I am 56 and a retired deputy head teacher. Since a young boy with an almost unhealthy interest in Land Rovers and an irrististible liking for Marcos', cars have been my passion.  I was born and brought up in Tredegar, South Wales.

 

Zakspeed Capri and Lola T70 Continuation - iconic cars!

John Colley Photography

Hillman Imp

The gift of my grandfather's Hillman Imp as an 18th birthday present sparked off a lifelong pleasure in Imps and all things Imp-powered. I regularly upgraded my car with various performance parts.  In those heady days before speed cameras, political correctness and crippling fuel costs, I used to thrash the living daylights out of my Imps. I even managed to do a number of rallies and autotests and I still remember wih affection the Super Oscars, wide alloys, tiny steering wheel and painfully-loud exhaust, which I felt were a necessary accompaniment to Imp enjoyment.

Coventry and Warwickshire Road Rally circa 1979

During that time I spent many a cold, damp evening in my father's leaky and draughty 'lean to' garage repairing and upgrading my Imp(s) in readiness for the next event or drive to work. Each successive Imp would suffer the same fate, and each would become the object of local police interest due to their lairy nature, excessive noise, and my  sublimely gifted driving style!

 Prescott Hillclimb circa 1989....too much grip + not enough skill = oops!

I spent almost a year working in Ebbw Vale Steelworks, where I had a brilliant time. This experience, a gritty, full-frontal, and tough introduction to the real world, was one of the highlights of my life. Hard work, double shifts, bacon and sausage butties, pints of full cream milk, sweet tea made in grime-covered pots, 'mens' magazines, 'dodgy' 16mm films, too much alcohol, practical jokes, not enough sleep...wonderful! This was a real life learning curve.

Following this I spent a year working as an outdor pursuits instructor, transit vans full of excited pupils, Landrovers bouncing along rutted tracks, caving, camping, and my favourite...climbing. Yes, dspite being umbilically - linked to my car, I did exercise occasionally, climbing in North Wales, mountaineering in Scotland and ice climbing in the Alps!

Imps etc.

I spent most of my free time reading about and following car-related things, building and using a variety of Hillman Imps...Deluxe, Super, Stiletto, Husky, Sport, Hartwell Clubman etc. Since 1976 I have owned 10 Imps and driven 550,000 Imp-powered miles. I have been involved with the Hillman Imp Club since 1980 and held the position of Public Relations Officer and Editor of the Club's monthly magazine' Impressions'.

Children came along and with it came the need to focus more on my teaching career. It also signalled a move into more sensible cars. After a brief foray into Opel Mantas where I owned a couple which 'throbbed' and 'pulsated' on my drive, I became a Volvo Man. I've owned 340's, 440's (petrol and diesel), a 'boosted' S40 T4 and S60 D5. Currently I own a new shape S40 1.6D and my all-time-favourite, a  2002 V70 D5.

I adored this car!

Davrian Hillclimb Car

Even with the financial demands that the family brought I managed to surreptiously buy my way into a part-share in a Davrian Hillclimb car. We spent many happy evenings working on it  preparing it for its debut. Sadly, whilst taking it for its first track day to test out its suspension we were involved in a car crash and although we escaped with cuts and bruises the car was written off. It was subsequently rebuilt but lack of finances and family commitments meant that it had to be sold.

Heads of the Valleys Road near Dowlais Top -1990

This just goes to show how strong the Davrian is....not many cars would survive a 70mph impact, especially when they have  borne the brunt of a 1 ton, 4 wheel trailor!

 ...to be continued