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The sausage run

#### Why this slice of fire-breathing Welsh exotica is well worth snapping up…

Given their rarity and exotic feel, it’s perhaps surprising to learn how affordable the Invader is.

What’s not surprising is how infrequently they come up for sale, so you might have to be quick!

With fewer than 500 cars known to the Gilbern Owners’ Club, they are rare curios indeed.

Projects are hard to find these days, unless you stumble over a barn find example for a grand or so. We’d be surprised though, as the club has a fair idea of where they all are! There’s a history file on pretty much every example built. About £10,000 should get you a great Invader. We saw one go at auction for £10,643 in May of this year, for instance and at the time we went to press, there was an excellent estate model for sale at £8000. Pay less than that and you can expect a little work to be required. However, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about as the club has made an astonishing effort to ensure that parts are still available.

With styling as good as this, it’s astonishing how so few earthlings are aware of one of the most brilliantly designed and beautifully proportioned cars ever built. Further to this, the erotically named Gilbern Invader is fantastic to drive, too. Also, it is Welsh… which, given our love for this fine country, makes it even cooler.

Beautifully engineered and with a cabin of supreme quality, the Invader was well put together with its suspension combining in-house-designed components and suitably altered MG parts up front and a durable Ford-sourced rear axle.

There’s outstanding grunt from that woofly 3-litre Essex with predictable cornering and a rear end which can get entertainingly lively in the wet. It's also a unique bit of Welsh automotive history that'll get tongues wagging at car shows the length and breadth of the UK. The Invader never feels anything less than special.

The earliest Gibern Invader you’re likely to find will be the first-generation model launched back in 1969 – based on its Genie predecessor but vastly improved underneath and with toys like electric windows and a walnut dash. A MkII came along in 1971 by which time a practical estate model had joined the range with the final version – the MkIII – launched in 1972. These later cars had Cortina front suspension and differed slightly to look at with slightly wider and lower bodywork. As always with a low volume car such as this, it’s all about the club. Join the Gilbern Owners Club for the parts you need, as well as the most in-depth and friendly advice.

Starting underneath, the chassis is made of a straightforward steel box-section and laddersection sills. Some were rustproofed when they were new but trapped mud plays havoc and box sections can rust merrily away. Common spots for corrosion to begin are the sills, outriggers and uprights directly ahead of the rear wheels. The top rail ( just below the parcel shelf on a saloon) carries the mounts for the rear dampers and can rot straight through. Some MkIs suffered stress cracks in the front of the chassis around the suspension mountings. Specialists can repair a chassis but it’s a complex job, so if it’s been done ensure that you know who did the job and when.

Some owners attempt to lift the body off during restoration – but there’s no need to for most chassis work. The best method is to cut through the floor in up to six sections, one at a time.

Up top, check the bodywork carefully for cracks and crazing, especially around the saloon’s left-hand boot hinge – always a weak spot. The club can supply repair sections and used panels. It also has the original moulds to produce some of the panels new, so find out what’s available before you buy. The bodyshell was bonded to the internal floorpan and riveted to the chassis along the sills; some sections of the MkIII were also bonded to the chassis. Check for shakes forward of the bulkhead, which suggests that a mounting is loose. Door and bonnet hinges are mounted straight to the chassis frame. The adjustable doors are heavy so check that they fit perfectly in their apertures. Panel gaps on Invaders were good when new, but MkIII doors are awkward to fit correctly. Windscreens are unique but the club owns the moulds, so more can be made. Flat side glass is easy to cut but the estate’s tailgate glass came from the rare Corsair estate. MkI/MkII tail lights can’t be sourced new, but the MkIII version’s Escort MkI tail lights are still available.

There’s certainly no shortage of parts for the popular Ford Essex V6. As with all Essex engines, installing an alloy cam timing gear (about £150 for parts) is a peace of mind upgrade that’s well worthwhile. Likewise, unleaded cylinder heads are a sensible investment during an engine re-build.

Expect to pay £200 per pair for the conversion work. Radiators were specially made; hoses are still available but when buying for the MkIII ensure that you get the correct water pump outlet pipe with the 45-degree back plate. Just using a flexible hose can create an airlock. MkI and MkII autos used an MGC axle with lower-ratio MGB crown and pinion. The MkIII used a Ford Atlas rear axle from a German-market Taunus – not an easy part to find.

Most Invaders had the four-speed overdrive gearbox from the Ford Zodiac MkIV. The selector’s external rubber bushes harden with age, leading to sloppy shifting but replacement nylon bushes are available. A five-speed Ford Type 9 gearbox (re-build from £375, complete unit £600-plus) can be fitted using a home-made adaptor plate or purpose-made bellhousing (£460) from Ford specialists.

Elsewhere underneath, MkII Invaders used Gilbern’s own front suspension. Kingpins are available again, having been out of production for many years and you can buy the unique dampers through the club. MkIIIs used Ford running gear, which is easy to find. MkIII front suspension mounts to a subframe that unbolts for maintenance but can take 20 hours to rebuild because it’s an engine/gearbox out job. If you’re looking to improve an Invader’s stoppers, a MkIII rear disc conversion for the Cortina axle is £300. Likewise, MGC front calipers can be changed for four-pot versions from about £100 per pair.

Slip behind the wheel and find missing parts and we’re sorry to say you won’t find any new-old-stock parts available – employ a trimmer or have a go yourself, as many Gilbern owners do. Seats were unique to the Invader so you’ll have a long search for replacements if they’re missing; MkIII versions are especially rare. Mazda MX-5 seats are one of the few narrow enough to fit the Invader; they cost from about £100 per pair secondhand. You’ll have to get your rear seat trimmed to match it, though. Interiors were vinyl, though leather was an option. Folding rear seats in MkII estates are unique. If you need a new dashboard it’ll have to be made, although all gauges and dials are available new. MkIII dashboards and centre consoles are very hard to find now. Wiring was simple and, as with many glassfibre-bodied cars, problems can usually be traced to a bad earth. Thankfully, the club sells new looms.

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Buyers Brief: Gilbern Invader 1969 -1973

#### Hopes were dashed when Kevin Gunner stripped his Alfasud – but the pain was worthwhile

**WORDS** RICHARD MASON PICTURES **MATT RICHARDSON**

It's lucky that Alfa Romeo enthusiasts possess such enormous passion for their cars because in the case of Kevin Gunner, his seven-year restoration journey began with a seriously rusty reality check.

‘When I bought the car online, it looked like a seriously good bet. There was a full folder of paperwork and had only covered 61,500 miles. How bad could really it be?’ Kevin’s Alfasud, with a tax disc from 1993 on the dusty windscreen, was an ultra-rare example of this little Alfa, too. ‘It’s a 1.5Ti from 1980, so it’s a crossover model manufactured to use up the old Series 2 booted shells – but looking like the new series 3 hatchback. According to the Alfa Romeo Owners Club it is the only booted Series 3 registered by the DVLA.’

The first of the three previous owners had kept it for 32 years. The next owner after that decided to cover the underside of the car in black under seal and stylish black tape on the body to hide the rust, selling it in 2016 to a classic car specialist, which is where Kevin got it. ‘They delivered it to me in February 2016. The plan was to just get the car resprayed and use it. It was running on three cylinders, which I thought would be an easy fix, plus it only looked like it had some exterior surface rust. So, a quick lick of paint and back on the road’.

Kevin had owned a few as a teenager. ‘I became completely at home adjusting the front inboard disc brakes or welding the rusty battery tray, so it didn’t fall onto the passenger’s lap. It was a quick and outstanding handling car, so that’s where my passion for them comes from.’ Optimistically, Kevin had his new project delivered directly to a local paint shop in Bagshot. ‘They’d agreed that to keep the cost down I could strip the car down there and prepare it for painting. I thought it wouldn’t take long. At the time, I already had a Lotus Excel project at home so there was no room for the Alfa’.

As Kevin started stripping the car down, it just got worse and worse. ‘To begin with I took the mouldings off the wheel arches. There was an arc of rust bubbling on the offside front arch above the moulding, but I thought it would be easy enough to repair and then just get on with the spraying. Once I started on the wings it was clear there was way more rust.’ But he admits he was in too deep with no option other than to keep going. ‘The whole of the interior came out and I pulled everything else off the body to get back to the shell to find out just what lay under all that black tape and underseal’. Rust began to appear as he scraped the underseal off the rear of the chassis – and continued all the way to the other end, unfortunately. ‘The two chassis sections running front to back were filled with a sort of foam at the factory. The idea was to prevent rust but actually it led to more condensation. So a lot of the foam had to be removed before I could do any welding.’

Finding good front wings wasn’t easy. ‘In the end I bought three sets of wings, all used, and fitted the best ones from the six I had’. New old stock rear arch repair panels and sills were bought via club members. Where the rust was running along the lower portions of the sills, Kevin cut it out on the bottom of the sills to preserve the shut lines with the bottom of the doors. ‘The sills are covered with a black moulding so you can’t see the join anyway.’ Kevin didn’t want to cut corners.

‘It was important to me that everything was done properly. I was lucky that the inner wings were in good condition although the same couldn’t be said for the ‘A’ pillar on the passenger side. The metal was totally rotten and needed new bits welding in. Wherever there was rust, it was cut out. And this included the roof just above the front windscreen. The rubber screen seals trap water eventually leading to corrosion around the edge of the windscreen. I couldn’t just grind down and fill because I just knew I would end up having to do the work all over again one day.’

The black tape around the sunroof was concealing rust, but it wasn’t just a case of taking the glass panel out. Kevin had to become a carpenter. ‘The whole roof section went all floppy without the sunroof frame, so I had to build a kind of roll cage to keep it rigid. It took me half day to fabricate the cage using pine. I had to plain it down to get the right curved shape. Luckily I used to fit kitchens so it was easy!’ Only then with the roof square could he get on with welding new bits of metal in. Kevin’s next challenge was replacing the rear side windows that have a metal surround bonded to the glass. Not unsurprisingly this had rusted out. ‘Although Alfa Romeo manufactured over one million Alfasuds, it remains quite a challenge to source good quality parts.

‘Eventually I did manage to locate some new side windows from Greece. They cost me £300!’

Fortunately, the doors had little rust – not much more than a few scabs near the bottom which were easy to repair. Not so easy were the rear panel extensions to the boot floor. ‘There just wasn’t anything available. I looked everywhere. To make matters worse I needed them for both sides. In the end the panels had to be fabricated’. Kevin says that the bodywork and painting were completed after about a year. At this point, the Alfasud was taken home where Kevin could source and refit all the parts at his leisure. ‘What with work, other hobbies and one thing and another it took me six years to get it finished.’

As he was refitting the running gear, Kevin replaced as much as possible with new parts from bushes and pipes to brakes, clutch and many gaskets. ‘This is where it got a bit obsessive – the sub frame, axle, sump, arms, springs, all got shot blasted and powder coated, anything metal colour got zinc plated including a new exhaust and any alloy got polished.’ The interior needed to compliment a now near perfect Alfasud. Kevin says the low mileage helped to minimise wear to the seats. ‘The covers weren’t worn but the cushioning has gone all saggy, you just sink right into them. It’s something I still need to fix but for now, there’s a plank of wood under there to keep me from sinking to the floor.’ Everything in the interior is original and was merely cleaned it and refitted it. Even the radio still works and remarkably, the rubber door seals were good enough to use again. Kevin makes it sound easy until it comes to the headlining. ‘It was brittle, so I had to be so careful with it. I couldn’t just stretch it to where I wanted it to go. At least with all the windows out it was easier to do!’

Kevin changed the steering wheel for a wood rimmed one that was fitted to the top of the range ‘Sprint’ model – but it hid a surprise. ‘I didn’t realise the wooden steering wheel was fake until I started paint stripping the flaking lacquer and ending up with a plastic orange wheel! After I did some clever painting, it looks like wood again.’

Kevin was correct in his optimistic assessment of the engine. ‘It fired up after a good four hours tuning the twin Webbers using a service kit. Now it runs on all cylinders! I replaced the rocker cover and sump gaskets, as well as the water pump and cambelt. The gearbox was fine and just needed new bushes for the gearstick’. Then the petrol tank sender unit stopped working. ‘I managed to find a sender unit and a secondhand tank in better condition, which I two-pack painted and fitted.’ Looking at the car now, you’d never know the pain Kevin went through – it is stunning. So much so, the Alfasud recently won first prize at the Phyllis Tuckwell Classic Car Show near Farnham. While it was a difficult ride to a rosette, it was worth every hour spent.

All gone south

**From one to one hundred, your favourites in order**

DANNY HOPKINS, JAMES WALSHE, MATT GEORGE, MATT TOMKINS, JAMES PEENE & CRAIG CHEETHAM

Six months ago we asked a very simple question: ‘What is your favourite classic?’ You responded in your droves and this is the result. Atop 100 as voted for by you. Thank you for getting involved. There have been moves up and down the classic car hit parade since we last asked you to vote almost a decade ago, including anew number one, the Mini, perhaps a reflection of the little icon’s significant anniversary in 2024, 65 years.

Also moving into the top three is the 2CV, a car that has grown in status as its unique design becomes more appreciated. The Morris Minor endures, it’s never been out of the top three. As for the rest of the top ten… all traditional big hitters including the MGB, Triumph Stag and Ford Capri. The increasing popularity of modern classics is reflected by the presence of the MG ZT/Rover 75, while the Beetle maintains its status as a true original, and a design icon. The Rover P6 is there and of course, Jaguar E-type… could a top ten ever exist without one? Further down the list a few surprises and eyebrow raisers. Who would have predicted the Mitsubishi Carisma and Proton Saga being so high up, even the Lotus Excel could be described as ‘punching’ above its weight. And some significant omissions, too. Citroën CX, why is it not on the list?

No mystery… if you voted and encouraged other owners to do the same, then that’s simply a reflection of your enthusiasm. It’s free election, and you mobilised, well done. If your favourite classic isn’t here then it doesn’t mean no-one voted for it, just not enough. So here, for your enjoyment is the unapologetic full list. Is it definitive? Of course not. Is it imperfect? Yes. Is your top 100 a reflection of the passion we all feel for our cars? Undoubtedly. This is your selection, starting from number one…

This year (2024) saw the 65th anniversary of the Mini celebrated the world over, so it perhaps isn’t a surprise that interest in this icon of motoring has been elevated sufficiently to put it at the top spot this year. Introduced in 1959, the Mini’s extraordinary design had been fuelled by a need for an economical, small, family car, in response to the oil crisis brought on by the conflict over the Suez Canal. Prices of fuel might have dropped by the time it was ready for sale, Britain having withdrawn from Suez in 1957, but that didn’t dilute its success. From utilitarian transport to rally superstar and fashion icon, there was always a market for the Mini to dominate. With production spanning from that launch in 1959 right through to 2000. BMW’s R50 took over in '01 and ensured a future for the Mini’s name and spirit. The OG Mini saw changes aplenty – including a growth of that fabulous A-series engine from 850 to 1275cc, an eventual move to single point injection, air conditioning on some export models and interior revisions aplenty, not to mention the various sub-models spawned – but such was the genius of Issigonis’s original package that very few body changes were made in that 41-year life span, ensuring the plucky Mini’s iconic shape endured for generations.

I completed my second Mini restoration earlier this year, a MkII Countryman, and can reveal first hand just how well-supported the Mini is for parts and information almost a quarter or a century since its production ended. Heck, even complete bodyshells are available to buy brand new from BMH.

A miracle of packaging, the Mini’s front wheel drive gears-in-sump arrangement was revolutionary, although plenty of revisions to this design were made in the first months and years of production. However, once the formula had been perfected, and oil technology had caught up, the miraculous Mini gathered pace quickly, soon becoming the great leveller. Everyone wanted a piece of the new Mini – and today everyone has a story about one. The diminutive 850cc engine soon grew to 998, and then along came the Coopers and with them, great success in motorsport thanks to the work of BMC’s competition department. Win on Sunday, sell on Monday had long been a mantra of marketing departments and never had it been more true. 1098 and latterly 1275 engines propelled the Mini with ever-brisker pace, while drums were replaced by discs and eventually servo assistance was added to arrest momentum as the motoring landscape changed around the Mini, with ever-denser traffic and a growing Motorway network.

A brief dalliance with Hydrolastic suspension from 1964 was soon abandoned on cost grounds, the Mini returning to rubber cone springs, the brainchild of Alex Moulton, until the end of production. Derivatives from vans and estates, Clubmans and the rather impractical Moke all utilised the same bolt-on subframes that allowed the Mini its success as a car that could be maintained and even repaired and restored at home. And let’s not forget the cultural significance of this little car. From fashionistas such as Mary Quant (remember her ‘Mini’ skirt?), to the Beatles, a starring role in _The Italian Job_ and _Mr Bean_ and more besides, the Mini’s popularity endures. So much so, of course, that it sits triumphant as your winner here.

Last time we asked you to name your favourite classic, the Minor won, but it’s been pipped into the number two spot this year by another Issigonis design, the Mini. The Morris Minor, in ‘lowlight’ side-valve-powered form, was unveiled in 1948 at the Earls Court Motor Show and the model endured until 1971. Quite the run. By 1962 it had become the first car to sell one million units – hence the lilac Minor Million special edition (a world first) photographed here and, by the end of production, a whopping 1.6 million Minors, in two-door, convertible, four-door, Traveller, and light commercial forms had been produced.

My first car was a Morris Minor. I still own it, in fact, and have spent much time and effort over the past 15 years maintaining, repairing, restoring, modifying and, most importantly, driving it all over the UK and Europe alongside two more Minors I own. They’re infectious!

Charming, good looking, incredibly cheap and easy to live with, the Minor was, and remains, a quintessentially British people’s car. It was mass transport, born in a post-war era and launched alongside the XK120 at the motor show I’d most like to time travel to, the first since WWII. And yet, it is absolutely possible to use a Minor, a late one especially, every day in 2024. If you want a little more go, steer or stop, thanks to its mechanical similarity to a variety of BMC/BL models (including the Wolseley 1500 and Riley One-Point-Fives that were meant to replace it and the Marina that eventually did), modifications from within the family are well-documented and straightforward. Then there’s the wealth of aftermarket conversions such as disc brakes, telescopic dampers, electronic ignition kits or anti-roll bars on offer.

Parts support, particularly for later cars, remains excellent for the Minor, with body panels and mechanical parts (many of which are shared with other BMC models including the Mini) available for next day delivery from several suppliers. Especially earlier cars are less straightforward to live with, however remain well served by the spares department of the incredibly active owners’ club. Incidentally, the Morris Minor Owners’ club recently completed the restoration of the last Morris Minor saloon off the production line – the car is now on loan to today’s shoot location, the Great British Car Journey.

In succeeding automotive visionary André Citroën, Pierre Jules Boulanger came up with the idea for the 2CV while watching market traders in his hometown of Lempdes. The intention was to replace their wheelbarrows and horse-drawn carts with a 400kg machine capable of carrying four adults, 50kg of goods and a basket of eggs across a ploughed field without breaking a single egg. Delayed by Nazi occupation, the 2CV was finally unveiled in 1948, thereafter finding 3.8 million homes until production ceased in 1990.

Often ridiculed by my own generation as flimsy transport for hippies, the 2CV’s mix of innovative engineering, durability and comfort – not to mention ease of repair and maintenance – is now widely acknowledged. A car so seemingly rudimentary may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but only a fool would disregard its significance now.

Having mobilised a war-ravaged France, the 2CV was built in Slough for a while and sold to bemused Brits. However, we never truly clicked with the car until 1974, when it was relaunched into the UK to buyers wrestling with the consequences of a world in financial crisis. Many carried on laughing, but owners didn’t care – they could feel the inherent brilliance underneath and the extra cash in their pockets, as I do today each time I step aboard my own 1985 daily driver.

At the heart of its appeal is Walter Becchia’s lightweight air-cooled flat twin that can be thrashed all day long. It’s a precision bit of kit designed with the bare minimum of moving parts. No distributor, radiator or thermostat and very few gaskets – no boiling in summer or freezing in winter. It’s a masterpiece of simplicity. With rack and pinion steering (located within the front axle tubes) and compact swing arm suspension (interconnected and slung along each sill), the 2CV has a low centre of gravity for limpet-like grip – despite the absurd roll angles – and can be hustled along at surprising velocity with only long hills and headwinds to curtail swift progress. Of course, many love the 2CV because it looks cheerful, the roof rolls back and the seats come out for picnics. However, there’s so much more to it – the 2CV enabled generations of builders, bakers, midwives, priests, craftsmen and farmers to hit the road. It was a lifeline for mums, dads and skint students. Throughout its four decades of continuous production, there was always a reason for the Citroën 2CV to exist.

Yes, it looks funny. But in the end, the tin snail got the last laugh.

When Practical Classics magazine launched in May 1980, the MGB was still in production, and would be until October of that year, having first broken cover in September 1962. But that didn’t stop the second issue of our beloved publication featuring one on the cover – describing the process of full sill replacement. Launched first as a roadster in 1962, the Pininfarina-penned ’B GT joined the brochure in 1965.

The MGB is ubiquitous because, well, it’s fantastic! I adored my MGB GT throughout my six years of ownership. Complete with overdrive (an option on all ’Bs) and Webasto sunroof, I held it on a pedestal as the most practical classic going. I used it for everything from trips to B&Q to a honeymoon road trip to the Scottish Highlands and everything in between. I made great use of the fantastic spares availability, rebuilding the engine, suspension and steering in my ownership and enjoyed all aspects of it – windscreen replacement aside…

When it launched to replace the MGA, the ’B had big boots to fill. Although not as curvaceous as it’s predecessor, the MGB was still a handsome thing and updated underpinnings, unitary construction and the old faithful B-series engine bored out from 1622 to 1798cc gave the new car the pep to set hearts racing and appeal to young and testosterone-fuelled audience. ‘Your mother wouldn’t like it’, read one advertising slogan. Early MGBs hold great charm however refinements such as external door locks and a change from three to five main bearings in the engine make a post-’64 ’B a much more usable thing in the 21st century. While some still malign the black rubber bumpers fitted to post-’74 ’Bs (many have been converted to chrome over the years), there is a growing appreciation for the era-defining big bumpers and vibrant colour schemes. Handling on these later cars was slightly compromised thanks to a required elevation in ride height to comply with US headlight height laws, however fitment of a chrome bumper subframe can resolve this if desired.

The MGB GT V8 joined the party from 1973-’76, but was only available in GT form. There are several homebrew roadster conversions out there, however, and the combination of the ’B’s charm and good looks with that Buick-developed Rover V8 burble holds great appeal.

Launched in 1970 and available as a 2+2 sports tourer only, the Stag stayed in production until 1977, with 25,939 cars rolling off the final assembly line at Canley in that time. The Stag has appeared in numerous TV shows and films, with perhaps its most notable appearance being in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds are Forever, as Bond – played by Sean Connery – commandeers a 1970 Saffron Yellow Stag from a diamond smuggler. Today, it still remains a popular choice for classic fans looking for a drop-top with room for four.

Intended for the upwardly mobile or young executive as a luxury grand tourer, the Stag was aimed squarely at the area of the market occupied mainly by the Mercedes-Benz SL. Here was a car that could transport the whole family – with luggage – in top-down style. It sounded glorious and there was plenty of go, thanks to that torquey 3.0-litre powerplant. As we all know, numerous issues at the factory largely soured the Stag’s reputation in period, but these days those niggles have been addressed and we can truly appreciate it for what it is.

While I wouldn’t refer to myself or my colleague James Walshe as upwardly mobile or, alas, that young anymore, we certainly enjoyed our trip to Paris to take part in the annual Traversée de Paris event back in 2016. Our transport for the trip was a 1975 Stag borrowed from friends Rachael and Phil Gunn, in a suitably Seventies Java Green hue, and it endeared itself to us both. It was completely at home in the outside lane of the autoroute, while being fun to hustle around the smaller and quieter N-roads, too. Perhaps more surprisingly, thanks to its chunky manual gearbox, the V8 cruiser also proved perfect for sprinting into gaps around town and dicing with the traffic in the congested and sometimes manic city centre. A genuinely impressive machine all round.

So, whether you’re young and carefree, have a family in tow or want to treat yourself to a retirement project, the Stag’s a classic that can suit all situations, with an immutable V8 burble and elegant looks that will have you staring at its reflection in shop windows as you pass.

Made between 1963 and 1977, it was the very first winner of the European Car of the Year award and set new standards in safety and engineering. The P6 was designed as a blank sheet of paper concept and built at an all-new factory in Solihul. Citroën’s DS inspired the David Bache design and, under the skin, like the DS, the P6 was a technological marvel. It was ‘unitary’, had De Dion tube rear suspension, discs all round and all new engine. It sold well and, with the later addition of a V8 engine, became a police favourite.

You can’t really judge a P6 until you have driven one, because it is only when you pilot the thing that the magic happens. Put simply, the Rover drives better than most modern cars. It enjoys superior road holding and handling but without the harshness of your typical modern. The P6, like the DS, comes with extreme comfort as standard, without sacrificing ‘feel’, it is astonishingly good.

It looks great too with design flourishes that charm and impress and an overall shape that easily handled a mid-life redesign. It, like all great classics, is unmistakeable (even when you squint) and the interior is a work of art. The broad shelf stretching across the bulkhead, the dashboard dials or strip speedo, reminiscent of an aircraft’s instruments and layout, and my favourite, the delicate stalks emanating from the column… precise and beautifully crafted. It’s a great place to be, a great place to drive.

The engines, four and V8, delivered two different cars to its driver, with the 3500S being fast in its day and the four-pots being practical, economical, smooth and capable of long distances at high speed. The 2200TC was my favourite, it gave real performance and torquey tractability without the low teens mpg of the V8. I know because I’ve had four. A 2200SC auto, a 2000, a 3500 and a 2200TC manual. Each with its own character and each one cheaper than it should have been given the quality. Easy to work on, practical and capable of big miles in modern traffic, I'm astonished they still go for a few grand.

The cars are supported by excellent clubs and a number of specialists who all contribute to its popularity. It’s presence in the top ten is a reflection of its practicality and value. After a British chrome classic with real pedigree, usability, fixability and driving excellence, buy a P6. It’s simple.

Following a calamitous launch at the NEC show, where BMW’s CEO undermined celebrations with a poorly timed political grenade, thankfully the brilliant 75 soon found many accolades and happy homes. The later, and brilliantly reengineered, ZT did too. Initially built at Cowley under BMW, production moved to Longbridge under the MG Rover Group.

A superb estate and barnstorming rear-drive V8 also followed, which breathed new life into the brand thanks to some expert tweaks to the styling and chassis. It doesn't feel like 20 years since the 75 died, but it lives on here at least.

In 2003, I bought a two-year-old 75 V6 Club SE. Atlantic blue, 17-inch ‘serpents’ and a cabin featuring a tasteful mix of leather and real wood, plus in-built sat nav and a TV. I was in my mid-twenties and a car like this felt seriously special – sumptuous, modern and unlike anything I’d previous owned. On seeing it out of the studio window, my radio presenter colleagues at Galaxy Yorkshire immediately pointed and laughed, naming the car ‘Elsie’.

And therein lay the issue. As a young man who valued character above fashion, this was a miniBentley for £15k. To folk more representative of the fashion-conscious car buying public, it was an ‘old man’s car’. It was the early Noughties – a time of dramatically shifting technology. Pre-iPhone but post iPod and Bluetooth. My colleagues each had a new Audi, complete with Alcantara, brushed aluminium trim, USB ports, Apple connectivity and a Quattro badge on the nose. Instead, I’d bought a car made of wood, chrome and dead cows.

Not that I cared – and I stand by my decision today. I’d paid a lot less than they had – for a lot more car. And boy, what a machine. Sure, you can talk company politics and the facelifted car’s drop in quality circa 2003 but we’re past all that now – all 75s and MG ZTs feel special. From the glowing antique-look dials and dash of exterior chrome of the 75 to the purposeful face and handling prowess of the ZT, I’m not surprised enthusiasts have fallen for this brilliant saloon.

Losing such a massive part of British automotive history 20 years ago, history going back to 1904 – with every innovative Austin, magnificent Morris and wonderful Wolseley in between – still hurts. But what a way to finish. And what a car to cherish.

The Rover 75 may have been something of a square peg in a round hole when it was unveiled, but it – along with the ZT – remains a skilfully designed, well-built and captivating modern classic. These cars are living proof that charisma counts.

I can’t even remember what a 2003 Audi A4 looks like, can you?

It was built between 1961 and 1974 through three phases of three different models. Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3 cars came in coupe, soft top or 2+2 coupe guise with S1 and SII cars using Jaguar’s legendary six-cylinder XK engine and the thoroughly reworked SIII enjoying the services of the huge 5.3 litre V12. Described by Enzo Ferrari as ‘the most beautiful car ever made’, the E-Type is timeless and one of the few cars to become iconic.

It’s easy to get a bit blasé about the E-type. It’s always the car they use on TV to describe a classic sports car, it’s always in the top ten most ‘beautiful’, ‘iconic’, ‘desirable’… ‘you add your criteria’ cars online or in a tabloid. There’s always one at a show, with its owner, having achieved the dream, looking a bit pleased with themselves. So, yes, I have been guilty of simply walking on by to look at something rarer.

But stop and imagine the car world without it? It is eye searingly gorgeous from every angle, it looks like nothing else on four wheels, it is still properly fast and it still makes people grin from ear to ear. It’s the Supermarine Spitfire of the road. A world without that would be a markedly less beautiful place… less fun.

There is a theory too that every petrolhead, however sniffy they are about Jag’s work of genius, has an E-type shaped gland in their carbrain, that sometimes swells up a bit, sometimes even to the extent that a consideration is made about worldly possessions. If I sold everything, could I afford a project? Maybe?

Saying all that, you do need to answer the question, is it actually any good because it’s difficult to break away from the ‘idea’ of an E-type. Once you get away, far enough, and remember the fact that it is, away from that noise, simply a car you can approach it objectively.

Here’s the best bit. I’ve driven numerous E-types from early series one cars to the last off the line V12, HDU 555N, and the good news is, in decent fettle, they drive as well as they look. OK, you need to forgive the long throw on the earlier gearboxes, or the relaxed driving nature of the V12 (E-type morphed from sports to grand tourer for series III), but every time I have sat inside the curved flanks of the most beautiful car in the world, the driving experience has actually delivered. Truly excellent, truly unforgettable. I haven’t really explained why the E-type is in the top ten yet though… oh well, no need.

Introduced in Germany 1938, the last Beetle saloon built in Europe rolled off the line at the Emden plant on January 19, 1978, with the final cabriolet produced at the Karmann facility in Osnabruck on January 10, 1980. However, production continued in Mexico until 2003, while the Beetle’s total manufacturing total of 21.529,464 million units is the most of any car of a single platform. Available as a saloon or cabriolet, its production period of 65 years is also the longest of any single generation of motor vehicle.

Of all the cars here, perhaps only the Mini can rival the Beetle for ubiquity, longevity and – ultimately – popularity. From inauspicious beginnings in the Thirties, it literally took over the world, with America especially falling under the spell of the humble ‘Bug’. With Volkswagen translating to ‘People’s Car’, that’s exactly what the Type 1, or Beetle as we more commonly know it, was. All things to all men, it was affordable to buy, cheap to run and, given that it didn’t really have much in the way of technology, simple to service fix when required, too.

Of course, design is another factor in making a car iconic, and in the 20th century there weren’t many cars that looked like the Beetle. It was generally accepted that smaller family cars would be boxier and share some DNA with rivals on the market and yet the Beetle went against this… it flouted expectations and went against what was expected of family car, leading to a startling increase in demand for the car globally. Factories were built in Canada, Brazil and Mexico and in the Sixties, it became the most imported car in the United States.

I once owned a 1968 Beetle, albeit one that had been modified in the ‘Cal Look’ style with a huge 2110cc engine, but it still retained the character and feel that made the Beetle such a huge favourite over the decades. Driving that car allowed me to understand just what it is about the Beetle that gets under your skin, even if you can’t fully explain what that is. There is a very good reason why it has continued to endure in the hearts of many thousands of obsessive enthusiasts worldwide.

The Ford Capri, ‘the car you always promised yourself’ was made over three generations between 1969 and 1986. It was Europe’s answer to the Mustang, and was destined to be the Ford Colt, had Mitsubishi not nabbed the monika first. A blistering success the first year alone the Capri found over400,000 new owners with just under two million over three generations rolling off the production line. The car was a TV star featuring in iconic series such as _Minder, The Professionals_ and _Only Fools and Horses._

No surprise that the Capri is the top Ford, with the MkIV Electric version just launched. It’s been almost 40 years since we saw a Capri on sale new and, it has to be said, the latest incarnation possibly doesn’t capture the imagination in the same way the original version did. Back then it was a revelation… a people’s Grand Tourer.

A back street racer for all. You could be Steve McQueen… even in Basildon, and even if you only had 1.3 litres to enjoy.

With a huge range of spec levels and engine options (straight-four, V4, V6, V8), there was a Capri for everyone from lowly L to luxurious Ghia and the blistering raced honed RS3100 or end of the line 2.8 Tickford Turbo that could reach 60 in seven seconds. All Capris were aimed at the mass market but with a specific remit, to make the owner feel special, whatever their financial station in life.

And it worked, the sales figures alone show that. Its popularity was mainly due to the way the it looked, with a long bonnet, curvaceous rump and aggressive stance. There was no mistaking it, this was a statement car, despite four seats and a practical boot and later hatchback. The way the Capri drove also gave it appeal, despite humble underpinnings.

I have driven dozens of them, including the awesome 5-litre Perana, and I owned my own Diamond White 1.6 MkIII (early car, pre-Laser) for a couple of years. Yes, none of them possessed the finesse and subtlety you get from some European performance cars, but what you always enjoyed was a fantastic driving position and rorty, rear wheel drive ‘dirty’ energy. Getting into a Capri always makes me feel special and a bit nasty (in a good way), while few cars pass the ‘look back from the front door’ test so easily.

The ladder chassis, clamshell bonnet and simple rugged mechanicals make the range (made between 1959 and 1971) both easy to work on and fun to own. They also have style, a slice of bijou Americana for the British market, in a perfect package. The Herald and later 13/60 are great town cars with zippy four-pots and a fantastic turning circle, the Vitesse has that gorgeous Triumph straight-six in either 1600 or 2-litre form. Fast and lairy (potentially scary) fun.

Five generations of Fords bore the Cortina badge, with the car being named after which hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics. It was a marketing exercise to make Ford products sound exciting and was first applied to the blue Oval’s saloon in 1962. The boxier MkII ran from 1966-1970 and in the first year of its release, the MkIII TC became the UK’s best-selling car. With its ‘Coke Bottle’ styling it was a larger offering than its predecessors and so different under the skin that Ford considered ditching the name. It didn’t and in 1976 we got the MkIV and finally, in 1979 the MkV.

With jaw-dropping looks, the 1974-1982 Elite was Hethel’s attempt at an upmarket 2+2 sports car and was the last Lotus to get the engineering expertise of Colin Chapman. The Elite was joined in ’75 by the sportier Éclat – its fastback body forming the basis of the 1982-1992 Excel, which had mechanical input from Toyota, body-coloured bumpers (from 1984) and (later) flared arches. The Elite/Éclat and Excel are highly prized by owners who appreciate the unique mix of comfort, performance and Lotus’s trademark agility in the bends.

More than 80,000 deposits were taken within a week of its launch in 1955. Citroën's front-wheel drive masterclass in comfort gave us innovations such as directional, self-levelling headlamps (from ’67), while it was the first mass production car with disc brakes. There could have been more; sadly, the DS ended up with a revised version of its predecessor’s 2-litre lump instead of an air-cooled flat-six – engine designer Walter Becchia unable to overcome the colossal challenges of a big air-cooled lump.

Although production began several months earlier, the TR6 was officially introduced in January 1969 as a new model. The final TR6 was produced on July 20, 1976. Of the 91,850 TR6s made, 83,480 were exported, almost all of them to the United States, while just 8370 were sold in the UK. Still popular today, if you’re looking for the full (and admittedly clichéd) ‘hairy-chested British sports car’ experience, the ’6 will give you that in spades.

The benchmark against which all hatches are judged and, in GTi form, the one that truly brought the ‘hot-hatch’ to the attention of the masses, VW’s replacement for the Beetle ushered in a new era of motoring. While there have been more flamboyant hatchbacks, the Golf was infused with the qualities that endeared it to the public from day one – build-quality, dependability, practicality and badge-appeal. VW got the blend right from day one, replacing the Beetle with the MkI in 1974.

All of the Interceptor’s numbers were big, which is why you always wanted one in huge price tag (more than an Aston), ferocious fuel economy and fast as you like. American grunt, British coachbuilding and Italian design come together in this car to produce a glorious object of pure desire. Designed by Touring in Turin, the Jensen team drove out a CV8 for the Italian firm to remodel. It was driven back months later as the prototype ’Ceptor’. The Kelvin Way factory produced the West Bromwich supercar from 1966 to 1976, and it’s pull is still immense.

Triumph’s extremely handsome 1971 mid-sized saloon, was sold alongside the developed from 1965’s FWD 1300. Codenamed Ajax, it was a Triumph Herald replacement and was very well received at launch. The name ‘Dolomite’ had been used by Triumph for a range of models prior to the Second World War and this was revived for the new car. Between 1972 and 1980 79,010 were made including the rapid, 16v Dolomite Sprint, the world’s first mass produced multi valve car with a 0-60mph time of around 8.4 seconds.

It appealed to a new generation of rakish gentleman but even today, simply saying ‘Spitfire’ fills you with a sense of excitement, even if it comes with a BL badge. Introduced to pinch sales from the Austin-Healey Sprite, under the stylish bodywork designed by Giovanni Michelotti, you’ll discover a shortened Herald chassis, running gear and engine. Basic and inexpensive, the Spitfire still offers affordable thrills today and is a reminder of how much fun you can have in two-seat British roadster.

The MkI was as big a hit on the motor sports scene as with UK families. What appealed about it when it was current remains the same today. The first-born Escort provided affordable transport for suburban families, and its success on the world rally stage created an allure that tricked down to ‘lesser’ models. Every man and his dog dreamed of an Escort Mexico or RS1600 or RS2000, even if they had to ‘settle’ for De Luxe or Super.

Revealed: Top 100 Classics

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In the December 2024 issue of Practical Classics, our team of writers reveal **your top 100 favourite classics – as voted for by you!** Will it be the Morris Minor again, after it triumphed last time we asked, back in 2016? What about the Beetle, the Mini and E-type? There are a few real surprise entries too! Grab the latest copy to find out.

Also this month, we feature a gaggle of extraordinary restorations, showcasing the revival of a **Triumph Vitesse and Alfasud**, among others.

The team hit the road in our late friend **Theo’s 1950s Lanchester on a road trip to the Beaulieu International Autojumble**, while we present two big guides this month, focusing on two unusual GTs – the **Gilbern Invader** and **Ford Probe**.

Plus, the team shows you what they’ve been up to at the Practical Classics workshop, where you’ll find project cars of all sorts, from an **Austin Seven to Smart Roadster**. And, of course, **pages of tech tips and advice on restoring and maintaining your classic**.

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#### Phil Coates’s welder had been gathering dust for 20 years, but he fired it up for this Vitesse

More than 20 years ago, my wife bought me a welder and I went to night school so I could learn to use it to restore my Jaguar XK150. Once finished, the welder got put on a shelf for 20 years until recently, when I fired it up again for a whole new project!

I dragged this Vitesse home – a MkII with overdrive. The car even came with replacement outriggers with Triumph labels still attached, as the previous owner hadn’t had the chance to fit them. I was relieved to find the chassis in good condition, aside from one patch that needed a repair, but the rest of the car was gone. Wheelarches, edge of the bonnet, all the floors… it was in a terrible state. The whole package was complete though. All the numbers matched!

The first big task was to sort those outriggers. I had a great diagrammatic view of the chassis, which came in handy, while advice from fellow members of the Triumph clubs and forums gave me a good insight. I did a lot of chatting, which allowed me to plan! When the work began, I measured everything, clamped some iron girders across the chassis and kept measuring until it was right, did a load of tack welding and measured again. It had been two decades since the welder had been out, so I was a bit rusty myself – the evidence being my pigeon turd welding getting steadily better as the restoration progressed! The bottom of the A-pillar was completely rusted out, and that was a tricky job but by the time I was doing the wheelarches, I had the power turned up and I was going well. Most of my panels came from Chic Doig in Scotland – he also gave me some great advice.

Meanwhile, the engine was the original 1970 item. Having got Hamlins Engineering in Bridgwater to machine it all for me, I rebuilt the unit and was chuffed with the result. I added a servo to the brakes, as I wanted them to be as effective as possible because there are a lot of hills here in Dorset! Standard procedure is to position the servo on top of the master cylinder, but I think it looks awful – as if it’s just been thrown there. I read that you can squeeze it near to the heater matrix if you use a smaller battery, so I did that. Talking of making improvements, I wanted seats that would be more comfortable for us both and while MGF items do fit, they’re a bit too wide for the Vitesse I think, so I used MX-5 seats bought from eBay.

Twenty years earlier, I had sent the Jaguar away for paint but this time, I wanted to have a go myself.

I had to build my own paint booth in the garden – a wooden frame with polythene sheets all fitted with an extractor device and filter. My wife was keen on pink or purple, so I nodded politely and then went for a period shade of Jaguar lavender instead!

I started on the sills and valances – all the areas away from the eyeline! It was easier than I thought – cellulose is very forgiving. I put five coats on, flatted it back and polished it. It feels like cheating, but I knew I could revisit the paint later if I needed to – or just give it to somebody else. Thankfully though, I haven’t needed to as I’m really pleased with how the car looks. We like to use it as often as possible as the Vitesse was built to be driven. They’re so much fun and that engine sounds terrific. Initial test run was the bi-annual Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run, 2000 miles in 48 hours, which I’m glad to say was completed without incident!

Vitesse MkII from 1968 to 1971 got a 104bhp version of the six-cylinder 1998cc unit. Phil had this engine machined, and the crank was fine – it just needed polishing.

Rust was present from the leading edge of the bonnet to the boot floor, so Phil had his work cut out. The bottoms of the A-pillars had gone, presenting a particular challenge.

Phil added a brake servo, but instead of fitting it on top of the master cylinder, it slotted neatly into a place next to the smaller-than-standard battery.

The cabin was mostly complete when Phil found the car, so plenty of cleaning saw it come up well. Seats are from aMazda MX-5.

#### **Practical Classics Restorer of the Year 2025**

Phil is entered into the 2025 Restorer of the Year competition. You can vote for your favourite in a future issue of Practical Classics magazine.

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Me and my resto: ‘It was built to be driven!’

### Out of horror come heroes, as Bora and Beemer attest

When several of the PC cars were vandalised earlier this year it was a shock. Local kids (according to eye witnesses) had been in to mess around with the cars at the magazine’s storage site on previous occasions, but had been chased off or just got bored. But this time it was different. They had been in and smashed all the glass on six of our project cars and scratched and dented several more.

A local security guard, quite by chance was doing a drive by on the estate where the cars are stored and scared them off, but most of the damage was done. Several cars were beyond saving but there were two or three we could, potentially, revive. My VW Bora and Clive’s E39 5 Series were saveable in particular. Both were projects in waiting, ready to be put back on the road and written about in our _Bangernomics_ pages, neither had any significant panel damage, but both needed every pane of glass apart from a single quarterlight on both. I was particularly angry and motivated regarding the Bora as it had been donated to the magazine with the express wish that it should be returned to the road. It had been in Simon and Sandra Wright’s family since 2005, their first family car – the car that brought their kids back from hospital. It stayed with them right until 2016, when they needed something a little bigger. At this point Simon’s brother-in law took in on until it suffered a turbo failure in 2020. It needed a turbo, intercooler and associated pipework and was passed to me on the basis that I’d to sort it. Looking at the scene of devastation, the most difficult call was going to be to the couple.

This is the thing bored kids who smash stuff up don’t think about – the emotional impact they have on others. If these kids ever get caught and prosecuted – and with the underfunded, understaffed police drowning under a sea of bureaucracy, I doubt that will ever happen – I think part of the sentencing should be having to meet the victims of their crimes and set right the damage they have done. All under controlled conditions, and not so retribution can be wreaked, but so they can see the impact they have had.

I’m a solid believer in the goodness that sits deep within us all. Some hide it well, others display it all the time, and circumstances dictate how it manifests. This shook my belief, but what happened next revived it. Having seen a post online the nightmare that greeted Clive and myself (and several others who had their cars damaged), Craig Cheetham started a Gofundme page and pretty soon a substantial figure had been raised by friends and readers of PC donating to it. People rallied round including Richard Usher, boss and owner at Great British Car Journey.

He made his fortune starting and running a well-known automotive glass supplier and fitter and still has contacts in the industry. With the commitment from Clive and I that proceeds from the cars go to a charitable cause, Richard then set to work with those contacts.

Within a week we had a date set and an offer from the good people at Autoglass to come and replace every speck of glass lost. To clear up the damage and make all things good. Clive and I, having bound both cars up in plastic coverings, would transport them to the PC workshop where two teams of experts would show exactly what is possible. The whole operation would be done at cost… or significantly below so that as much money as possible from the Gofundme amount and from the eventual sale price of both cars would go to charitable causes – namely the hospice supported by by Auto Windscreens and the hospice where our friend Theo spent his final weeks,

All set then. The boys from Autoglass arrived en masse and set up camp… it was going to be a long day. Operations Manager Matt Redding, George Pimm (Best technician in Europe – second in world apparently), technician Jason Marsan and Technical Innovations Manager Jamie Cooke were the nominated SWAT team, ready with everything required – including the glass. The BMW was relatively easy, although there was some confusion around whether the screen was tinted or heated. The Bora was also relatively simple being basically a Golf MkIV, although the rear screen took a bit of finding, being unique to the car. Nothing Autoglass couldn’t sort with its huge network and contacts.

I’ve always liked the Bora for its difference. It succeeded the Vento at the end of 1998 and was basically a next gen Jetta and was produced until 2005. It demonstrated a high degree of independence from the technically identical Golf IV. Distinctive and now a favourite without the modifying scene, it’s the kind of car that simply isn’t made anymore.

First came the cleaning. Both cars were full of splinters and glass dust. Masks were worn and high power vacuums deployed as every inch of carpet was given a thorough going over. Then, using a fascinating variety of nozzles, every crevice was explored. I was able to contribute to this bit as the guys cleaned out runners, channels and apertures. Even the vaguest remnants of glass would means the Bora and Beemer would leak once new glass had been installed and the greatest possible care was exerted during the cleaning process.

It was extremely time consuming, but also an education. With each of the door glass replacements the fixings and fittings were carefully removed and placed out intuitively so that the reattachment would be a doddle.

The guys also worked a door at a time. At no point was there a ‘where is the x/y/z?’ It was process driven and the working areas were kept clean and tidy. That’s a note to self.

When it came to the big tasks, screen replacement, it was 90 per cent preparation and 10 per cent perspiration. The specialist adhesives and sealants had to be used within a certain period of time out of the tube and be allowed to dry over a 24-hour period.

There was a real preference for the car to be left alone for that period so that everything could set without disturbance and so the big insert was left almost until the last moment. It made all the difference though.

As the day proceeded it almost crept up on me the fact that this little car, and Clive’s big Beemer were coming back to life, looking as good as they had done before, better even. Cars always look better with nice clean and clear glass. The Autoglass guys had put in a huge shift and, I have to admit, bamboozled me with their specialist knowledge. No surprises there, the world of car glass replacement is a specialist field, I wouldn’t know where to start. My world of thick rubber screen surrounds and lengths of string is pretty much a foreign language now… everything post 1990 is bonded.

So, two revived classics, two fingers up to the sad little idiots who decided one day to ruin a row of cars. Faith in humanity? Restored. Just like my Bora and Clive’s Beemer.

Next it’s time to replace the Bora’s blown Turbo… if anyone has a spare knocking about, I’d be very interested.

This car has enjoyed so much love in its life and been so important to its previous owners that it must live again.

Once it is back on the road, I will then do a trip in it for these very pages, and finally sell it on to raise even more money for the good causes that are already going to be receiving a four figure sum. There are plenty of good people in the world, plenty of generous selfless spirits, this experience has just proved it. It has also proved that with the kind of car people Practical Classics is aimed at, the spirit is really strong. **:a[danny.hopkins@practicalclassics.co.uk]{href='mailto:danny.hopkins@practicalclassics.co.uk' }**

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Smash and Fab

#### Team PC celebrate Theo Gillam’s life in cars and cooked meat with some lovely old bangers

**WORDS** TEAM PC **PHOTOGRAPHY** MATT HOWELL AND PC TEAM

It’s never easy to say farewell to a well-loved friend and colleague, but Team PC wanted to make sure that Theodore J. Gillam was given the kind of celebration he deserved. Our annual ‘Beaulieu or Bust’ feature this year would include his final classic car, his favourite food and his most beloved event. It would also include the PC team and the love of his life; wife Sarah. The route was planned, the frying pan was hot and the wristbands for Beaulieu were ready to be dished out. Time for one last road trip with our good friend Theo.

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