Antiques

SEEING RED

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

Ihave always seen myself as a complete petrol head. My interest in cars started very early. My first memory of a car was going out in my grandfather’s Rover many years ago. He owned a P5B Coupe, still a cool car today, but back then safety belts were not compulsory and neither did it matter how many passengers you carried in a car. This resulted in the family all fitting in it on an outing, although I had to go in the boot; thankfully we all survived.

Moving forward to my teens and I had weekend jobs in Sherborne petrol stations. This was back when there was attended service and we would fill up the cars with petrol and even check the oil when asked. My first job was at the Bere Regis coach station filling cars, now long gone and developed into the entrance of Coldharbour car park. Soon after this, I moved up to John Youngs garage opposite Barton Farm, now Budgens.

Back in those days the petrol stations were pretty much just that, they sold petrol. I remember one day a chap came in and asked for diesel and we had to send him on to Yeovil where diesel was stocked.

Moving forward to the 21st century and my interest in cars continues, added in to this are now motorcycles with some of my favourite auctions the classic & collector car and motorcycle sales we hold at the Haynes International Motor Museum.

These auctions always have a wide variety of vehicles, but every once in a while one lot gets my full attention. Coming up in our March classic car auction is one such lot – a really cool looking 1989 Porsche 911 Targa. Painted in the classic Porsche colour of Guards red, this car takes me back to 1989. However, back then rather than driving a red hot Porsche, I was in my poverty spec Vauxhall Astra company car as a young auctioneer and valuer.

As mentioned in this column before, nostalgia plays a big part in buyers bidding and collectors collecting. Whilst I really wanted a Porsche back in the 1980s, along with extra wide braces and the obligatory Filofax, I have, to a degree, moved on.

Still a confirmed petrol head, I now drive an electric car and currently (unlike some of my petrol head chums) have a clean driving licence, despite my electric car being the fastest vehicle I have ever owned.

So, am I tempted by the Porsche? Possibly. But I will, as usual, have to get Mrs B on board and I am not sure it makes a good car to take the dog in for a walk on the way to work. There again, I do have a little time to convince her before the auction.

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