The classics you love, drive and restore
‘Meet Jack the Nipper and chums!’
1991 & 1990 Vauxhall Elddis Nipper Lee Hutchins & Lisa Murdoch, Michael & Paula Garrett, Luton
Lee: This is Jack the Nipper! It was built in Luton, and it’s a later model, when they changed the sides to glassfibre rather than timber and aluminium sheet.
They based these on the pick-up, rather than the van version, and sent them to Elddis in County Durham to build the rear bodies. We’ve had it for about a year.
Paula: This one’s very similar, just a bit earlier. It’s done 87,000 miles, and we put a new engine in it last week. They’re great fun, so long as you like going steadily – it’s only a 1.0-litre Suzuki engine. Anyway, it’s the journey that matters, not the destination. Inside it’s like a TARDIS… and it just makes people smile.
‘I’d be heartbroken if anything happened to it’
2007 Vauxhall Tigra convertible Jenny Orchard, Gressenhall, Norfolk
The Tigra only cost me £500 to buy, but it did need quite a bit more money spending on it in order to pass its MOT. I wanted a small convertible, but the weather where we live in Norfolk is so changeable. I knew I didn’t want a soft top, rather a folding metal top, and the mechanism on this is so easy to use. It’s one of the best cars I’ve ever driven – it’s really very good fun! I’d be heartbroken if anything happened to it. It’s also very economical on fuel, so I can’t fault it really. It’s definitely a keeper – Iwould only ever replace it with another one.
‘The SUV that beats Ferraris’
1992 GMC Typhoon Luke Gerrard, Lancs
GMC Typhoon? Well, it’s the original performance SUV that beat Ferraris in 0-60mph tests – 5.3 seconds. It has got cruise control, power steering, ABS, remote central locking, air conditioning… doesn’t get more useable than that! But it is also very, very quick. I’ve got a super early one, and I live here, in the UK. It has only done 42k miles so it still feels fresh although the paint is patinated on the front half – but that’s because the last owner parked it up for seven years when his wife was taken ill.
I bought the car anyway and managed to get it through its MOT, and it’s been my daily driver since. I don’t really know how we decide what cars to buy… I just like this. It’s different and exciting… and practical.
