There’s just something about old classic cars that inspires a sort of patriotic, communal blessing like few other things can. Cars are an incalculably large part of our collective global history, and anyone who spends the time and resources to maintain (or restore) a “tent pole” historic example from this storied past tends to earn the admiration of all who revere this history.
So, we applauded this story from the UK’s Classic Cars For Sale, which recounts one such tale; a 1959 Vauxhall Cresta in the UK was restored to running and driving condition after sitting dormant for 40 years. The car’s owner – Terry Smith – purchased the car in 1964, driving it for about a decade before retiring it in favor of a more contemporary daily driver.
After that, the Vauxhall Cresta collected dust, rust, and presumably the odd rodent, until Terry retired from work in 2009. A couple of years passed by before he finally found the time to restore the gorgeous example of British motoring history to running order.
The motor and transmission were rebuilt head-to-toe, custom bushings made by Terry himself, and the hood, decklid and doors were all removed, sandblasted in Terry’s garden, and repainted. The full treatment took three years, but as we can see from the above photo, the results are stirring.
Terry told the British website: “It doesn’t feel like I’ve owned the Cresta for 50 years… I never really thought about getting rid of it – I don’t really sell anything!”
Comment
Probably the best ever iteration of European Detroit inspired styling. Back in the day we had a PA Cresta from new in 1958 in what was then Rhodesia. Great-looking smooth-riding super-flexible motoring. By 1982 when it was retired, it had covered 360,000 miles as a daily driver, needing only three clutches and a couple of exhaust system replacements aside from routine maintenance, over 25 years! And it’s still going strong, now residing in South Africa with only its second owner, albeit fully restored and used solely for classic shows, etc. It’s the car I learnt to drive in it … many very happy memories!