The mystery of the 100 mile FE Victor

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I wonder what the story was? Such good looking old barges. 

https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/people/derbyshire-car-museums-plea-for-public-help-solving-motoring-mystery-3990519

 

[Matty]

I like the idea of it being Bully's star prize. Better than a speed boat at any rate 

[Wibble]

I saw this story today too. Always loved these and would be great to know the truth of how it came to be.

[junkyarddog]

I know the prizes on Bullseye were a bit on the shit side,but I don't think they'd even get away with a car last made in '78 on a programme that started in '81🤣

[motorpunk]

Definitely not a Bully's star prize car. I wrote this feature on Bullseye cars and this was too early to be on the show. 

Why not check if the odometer is bust to start with? I'll bet it is. Then it's just another old car previously owned by a pensioner, as cold as that sounds. 

Love the colour!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

19 minutes ago, motorpunk said:

Why not check if the odometer is bust to start with? I'll bet it is. Then it's just another old car previously owned by a pensioner, as cold as that sounds. 

Nope. The interior says it all. 

 

"The pristine and as-new 1974 Vauxhall Victor FE, which is reported to have been saved by someone else who removed it from the rotting garage the original owner stored it in, has recently arrived at The Great British Car Journey in Ambergate with less than 100 miles on the clock, and the low mileage is attracting the most interest, so officials at the attraction have gone out to the public using social media to try and get more information.

The car was discovered following the death of the owner - a Mr. Milner who bought the car in the Summer of 1974 from Mercury Garage in Ilkeston. Six years later, it was taken to Derby to undergo rustproofing treatment after which it is thought that the car was never driven again and merely stored away.

After arriving in Ambergate, a raft of spare parts, a Haynes manual and seven empty fuel containers were found in the boot of the vehicle, but have been left exactly as they were found.

The social media post about the car attracted a variety of responses, one suggesting that the fuel crisis of the 70s peaked around the time the car was purchased, and the owner may have considered that he could not afford to run it due to prices having remained high and to await them coming back down again, whilst another wondered whether the owner had been on extended military service so didn't use the vehicle for that reason.

Explaining its continuing pristine condition, Richard Felkin, who discovered the Vauxhall in storage, said that all chrome and light fittings had been removed and stored in the car whilst what couldn't be removed was covered in order to protect it."

[Dick Cheeseburger]

[sierraman]

I’m guessing it would be something like he’d bought the car then was ill and couldn’t drive for a period, laid it up but then never got round to driving again. There was definitely intent at some point to come back to it with him taking such care to store the trim. Could have very easily gone the other way if the garage had leaked, they’d be bringing it out on a shovel.

[Bren]

Surprised it lasted well in that garage.

[goosey]

Reminds me of that old couple I read about in Classic Ford Magazine years ago who bought a brand new 280 Ford Capri as an investment, drove it home and put it in the garage and never used again. 
 

Around 2004 the car was recovered from the Garage, taken to a Ford Main Dealer ( the dealer that supplied the car originally) for a service and a clean, the Capri was then driven back to the couple’s home and put back in the rebuilt garage to never be used again. 
 

think the mileage had just turned over to 15 

this was in a 2004 edition of Classic Ford I have no idea what happened to the Capri
 

 

[De Selby]

3 hours ago, sierraman said:

I’m guessing it would be something like he’d bought the car then was ill and couldn’t drive for a period, laid it up but then never got round to driving again. There was definitely intent at some point to come back to it with him taking such care to store the trim. Could have very easily gone the other way if the garage had leaked, they’d be bringing it out on a shovel.

 

Either that or the guy had some kind of hoarding issue; the condition of the garage and the "seven empty fuel containers" makes me wonder.

[barefoot]

The Mr Milner in this story was actually John Milner.

He much preferred driving his '32 Ford coupe, 'I get way more poontang in my rod' as he used to say. Which is why the Vauxhall remained hidden away.

[bunglebus]

One way or another it's a lovely find, you wouldn't think it would be so good even at that mileage, unless the garage was exceptionally dry

[MiniMinorMk3]

John was his cousin who lived in California

[Popsicle]

A man claiming to know the owner has added a few more details to the mystery.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-64555453

 

[anonymous user]

Who was the chap on here who bought a low mileage Vauxhall and then used it as his daily for a while?

[SiC]

Who is it on here that works at The Great British Car Journey? I can't remember the username. 

[Shite Ron]

14 minutes ago, anonymous user said:

Who was the chap on here who bought a low mileage Vauxhall and then used it as his daily for a while?

Was it @Dippy?

[Split_Pin]

What a lovely find nonetheless and its where it belongs in a museum for others to appreciate. I really hope that the 86 miles is genuine. All of the rather bizarre evidence certainly suggests it is.

[Dippy]

31 minutes ago, Shite Ron said:

Was it @Dippy?

Guilty, I took a 4000 mile car in almost perfect condition sold my Audi A6 and went back to driving old cars everyday. I used it for everything I would have used the Audi for  over nearly 2 years and it never broke down.

I did have to hit the starter  motor a couple of times and a couple of small jobs, rear brake cylinders and new exhaust and that was it. Took it to 16000 miles and strangely it wasn't  the winter that caused any damage but the summer sun on the velour and dash trims which started to fade.

I used it to go quoting jobs for my business and Im sure I got more jobs as it proved a good ice breaker when turning up somewhere new.

[BorniteIdentity]

3 minutes ago, Dippy said:

Guilty, I took a 4000 mile car in almost perfect condition sold my Audi A6 and went back to driving old cars everyday. I used it for everything I would have used the Audi for  over nearly 2 years and it never broke down.

I did have to hit the starter  motor a couple of times and a couple of small jobs, rear brake cylinders and new exhaust and that was it. Took it to 16000 miles and strangely it wasn't  the winter that caused any damage but the summer sun on the velour and dash trims which started to fade.

I used it to go quoting jobs for my business and Im sure I got more jobs as it proved a good ice breaker when turning up somewhere new.

Pics or gtfo !

[Dippy]

4 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Pics or gtfo !

[BorniteIdentity]

God Damn. Woooof. 

[Dippy]

Those are pics not long before I sold it and started using the Princess. I loved the Vauxhall but it had a manual box and I prefer autos.

The Princess was bought to take over from the Vauxhall but a big change in my life and job meant I was  working from home and needed something big to tow with and a big loading area so I sold the Vauxhall, kept the Princess just for fun and bought this for towing as you can never have too many V8s.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

17 minutes ago, Dippy said:

Class. What became of it? Tucked away in someone's collection, surely? 

[Popsicle]

25 minutes ago, Dippy said:

 

Thats a beauty.

 

[HillmanImp]

I'll have mentioned this before no doubt but these always look crossed eyed to me. I find the styling at the front a bit unsettling for some reason. 

I'm not sure why? Is it the light and indicator being in a surround together or the size of the indicator? 

[Pieman]

5 hours ago, HillmanImp said:

I'll have mentioned this before no doubt but these always look crossed eyed to me. I find the styling at the front a bit unsettling for some reason. 

I'm not sure why? Is it the light and indicator being in a surround together or the size of the indicator? 

I will now never un-see that.

[timolloyd]

9 hours ago, HillmanImp said:

I'll have mentioned this before no doubt but these always look crossed eyed to me. I find the styling at the front a bit unsettling for some reason. 

I'm not sure why? Is it the light and indicator being in a surround together or the size of the indicator? 

Definitely the fact the lights are squished together. Always reminds me of this child.

 

[puddlethumper]

12 hours ago, HillmanImp said:

I'll have mentioned this before no doubt but these always look crossed eyed to me. I find the styling at the front a bit unsettling for some reason. 

I'm not sure why? Is it the light and indicator being in a surround together or the size of the indicator? 

Agreed. I prefer the FD especially a Ventora like wot I had. Quad headlights for the win.