It was a dark dreich morning, heavy clouds spitting English sunshine. I was asked to line up at the front of the courtyard, with the 1932 Invicta at the centre. There is a tale about the Invicta, https://drive-my.com/1932-invicta-s-typ ... on-tourer/. Lord Pembroke (Will to his friends, not that I am one of them!) has had this car in his private collection for a couple of years.
We parked up, I ragged the car dry as the drizzle had abated, and went off to find some breakfast while the rest of Wiltshire’s finest classic cars arrived.
Breakfast in a bun, bacon and egg, coffee in paper cup. You can see my arteries hardening. Pembroke’s cafe contains recycled and up-cycled furniture, tables made from doors rested on sawhorses, and recycled crockery.
My breakfast was served on a child’s dinner plate.
By now the sun was shining so we went out for a walk around the other assembled classics and had a wander around his Lordship’s personal garage.
Another E, which arrived a few moments after mine.
Not your average front yard! This courtyard also sees service as the backdrop in period films and TV series, such as Bridgerton. The interior of the house also doubles for royal venues in series like The Crown.
I’m not a fan of this manufactured distressed look. But this shabby chic look is increasingly popular.
A failure when it was new, (some say) a Stag is a sought after classic. A few weeks back I drove past a burnt out shell of one of these. It had been completely consumed by fire.
I had to take a photo of this Escort. My second car was one of these, in dark blue. By the time I sold it there was more rust than metal in the body.
And I had one of these in the late 1990s. Huge fun to drive.
Hmmmm, velocity stacks.
Does that rear wheel look a little odd?
Nope, it is a lot odd! That is some serious negative camber.
I’d love to have a garage this big, but not necessarily filled with all these cars. Some of them perhaps, but not all.
This is one of several cars Lord Pembroke has in his permanent collection. There are more of these 240Zs later, and a tale to tell about them.
This is one of several too many Ferraris in his collection.
I did say several.
Any way, back to those 240Zs, or in this case several imported from Japan Datsun Fairladys. We Brits and the Aussies love these old pure Japanese sports cars. (It is, in my opinion, what the Ford Capri should have been.) But when they arrive here they are often rust heaps with failing mechanicals.
No, it isn’t real, but a Realm kit. A Jaguar XJ6 probably died to provide organs for this car.
Another E.
The bonnet up, and information in the windscreen, people looking in…
It had been a good breakfast meet. I had a few questions asked, and lots of admiring comments.
I always show photos of what it was like before I bought it, just out of storage for six years having been put away and forgotten about by a previous owner who was reluctant to continue throwing good money after a bad car. And it was a bad car in those days. Some are disappointed that I didn’t perform the restoration, but I know the limits of my own talents. I can wield a glue gun, but keep me away from anything of value if you find me brandishing a welder.
Post script. Someone may find their journey home a little interesting.
This 3/8 UNF nut had fallen off something, I know not what.
