A TAVISTOCK resident was reunited with one of his own-built racing cars after nearly 60 years following a chance viewing on the internet by his son looking for parts.
Ian Watson, 90, had the opportunity to meet with a man who had restored one of his cars, which he had believed to have been scrapped, and saw it in all its glory on Saturday.
Following the war, many ‘formula’ car racing clubs were formed and one in particular was the 250 Motor Car Club which managed races across the country, with many of the drivers and mechanics moving on to far greater fame, such as ‘Cooper’ and others.
Ian built at least two cars from scratch with his friend Fred McArdell while they were living in Leeds and working for the Ministry of Defence. The cars were christened Birsay, or Bursay. Ian and Fred both raced and achieved a number of notable wins at Brands Hatch, Oulton, Cadwell and others, as well as one well-documented crash at Brands.
The cars, forever believed to have been scrapped due to their later uncompetitiveness, were found this year by Ian’s son Jonathan Watson while searching the internet for motorcycle parts.
Following the amazing news that they still existed — one was even sold a couple of years ago by Bonhams — and a number of false trails, the current owners of two of the cars were found, with one of the cars just being restored to concourse condition by a Mr R Poley in Oxon.
Jonathan made contact and arranged for one of the cars to be brought down from Oxfordshire by Mr Poley, for stories to be told and memories and photographs to be shared.
Ian, who now uses a zimmer frame to help him speed around Tavistock, was thrilled to have been reunited after so long, but felt it would not have been too wise to try to drive it again due to loss of half his eyesight from a stroke and his reaction times being slightly slower than they were 70 years ago.
Ian said: ‘It was so wonderful to see the Birsay. Every detail of the car we built from scratch brings back its own special memories — the small pin holding the steering wheel on was very important as I learned when it fell out going around Druids at Brands Hatch in a race once!
‘Every bit of the car brings back such happy memories, even the now missing petrol tank that used to sit just by your head and the wing mirror that fell off in the middle of a race and never went back on. The bodywork was shaped by hand from sheet aluminium and riveted together making it very light and strong.
‘In its day it was a fast car and so exhilarating. We raced at most of the now famous racetracks and hill climbs and had our share of firsts and seconds, as well as a few where we never made the finish line! Not bad for a car made as cheap as possible. We had so much fun over the years we raced!’
Jonathan, who found the car and its current owner on the internet and arranged the meeting, said: ‘It’s wonderful to see dad so happy. He was speechless when we first wheeled it out and then the stories started of races won and friendships made when he was a young man.
‘I had heard the stories and seen the photos many times when growing up but to actually find the car still existed and then to arrange the meeting was worth it just to see dad’s face when we rolled it out — he was speechless.
‘In some ways, seeing the car in real life doesn’t quite have the same feeling as pouring over old sepia-coloured photographs and faded press cuttings, but it’s glorious to see that it is still around — and still runs!’