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Pauline Massey.
‘When other girls were playing “house” or doctors and nurses, I had two bench seats out on the back lawn, with a pram wheel stuck in the ground for a steering wheel, dolls on the back seat and off I’d “go driving” to the seaside. I used to play with my brother’s cars on the living room floor, making roads out of playing cards. So I suppose I was fascinated with cars from an early age, even though we didn’t have one.
In the late 50’s/early 60’s (yep, I am that old!) America and Hollywood personified the glamour era; even bubblegum cards had film stars on to collect. In my teens, I used to watch Elvis movies and the cars were so cool, even the hicks had cars if nothing else! But of course the notion was that you had to be mega-rich to have an American car, I never saw one round our neck of the woods. By the mid/late 60’s, I’d got married, passed my test, and I’d drive around anywhere just for the fun of it. We used to go to the Banger racing (which I’d soooooooo loved to have done!) and Santa Pod.
Then in 1969, I was browsing the vehicle sales in the local paper, when I saw a U.S. Willys army Jeep for sale. Being American was a magnetic attraction, but a Jeep – now that was a bit different. Martin thought I was off my trolley, but came with me, and obviously I bought it. I used to have to start it with the starting handle before setting off for work on the bread round (more interesting than working in a City bank). There weren’t so many parts places then, or credit cards, we weren’t clued up on where to get parts and had difficulty getting to work when it was off the road. As Martin was responsible for maintenance, he persuaded me to sell it.
Some years later, 1981, now with a house and two kids, I was again perusing the local paper, when I spotted a 1974 Chevy Caprice for sale. I nagged Martin “just to go and have a look”. Someone else was waiting to buy it if we didn’t, so it was make your mind up time quick, so he said OK. It helped that the company car, a Granada, had just been changed for a box with a hard ride.
We joined the AACUK and used to go to the Birmingham meet, where we had some great times, before starting the Black Country Cruisers in 1986.
Around 1984, we went up to Chris Jackson’s to buy a windscreen for the Caprice, and he had a 1971 Buick Boat Tail for sale, which we bought. The Caprice was in an accident and was written off. Although we asked to but it back, it ‘disappeared’ rather quickly! We bought a 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado as a stop gap until we got the Buick on the road, but became rather attached to this beautiful drive, and kept it ‘til 2003. Due to work commitments, Martin was never able to complete the work on the Buick, same with a 1960 Tbird, 1964 Cadillac and a 1959 Mercury Park Lane Cruiser, all bought between 1986-88 and all eventually sold.
I also had a Gremlin for a while as a run about; it was painted with blackboard paint. I painted ‘Black Country Cruisers Official Pace Car’ on it, and loads of people thought it was a genuine pace car!!
We also drove an Olds F85, which we offered to sell on for a young couple we had met who were due to go back to the States after being here on a work placement. Our son still regrets not buying this one, it just glided along. We also did the same with Ian’s Plymouth Fury – Christine – when he went to live in the States.
In the last couple of years, we have bought Mick Holmes’ Cougar, a C10 pick up, 1985 GMC Jimmy an currently have Steve Perks’ 1975 Pontiac Firebird Formula 400, and shares in a 1985 Z28 Iroc Camaro with our son.
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