Have a Deco at this

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It all began in 1965 when I saw an advertisement in a local newspaper for a 1938 SS Jaguar 3.5 litre car for just £50. I called round to the address to find not one but three cars available - one complete and roadworthy, the other two more for spares. After negotiating, I bought the lot for £35 - every penny I had in those long-haired, far away happy hippy days.

In the boot of the drivable car was a wonderful compartment where a fantastic array of tools once sat. I was determined to complete this set, and so I advertised. I found dozens of un-restored Jaguar cars, including SS models, scattered around UK. Needless to say I soon completed the tool Kit.
So began a wonderful period in my life. I used the car for two years, and found a great fascination in driving behind an imposing Jaguar mascot. In those days one could leave a beautiful old car anywhere without fear of it being scratched or having its mascot stolen.

I then started a little gardening enterprise and within one year employed twenty people. This gave me the funding to rent the garages I wanted, and to start buying more SS cars. Within three years I crammed about ten lock-up garages with around fifteen cars, all in various states of neglect. I’d purchased them from dusty yards, farms and even a field where I had to cut down trees to remove the car from its resting place!

I remember travelling to Detling in Kent where I found a wonderful old SS 3.5 DHC covered in cobwebs. It hadn’t been driven in twenty years, yet amazingly it started with just a new battery! That night I drove it the 150 miles back to Dorset. The face of the garage attendant was a picture when I filled up with petrol as the car was absolutely filthy with forty years worth of dust and cobwebs covering its bodywork and interior. I was very happy that no policemen happened to be on patrol that night and I can report that it drove back to Dorset without any problems whatsoever.

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