In late January I made the trip into darkest Gloucestershire to re-aquaint Gab with an old friend she hadn't seen for 36 years. Back then, I'd just delivered her to the workshop of one
Terry Bramhall for some bodywork repairs. I'd followed his story in what was then the early editions of
Practical Classics, who planned on running a series of car restoration articles and had used Bramhall as the test bed for a rusty old A40. In those days classic car work was not a mainstream business and the usual bodyshops shied away from such work.
PC gave me Bramhall's phone number and we arranged a meeting.
Upon arrival I was directed into a spacious workshop and there sat Zoey (there's always some discussion on how to pronounce her registration - XOE 778 is rather a mouthful - and so Zoey became the norm). She was almost ready for her first outing (in 1985, becoming the outright winner of the Coronation Rally!) . . .
. . . and not surprisingly she was taking the majority of attention. Bramhall was under considerable pressure to complete, so I wasn't too surprised to hear nothing for several weeks. But as weeks turned into months and my phone calls remained unanswered, I became alarmed.
Alarm turned into full-on panic when I received a letter from a firm of Loss Adjusters telling me Bramhall had not only gone bust, but also gone. "Gone" as in nobody knew where. To cut a long story short, a date was given when I could collect Gab and was warned to bring a trailer and some boxes. The reason became all too apparent when we saw that Gab, along with several other classics, had been comprehensively dismantled and the parts strewn around the workshop. The sad remnants came back home where a protracted and very amateur rebuild was started, fuelled by rage, ignorance, a limited budget and determination to get her back on the road.
Meanwhile, Zoey enjoyed a return to mainstream rallying and regained her place known as
Pat Moss's favourite A40. Success followed success but, as the years passed, she disappeared from the scene and people wondered what had become of her. After several sales she came into the hands of an Irish enthusiast who campaigned her in events run across that beautiful Island. Last year the owner fell ill with cancer and put her up for auction.
Enter stage right, one
William Moffatt, a dyed in the wool motor enthusiast with a formidable array of victories under his belt. As well as owning (and still owning!) other rally-prepared mounts including a Reliant Scimitar, an MG Midget, a Hillman Imp, a Ford Escort RS and a beautiful MG-A, he'd always wanted to add Zoey to his fleet so when he spotted her entry in an auction listing, he knew the time was right.
At our Club's stand at last year's Classic Car Show at the NEC, we were all very pleased to meet Bill in person and tempt him into joining our membership. Bill's a very diffident sort of chap and hides his long history of rallying behind a gentle Irish brogue. He very kindly suggested we meet at his home to view his latest acquisition and so it was that Gab and I eventually found ourselves outside an anonymous bungalow on a rural housing estate a million miles from anywhere. With the garage doors opened, there was a sight for sore eyes; the MG-A standing guard over the old girl herself, safely tucked up at the end of the building.
She'd rather suffered over the years and wasn't as original as when she was in her prime. Although roadworthy, a side-exit - and
very noisy - exhaust had been fitted which Bill intends replacing asap. The rally instruments have been roughly cut away from their wiring looms and her race engine was removed some time ago, although a straight-cut gearbox is still fitted, but Bill is determined to bring her back to glory.
Proof this should be the original shell - these breathing holes were added to help cool a hard-pressed little A-series engine.
Two snipped wires - not good news.
That curious circular item fitted above the heater motor . . .
. . . can be seen in this original photograph.
Here's Pat Moss with her quite famous brother, Stirling!
Strange wheel, this. Zoey's originals were pressed steel (see the first photo in this thread).
At the end of the photoshoot Bill casually asked whether I'd like to sit in Zoey? Would I?? Here's your correspondent, daft smile across his face and sitting in a dream A40.
We were talking about the forthcoming
Monte Carlo Historique (on which two other Club members,
Ivar &
Bjarne and
Fraser and his father
Barrie were taking part). With a dangerous twinkle in his eye, he wondered out loud whether he would be "young enough" at 82 to take part in this next one. Imagine what history would be made! Zoey back on the Monty after so many years! But first he needs to clear space in his workshop where a race-prepared Hilman Imp is having the treatment. Once it's out, Zoey will take her place for some proper fettling.
Over a cuppa, his amazing rally history was told; over sixty years of competitive rallying, being awarded the highest award for Police driving (far above the Institute of Advanced Motorists' level), and at least two display cabinets stuffed full of cups, badges and other memorabilia. As I commented at the time, Bill really should put his long history down in writing - what an extraordinary book that would make.
- XOE's Pat Moss signature.jpg (59.96 KiB) Viewed 8095 times
At the end of an all-too-brief visit I bade farewell and, fired up by Bill's tales of derring-do, thrashed Gab up a long and twisty hill, luckily empty of traffic! It was an honour to be given even this brief glimpse into such history and I hope that Bill, Zoey and the other thoroughbreds in his stable can enjoy a long and happy time together.
