An old age pensioner was briefly reunited with his beloved classic car—which he owned for 50 years—at a recent auction.
In 1961, now-89-year-old Ken Hill bought the 1932 Lagonda for just 135 pounds (approx. $173).
“I had bought it in South London because it was a beautiful classic car of its era,” said Mr. Hill, a retired journalist from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England. “I was getting interested in old cars at the time, and it came my way after a friend of mine was given it as a company car.”
When his friend didn’t seem to enjoy the car anymore, Mr. Hill decided to buy it from him.
However in 2011, two years after his wife, Jean, passed away, Mr. Hill decided it was time to let the car go and ended up selling it for 41,000 pounds (approx. $52,620).
“My relationship with the car was coming to an end, and I thought it would be nice to make some money,” he said.
A story about the car was published in the local newspaper, and the following day, four different people called him to say they were interested.
“I found somebody who wanted that particular model and in a pretty original condition,” Mr. Hill said. “In my favor was the fact that I had never restored it, just kept it running.”
Last month, Mr. Hill’s son, who happens to be a car enthusiast, saw the old Lagonda was coming up for auction at the H&H Classics sale at the Imperial War Museum, in Duxford, Cambridgeshire.
“My son took me to the auction as a treat,” Mr. Hill said. “He’s very good at ensuring his old dad gets the odd treat now and again since I haven’t been too well recently.”
At the auction, the car was described as “rare and desirable” with just two owners since 1961—and a service history dating back to 1949.
Mr. Hill was pleased to see his car was in a better condition than when he sold it, as the last owners put on traffic indicators and renovated the engine.
“It was great to see it again,” he said. “It reminded me of all of the factors which made me interested in it in the first place.”
The car fetched 33,188 pounds (approx. $42,590) at the auction.
The octogenarian, who still has the spare radiator surround in his waterfront home, said he wasn’t tempted to buy his old car back as he has recently given up driving.
“Who knows whether I wouldn’t suddenly forget that on Lagondas, the accelerator is the middle pedal,” Mr. Hill said. “Or revert to the old habits when driving a modern car.”
