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The 1970 Bahama yellow "Lord Brett Sinclair" Persuaders Aston Martin DBS 6 Registration PPP6H, Chassis DBS/5636/R. Driven by Sir Roger Moore.
Owned and driven regularly by me for 5 years from 1989 before being retailed in 1994.
Hello, my name is Duncan. I started selling cars part time in the 1970's whilst still at school.
Whilst trading part time I completed a main agent apprenticeship and obtained the necessary qualifications via the local Technical College and main agents training centre. I worked at a total of 3 main agents until my then employer closed down and I was made redundant. This hiccup turned out to be a blessing in disguise and helped to give me the drive to start restoring and dealing in classic cars with the unwavering support of Mr George Ellison and
Mrs Stella Ellison.
Due to this redundancy I became eligible for Lady Thatcher's 1980's enterprise allowance scheme for new start ups which provided £40 per week for 1 year. Thank you Lady Thatcher.
This was a big help at the time and along with the unwavering support of my late parents .
Schoolboy beginnings. Cortina MK1 "specialist". £20 each. An early 1960 Jaguar MK2 3.8 MOD. Date early 80's Date 1970's
1st E Type. A 1963 3.8 reg No. RFA 964 Chassis 860837 . Sold as a project car for £2500.
Early 1980's
Our 1st Rover 3.5 Litre P5B Coupe SVT 237L Bought in 1980 through Meadowfield Garage Sandsend, run by our late friend the talented classic car restorer and rally driver John Cockerill.
After some time trading from West Ayton we moved to the current location in 1987.
With Lady Thatcher at the helm the country was now riding high with a budget surplus and the classic market was booming.
We were now selling Jaguar E Types and Aston Martin DB6's for around £10K and our first Aston Martin DB5 was sold in 1987 for £14000.
Our 1st Aston Martin DB5 sold in 1987 for £14000.
These DB5's are the cream of the crop to drive and so nicely balanced. Sir or madam may have to wait for the gearbox to warm up before attempting 2nd gear.
1965 Aston Martin DB5 JKX6C chassis DB5/2100R. Bought in 1988, driven and enjoyed until being retailed in 1992 to an RAF Pilot. A quick and fabulous driving DB5.
"Scarborough Evening News" Advert Date 1988
Aston Martin DB5 reg. 3150 DG DB5/1348/R. A very original car finished in Dubonnet Rosso with untouched original grey leather. Sourced via
"Major Blundenbysnap" just 8 miles from base. Recommissioned and sold to a Kent buyer who drove it home.
Sold date 1989.
1963 Maserati 3500 GTI, my daily driver in 1987. Purchased with a dismantled engine. There are no cam timing marks so a DTI gauge is needed . Triplex timing chain with a very interesting cylinder head gasket set up including copper sealing rings. An exciting and quick car. This Maserati had a similar fuel injection system as the type used on some Jaguar D Type models.
It was hard to put a foot wrong by the late 1980's. If you had paid too much you only had to wait a week and you were in front again.
By 1989 we had sold approaching 100 Jaguars and Astons combined and assumed this was the new normal, but it was all about to end in the crash of 1990. Prices crashed 50 to 80 percent and unfortunately many dealers closed.
Selection of E's . Would sir or madam like a 3.8 a 4.2 or a 5.3? Date 1988.
Kerbside pitch 1989.
Mr George Ellison serving his country. 1940's.
Our genius electrician. Mr George Ellison helping to collect a 1933 Rolls Royce 20/25 Thupp & Maberly 6 Light from a gentleman in Bridlington. 1980's
Our best sales consultant. Mrs. Stella Ellison. Circa 1989.
The phone is very busy and E Types are selling like hot cakes . These 2 Flying machine V12 E Types were both bought buy the same private buyer and delivered to Twickenham.
Late 1980's. Those were the days.
"Classic & Sportscar" advert. Date August 1989
This time was the absolute peak of the Classic car market before the coming crash in values in 1990.
" Classic & Sportscar" advert. Date November 1989.
1966 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage chassis
DB6/ 2452/R. Sold to a Cheshire buyer who casually walked past the front of this car and said "I'll take your DB6". He didn't even walk round it.
It was a shrewd purchase as there were still another
5 months left of rising values. Sold in 1989
1964 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud 111 . The first owner was Sir Ralph Richardson. Retailed in 1989.
1972 Lamborghini Espada S2. 9690KP chassis 8666. Appeared in the 1973 film "Take Me High" starring Sir Cliff Richard. Retailed in 1989.
1963 Maserati 3500 GTI Touring. 488FLB
We rebuilt the engine and overhauled the Lucas mechanical injection system which was a similar system to that used on some D Type Jaguars.
A quick and responsive car.
Retailed in both 1988 and 1989.
The Ex Sir Ralph Richardson Cloud 111 being delivered to the lakeside lake district home of a Rolls Royce collector . Happy times. Date 1989.
1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage chassis DB6 2570/R A Limerock Sprint entrant. Sold in 1988.
More E Type's being delivered.
"Classic & Sportscar" article. Date 1991.
Classic & Sportscar advert Date 1996
1967 Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R SMT 594F
An ex ministry of War Princess.. This car had some interesting period modifications including a quick starter inhibitor bypass button, rear seat belts and grilles in place of the fog lights . The gentleman who sold me this car had discovered it in a chicken shed and used a crane through the roof to lift it would you believe. Whilst I was examining this car another potential buyer turned up at the vendors home. The two of us had an auction over the kitchen table with the vendor acting as auctioneer. My opponent gave up at £3000 and stormed off .
Retailed for a song to a private Somerset buyer in 2013.
1967 Jaguar E Type S1 Roadster PHM 587E chassis 1E1745 owned by Terry Nation a writer for Dr Who, Survivors, Persuaders, The Baron, The Saint, The Avengers, Department S, Blake's 7 and so on.
Sold in 1997.
"Siegfried Farnon's" All Creatures Great and Small Rover P4 75 driven by actor Robert Hardy CBE ."James, you will take inordinate good care of my Rover, there's a good fellow " . Sold 2019.
E Type S1 + Cloud 111 Sold and being collected. 1990's.
1966 Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre R HBL 689D
An exceptional low mileage example purchased by a noted overseas museum. One of several cars purchased. 2016
Bentley R Type ex Alan Whicker CBE
LUG 2 . Recommissioned and then driven for a few years before being sold in 2007.
1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage. DEF 764T. Chassis V8/VOR/12059V. To restore the performance this car just needed the valve timing resetting ( using a DTI gauge ) and careful re jetting of the carbs on the rolling road. Bought in 1992 and used as a daily driver for 2 years before being retailed in 1994.
Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3 GVO 184J.
Possibly Ex Laura Ashley. A quick car off the line with lots torque. Retailed in 1997.
1978 Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9 XLD 440S
The Autocar magazine road test car. Lots of torque. Sold in the early '90s.
The 1986 Tudor Crisps advert Rolls Royce Silver Spirit D66 YTN .Driven by "Terry" played by actor Allen Mechen with narration by James Bolam.
"Is this really your car Terry?"
Kept as an occasional treat for a few years. Unapproached refinement and ride quality by any other car of that time.
My late mother could enjoy this fabulous
Rolls Royce free of back pain. Reluctantly sold in 2020.
1963 Maserati 3500 GTI Touring sold for the second time and being delivered to its new owner in Kent.
Date 1989.
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Congratulations if you have made it this far and thank you for reading.
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