this ten years ago, off someone’s drive and it was basically a lump of rust. I saw it on Streetview, so I knew it was living in the open air. I stripped it and it fell in half… so a new chassis was required from Ken Hannah – and we cracked on with doing it in the back garden. I sent the car away for paint – but we had to take the new garden fence out to move it! That was great fun.
I’ve worked on 2CVs for years – there’s nothing you can’t get for them. It’s a brilliant car to restore at home. The engine had done 43k when I got it, but it had stood for 10 years, so I rebuilt it to be safe. I use it regularly and I’ve been all over in it, including Anglesey.
‘I drive from Scotland to Cornwall in it’
1981 Austin Metro, Baz Farmer, Elgin
I drove my Metro down to the Festival of the Unexceptional, with its 998cc engine humming away, and once a year we go to Cornwall in it. It gets thumbs-up everywhere we go – it actually gets more thumbs-up than my GTi. I suppose everyone remembers the model – they had one, or their parents did or they passed their test in one. I have always been Metro-mad and my nan had one just like this – I was taken home from hospital in it, so it was the first car I ever travelled in. The smell and the gearbox whine is just an absolute nostalgia fest, it takes me back to being five. That’s why I restored it.
‘Both these cars were restored by our father Fred Luscombe’
1928 Rolls Royce Phantom 1 Tourer, 1950 Armstrong Siddeley Whittley, Colin Luscombe, Huntingdon, Mark Luscombe, Milton Keynes
Colin: There were 1500 Whittleys made and I think there are about 200 left. This car was originally restored by my father Fred Luscombe; I have pictures of myself about ten years old with the wing towering over me! At weekends I would go and help him… although to be honest I think I actually hindered him. Mum still keeps this in the garage in Luton and I go over to keep it fettled and take it out now and again to shows. My brother Mark keeps the Rolls in Milton Keynes and the two cars, both restored by dad, meet up at shows two or three times a year. Dad was keen that both cars would be enjoyed by both of us, so it’s a great family legacy for all of us. The Armstrong was my wedding car; I’ve got lots of fond memories in it. Mark: Dad bought this in 1990 as a pile of bits and took ten years restoring it.
It started life as a saloon, then in th
