Cars of our Fathers

TEAM ADVENTURE
Cars of our
FATHERS
A classic day out in the dad’s cars that inspired
our own automotive enthusiasm…
PICTURES MATT HOWELL
It’s a familiar phrase that can be heard
regularly at every classic show, petrol
station and car park around the planet.
‘My dad had one of those’. However, while
not all can say it, some of us consider
ourselves lucky to be able to proudly
respond with the line: ‘My dad still owns his’!
With Father’s Day approaching once again, we
decided it would be well worth returning to
the Great British Classic Journey attraction
in Derbyshire to not see how its first year in
operation has been, but also to view the complete
collection. Our last full visit took place during its
final stages of completion, so it’d be interesting to
see how the place looked now.
But how to get there? While last year (PC, July
2021), we drove in the cars we best remember
from our childhoods, this time we made that
extra special effort to sweet talk our fathers into
lending us some of the actual vehicles that got us
into cars in the first place. From the sporty BMC
masterpieces owned by the dads of Tomkins and
George, to Walshe Senior’s tin snail, the chaps
headed for the Derbyshire Dales to meet with John
Simister to hear about his dad’s Wolseley 1500
and Richard Usher, the Derbyshire attraction’s
owner, in a Morris Minor Convertible just like the
one his father owned. He says it is central to his
love of the automobile and why he set up the
Great British Car Journey in the first place.
What started as a simple amble to Ambergate
turned out to be a stirring tale of nostalgia,
family values, childhood cheek and teenage
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TEAM ADVENTURE
misdemeanours. Go on, admit it… if you didn’t steal
the keys to your dad’s car, you must have been
tempted as a teenager? Now we’ve actually done it!
JAMES WALSHE
Citroën Dyane
I always knew we were a bit…
different. The slightly shabby 18th
century weaver’s cottage in the Cotswolds, interior
walls covered with macramé hangings with a happy
hippy vibe and spontaneous road trips and rock
concerts. By the age of ten, I’d seen bits of Africa
and the Mediterranean and had attended a ‘free
Nelson Mandela’ gig at Wembley. There were fancy
dress parties where, next morning, I’d wander
downstairs to find people sleeping on the floor.
On one occasion, I found family friend Mary fully
clothed and fast asleep in the bath. A politically
switched on household, we were also exceedingly
environmentally conscious… and yes, complete
with Greenpeace sticker in the back window, there
was a funny little Citroën in the driveway.
You might imagine this was something of
a hippy cliché, but in fact my dad put a great deal
of thought into his choice of transportation. Design
engineer, you see.
He has always appreciated great engineering,
having been a Saab, Audi and Citroën man for many
decades. Previous cars on the driveway included
a Saab 96, 5-cylinder Audi 100 and a range of Visas,
CXs, XMs and more recently C5s and a C6.
It was the Dyane that had the most impact on me
as a kid, though. While other children were ferried
around in what, at the time, I perceived to be bumpy
and boring saloons, my brother Nik and
I were sat in comfy deckchair seats, roof
rolled back with an endless sky above.
The sound of that tiny twin-pot bounced
around my ears throughout childhood –
especially as I was playing in
HURRAH!
Full length
sunroof is just one
of the things that
adds to Dyane’s
character.
The PC convoy wends
its way through some
of the Peak District’s
many picturesque and
twisty roads.
ABOVE Fun in the sun for
Walshes Senior and Junior.
ABOVE Our James loved to
draw Dyanes, too.
the garden each evening,
when I’d be able to hear dad arriving
home from some distance. It was
a happy sound that still makes me
grin. Even on our frequent trips
to see grandparents in London,
stop-start near Hanger Lane on
the North Circular Road on a drizzly
Sunday evening, the Dyane felt like
a special place to be.
It’s a brilliant place to be now,
too. My parents, Jeff and Janet, have owned
this Dyane for years and it has transported them
effortlessly around the country, these days
providing joyful post-retirement adventures.
I managed to steal the keys off them for our trip
to the Great British Car Journey, a journey which it
completed without drama.
As with the 2CV it was meant to replace, the
Dyane’s extraordinarily robust air-cooled 602cc
engine shrieks delightfully as you float over the
cruddiest of road surfaces. Compared with my 2CV,
the directional vents and larger windscreen are
welcome additions.
Positively decadent! Better aerodynamics
also mean the Dyane will cruise happily at 75
flat-out, too – something these clever little cars
are designed to do all day without the slightest
complaint. Unlike this driver, who will admittedly
grumble when he must give the keys back and
downgrade to his 2CV…
‘Dad had achieved
his own dream
of owning a red
British sports car’
MATT TOMKINS
MG Midget
I’ve loved classic cars ever since
I can remember. As a child, my dad would take me
on days out to museums, to Silverstone for Classic
and Vintage Sports Car Club racing, and I would
regularly beg my mum to walk the long way back
from primary school in the hope that the garage
door of vintage car racer Frank Lockhart would be
up and I’d get to see him tinkering with his vintage
Bentley or single seat racer. But in 2008 when
I was 15 years-old, everything changed. Classic
cars became something more than just things that
other people owned when my dad purchased the
1974 MG Midget you see here today.
Fresh from total restoration by a chap who’d just
moved from Abingdon to rural Wales where the
narrow roads, high walls and fast-moving tractors
put him off enjoying the fruits of his labour, Dad
achieved his dream of owning a red British sports
car with wire wheels; he was smitten, and so was
I. I remember the drive back vividly. It was a baptism
of fire, very nearly literally. A smell of petrol and a
steady drip by the time we reached the Cotswolds
resulted in the first AA call of classic ownership.
It turned out that a piece of spider had become
lodged in the carburettor needle valve, resulting
in the steady stream of overflowing fuel that was
bouncing off the hot exhaust.
This was the first opportunity I’d had to get
A PIG IN…
Dad’s Midget
introduced Matt
to the world of
classic fettling.
The rest is
history!
LEFT AND BELOW A young Matt was as smitten as his
Dad when the Midget joined the Tomkins family.
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TEAM ADVENTURE
up close and personal with a classic car, and I was,
of course, watching closely as the AA patrol got us
going again – so the next time it happened, I was
the one orchestrating the repair.
With the fuel system now arachnid-free, I was
hooked by the classic car bug (geddit?). Dad would
let me check the oil and water, polish the bodywork,
and check tyre pressures before each outing
(hang on a minute!), then I’d join him as passenger,
perched atop a cushion so I could see over the
dashboard, on trips out to car shows, on road runs
or just to the shops – any excuse really.
The Midget even helped introduce me to
the wonderfully eccentric world of classic car
club meets, where I met an amazing variety of
encouraging and enthusiastic MG owners, all
too happy to share wisdom and advice on classic
custodianship.
Driving the Midget today, then, is a little odd.
Although it’s a car I’ve been around for 14 years, it
was only recently (for another PC shoot) that I first
got behind the wheel. It’s a fab little car to drive,
the 1275cc A-series pulling strongly and low-slung
driving position giving the sensation of far greater
speed than the clocks suggest, but as we blast
towards Derbyshire I find myself thinking of all
the things I’d do differently if it were mine. A 3.7:1
differential for more relaxed cruising, perhaps
a set of K&N filters and maybe even the new Suzuki
Jimny-based five-speed gearbox conversion from
Barratt Engineering. But that’s not the point.
It’s this car, in its standard form, and my dad’s
The George family TR hasn’t changed much over the years…
thankfully Matt’s dress sense has improved!
enthusiasm for it, that helped mould me into the
classic car enthusiast I am today – and of that I am
incredibly grateful.
MATT GEORGE
Triumph TR6
My dad, Keith, can trace his own
roots as a Triumph enthusiast back
to a high-speed run across his native South Wales in
a Triumph 2.5PI in the Seventies. Then, inspired by
trips out in a TR6 belonging to a work colleague, he
bought his very first TR in 1984, the year before
I was born. I attended my first classic car event –
the North Yorkshire Triumph Weekend – at the
tender age of just six months, strapped safely into
my carry cot on the passenger seat. Clearly, I didn’t
stand a chance!
The Great British Car Journey
From Sierra to
Granny, they’ve got
them all on show.
One year on, team PC returns to the museum for a second visit to see how things have developed…
Changeable weather
didn’t spoil the fun.
Big smiles all round as
the guys hit the road
together once more.
Vanden Plas fans will
enjoy this little beauty.
The PC boys enjoyed
taking a look around.
As illustrateded by its loud and
proud tag line ‘when Britain ruled
the road’, The Great British Car
Journey is an unashamedly
nostalgic journey through the
history of homegrown motoring.
In fact, if Practical Classics
magazine was a motoring
destination, this would be the
physical representation.
Crammed with all the most
popular classics, the former
factory in Ambergate is a feast
for the eyes, as well as the nose.
More than a few visitors have
been known to stick their heads
through the open windows for
a sniff of their past. This is one
big festival of velour, vinyl and
British wood and plastics.
PC’s first full-on visit took
place last year, just weeks
before the opening ceremony.
At the time, the main hall of the
former industrial complex in the
Derwent Valley was still empty
and under refurbishment, with
the exhibits in nearby storage
and still under dust sheets.
It has since been transformed
into a dreamland for car
enthusiasts. Following on from
a high-profile launch in 2021 and
a successful first season,
Richard Usher, entrepreneur, and
brainchild of the Great British
Car Journey, is thrilled at the
response. ‘We had 2000 visitors
in the first week and since then,
35,000 more have turned up!
Five-thousand of them have
driven one of the cars as part of
our Drive Dad’s Car initiative.
People who come just seem to
love it – they tend to stay all day!’
After getting the full
interactive tour, the PC team
went for a run around the
stunning local countryside,
Richard taking the lead in the
GBCJ’s Morris Minor Convertible.
‘This is my personal choice as the
ultimate ‘dad’s car. My late
father had a succession Minors,
including a supercharged
version! For that one, he earned
himself a car show trophy, which
I still have! Driving a Minor always
makes me think of my dad. He
was just such an inspiration to
me.’ Find out more by clicking to
greatbritishcarjourney.com
Richard Usher (below) and the entire GBCJ team can be
rightly proud of what hads been achieved in the past year.
➽
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TEAM ADVENTURE
After previously owning both a TR4
and a UK-spec TR6, he eventually
bought this US-spec TR6 in May
1990, not long after it had been
imported back into the UK from
California. It was soon pressed
into action and saw plenty of use
over the next decade. My most
evocative memories of childhood
involve the two of us spending large
parts of the Nineties attending TR
Register events across the country.
There were a number of events that we
considered our ‘regulars’ and I looked forward
to them all in equal measure.
I can still remember the excitement and
anticipation of packing the car – top down,
naturally – with all our gear and getting ready to
head off for a weekend of adventures with likeminded
enthusiasts. These trips instilled in me both
the enjoyment and appreciation of classic cars,
but also gave me a love of camping. As a young kid,
I was in my element sat next to our tent in a field in
the Lake District for example, eating tinned stew,
potatoes and peas that me and dad had warmed up
on our little camping stoves. Staying in a hotel was
never an option… plus, you’d miss out on all the fun
taking place on the campsite!
A few years later, we even managed some trips
to the 24 Heures of Le Mans, an idea that had been
talked about for years among club members and
finally came to fruition in 2001. By then I was
a 15-year-old classic-mad lad (and avid Practical
Classics reader, I might add) very much looking
ABOVE The Great
British weather makes
an appearance!
ABOVE Minor
Convertible holds
memories for RIchard.
Riley looked
resplendent,
despite the rain.
Our favourite GBCJ cars
and why we love ’em…
James Walshe Reliant Scimitar
My school, Katherine
Lady Berkeley’s in
Gloucestershire, was
founded in 1384. About
600 years later, Princess
Anne turned up to unveil
a refurbished school bell.
I was there too, but while
my school chums gazed
starry eyed at the
princess, I was busy
gawping at her car.
She’d occasionally be
spotted around the area,
living as she did at
nearby Gatcombe Park,
and the sight of her
Reliant was always
a thrill. The Great British
Car Journey is a trip
though time and a riot of
nostalgia. I see a Mini and
recall my nan’s City
version, always
inexplicably full of shoes.
I also remember grandad
furiously gesticulating
under the bonnet of his
Morris 1100, (using the
kind of words I’d never
heard before). While
I admire every single car
in the collection, in the
understandable absence
of French, Swedish or
German tin, I choose the
sensational Scimitar.
The Princess Royal’s car
had such an impact on
me in 1984, a tidy SE6 still
a model I fancy owning
one day.
John Simister Sunbeam Alpine
Why this car? Because I’ve
always been a fan of
Rootes Group products,
and the Alpine not only
celebrated Rootes’ early
post-war rallying
successes, but added
a list of its own. In 1953 it
scored four Coupes des
Alpes (Stirling Moss,
Sheila Van Damm, John
Fitch and George Murray-
Frame were the drivers),
and Van Damm also won
the Coupe des Dames.
Bournemouth dealer
and Rootes tuner George
Hartwell was the driving
force behind the Alpine,
and the museum’s MkIII
example features the
louvred bonnet first seen
on the rally cars. At 80bhp
its 2267cc, four-cylinder
engine isn’t exactly
stressed, but the central
gear lever adds sporty
spice to the wonderfully
Matt G Vauxhall Cavalier
BUT WHY?
‘This Alpine is
something of a
forgotten hero,
but really
shouldn’t be!
ornate juke-box styling of
the dashboard. There Is
even a connection with
my father: among the
many Dinky toys he gave
me in the Fifties was an
Alpine just like this one.
Richard U Bentley Continental T
My dad was a great
Bentley enthusiast who
passed his passion for
cars on to me. The
Continental T was the
last coach built British
Bentley, and the last
blast for the venerable
V8 that powered the
Silver Shadow. Bought
new by Elton John, this
car is fitted with a rather
impressive sound
system. Bury the throttle
and it really shifts, too –
mighty impressive for
something that’s the size
of my living room!
Matt T Morris Minor saloon
A year or so after my
dad bought the
Midget, I bought my
first car – a 1970
Morris Minor twodoor
saloon. Aged
sixteen and unable to
drive it, I took it apart
and started poking.
My uncle, Ivor, helped
me get it on the road
and the rest is history.
So, the car that
speaks to me most
from the GBCJ is the
recently restored last
ever Morris Minor
saloon, on loan from
the Morris Minor
Owners Club. I was
proud to play a part in
this car’s restoration
journey, assisting
close friend Tom
Morris in fitting
windscreens to the
car at the club’s
Derby HQ between
lockdowns.
This last saloon is an
incredibly important
part of the story of
the Morris Minor, and
its restoration
represents
everything that I love
about these cars
today; from club
support, parts
availability, friendship
and teamwork to the
importance of
preserving history
and sharing it with
the wider community.
May such values
continue to live on for
many years to come.
In the late Eighties/early
Nineties, my parents also
owned an X-reg Vauxhall
Cavalier MkII like the one here
at GBCJ. It was a 1.6 L, too,
but in a less fetching shade of
beige. My most lasting
memory of that car isn’t
perhaps the most positive,
but I do remember it vividly.
After attending a ten-pin
bowling event in Leeds
organised by our local TR club,
we made our way back to the
multi-storey car park with
some friends, ready to go
home. Having lagged behind
the group, I still recall
rounding the corner to where
the car had been parked to
see my mum and dad, plus my
little sister standing there,
the latter in floods of tears.
The family Cav had been
stolen! It was eventually
returned to us, latterly being
replaced by a Ford Mondeo
MkI 1.8TD, which thankfully
never suffered the same fate.
The things you remember…
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TEAM ADVENTURE
forward to learning to drive and getting a car of my
own. Spending that time with my dad and his fellow
TR-owning mates, while being treated as a peer and
equal, created memories that I still recall fondly to
this day, over two decades later.
I’m now a TR owner myself, so am very familiar
with how this car drives, but it is the experience of,
once again, sitting in the passenger seat alongside
my dad as he navigates our way through the leafy
Derbyshire lanes that really brings a smile to my
face. The sound of the glorious straight-six engine
up front, the smell of the fresh air on the breeze
and (cliché alert) the feel of the wind in my hair all
come together to create an experience that is as
enjoyable as it is familiar.
Following the rest of my colleagues in our mini
convoy brings memories of all those great trips of
years gone by flooding back and I feel very lucky
to have been able to enjoy such delights from an
early age. Plus, we even end up having to pull over
and put the hood up when the skies cloud over and
the great British weather sends us a dose of that
familiar phenomenon – drizzly rain. Another huge
dose of nostalgia!
JOHN SIMISTER
Riley One Point Five
There’s a bit of unfinished business
here. The cars my father had
between 1957 and 1962 were actually Wolseley
1500s, two of them. He was denied the sportier
Riley version because it was deemed too flashy
for his recently-started role as a medical advisor
to a pharmaceuticals company. But the Riley is
what he really wanted, and the way he drove the
SCOUTING FOR BOYS ‘Jam Roll’, a 20hp Rolls
Royce that was originally presented to Lord Baden Powell
by the Scouting movement at the 1929 World Jamboree,
has just gone on display at the museum.
Wolseleys (indicated 97mph on the Sidcup bypass,
for example), they could easily have had twin carbs
and 63bhp.
The first Wolseley, a more luxurious ‘Family’
model with leather trim, was black. In that car were
all the things that set the template for learning
about and loving cars, reference points ingrained in
me from the age of three. So my mental car-design
home page included a dished steering wheel with
three wire-sprung spokes, a short remote-type
gear lever, tuneful intermediate gears, a shiny
wooden dashboard and a bonnet release handle
formed from a black wire loop.
It was a small car, of course, having evolved
from a Morris Minor’s platform, but a deceptively
airy one. My sister and I squeezed happily into
its back seat, sitting on top of sleeping bags
and surrounded by paraphernalia, as we set off
on another camping holiday to Wales. We rear
passengers had armrests in our doors, but the
grown-ups in front didn’t, which meant we were
special. The shapes of the side windows are etched
in my mind, as is the mesmerising pattern the wiper
blades made on the windscreen: right blade making
an angled column of water, left blade knocking it
‘Armrests for us
rear passengers
meant that we
were special’
ABOVE John enjoyed his
Riley driving experience.
ABOVE Little Riley took the
hills in its stride.
down again, and again, and again.
Now I’m in another black car of identical shape
and, yes, it’s raining. In this 1958 Riley the dials
are sportily arranged in front of the driver instead
of spread symmetrically across the dash, and
there’s a rev-counter. There are other small trim
differences, notably outside with extra chrome,
but more significant is the extra 13bhp over the
Wolseley and bigger brakes to match. It makes
the One Point Five a lively, punchy thing, all the
better to exploit this very compact car with its
precise, quick-witted rack-and-pinion steering and
chuckable demeanour. I can’t imagine anything
else of the Riley’s size, pace and seating capacity
feeling this sharp back in 1958.
Before today I had driven 1500s (or steered them
while sitting on my father’s lap) but never a One
Point Five. Now I fully understand what my father
was missing. ■
PC’S TOP 10 FATHER’S DAY TRIPS
Looking for somewhere to enjoy some bonding time with your dad on Father’s Day, which this year is on June 19?
The BMM hosts many
events each year and is
always worth a visit.
Then why not treat him to
a drive out to one of the 10
motoring museums listed
here, all around the
country? Although most
of them aren’t doing
anything specific to mark
Father’s Day, they’ll have
more than enough to keep
you entertained.
CUMBRIA THE
LAKELAND MOTOR
MUSEUM is surrounded
by scintillating driving
roads, so blend the
journey there with poring
over as many of the
30,000 exhibits as you
can, including cars,
automobilia, caravans
and pedal cars. There’s
nothing special taking
place on June 19, but you’ll
easily fill the day all the
same, and it’s top value at
£10 for adults. (lakeland
motormuseum.co.uk).
DERBYS GREAT BRITISH
CAR JOURNEY
The newest destination
here (it opened only last
year), the focus of the
GBCJ is ordinary
cars that you
can relate
to. Sure
there’s
the odd
Bentley
or
Daimler,
but this is
a place that
pays homage to
the Allegro and the
Cortina. Even better, you
can drive some of the
exhibits and there will be
a drive-in on Father’s Day.
Adult tickets are £16 each.
(greatbritish carjourney.
com).
GLOS COTSWOLDS
MOTORING MUSEUM.
Created privately and now
owned by Boundless
(previously the CSMA),
this museum oozes charm
as it’s based in an old mill
in Bourton-on-the-
Water. There are
50 or so cars
on show,
along with
period
caravans,
but the
automobilia
– and the
drive there – will
make it a great day
out, and cheap too, at just
£7 for adults. (cotswold
motoringmuseum.co.uk).
HANTS NATIONAL
MOTOR MUSEUM
There’s something on
most weekends this
summer at Beaulieu.
On June 19 the annual
hot-rod and custom
show is taking place, but
if that doesn’t float your
boat, there are almost
300 vehicles to see in the
museum. It costs £26 per
person for entry (£23 if
booked in advance), with
family tickets available for
£69 (£59 in advance).
(beaulieu.co.uk).
LINCS BUBBLECAR
MUSEUM Although
there’s nothing specific
taking place for Father’s
Day, a visit to the
Bubblecar Museum is
guaranteed to put a smile
on your dad’s face – and
yours too. There are more
than 50 pint-sized classics
on show, including Bond,
Isetta, Reliant and Frisky.
Even better, it costs just
£4 per head to get in, or
a measly £1 for children.
(bubblecarmuseum.
co.uk).
SOMERSET HAYNES
MOTOR MUSEUM With
almost 400 cars to ogle,
the fact that there’s
nothing specific taking
place on June 19 shouldn’t
be too much of
a disappointment.
There are lots of displays
including the famous Red
Room; this summer there
are also exhibitions on
Williams F1 and Ferrari.
Adult entry costs £17.50,
children are £11 and there
are concessions available.
(haynesmuseum.org).
SURREY BROOKLANDS
MUSEUM Little remains
of the world’s first
purpose-built banked
racing circuit, but this
historic venue is still
fabulous to visit, along
with Mercedes-Benz
World next door. With the
cars the focus is very
much on motorsport, and
there are also loads of
historic aircraft that you
can get close to, including
Concorde. Adult entry
costs £19. (brooklands
museum.com).
WARKS THE BRITISH
MOTOR MUSEUM at
Gaydon has more than
400 cars for you to
explore, including racers,
concept cars and
prototypes. New for this
summer are exhibitions on
West Midlands’ motor
industry and Vauxhall’s
heritage; on June 19 up to
500 classic motorcycles
will set off for the annual
Banbury Run. Prices start
at £9 for kids and £14.50
for adults. (british
motormuseum.co.uk).
WARKS COVENTRY
TRANSPORT MUSEUM
There are no special
events taking place for
Father’s Day, but you
won’t feel short-changed
by the 250 cars and
commercial vehicles, 120
motorbikes and much
more on display. Home to
the world’s two fastest
cars (Thrust 2 and Thrust
SSC), £14 per adult to get
in (including unlimited
entries for the next year),
is a bargain. (transportmuseum.com).
WILTS ATWELL-WILSON
MOTOR MUSEUM
We’ll finish with a venue
that’s below the radar for
many car buffs. With 100
or so vehicles spanning
1927-1967, this small
museum is full of unusual
cars, but there are plenty
of rare motorbikes too;
a particular highlight is
the recreation of a Thirties
garage. Nothing special is
planned for Father’s Day,
but at £9 entry for adults,
it’s great value. (atwell
wilson.org.uk).
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