“AT AN early age I was a petrol head - I loved cars.”
Tony Anderton grew up fascinated by cars and their different styles. “For many people a Lamborghini was their ‘poster car’ - mine was a VW Beetle.”
He remembers childhood trips to custom car shows where he was drawn to older vehicles.
His own entry to the classic car scene was tinged with sadness. “My best friend at the time, David - who changed his cars more often than some people change their socks - owned, as far as I can remember, a Ford Capri, a Mini Cooper, BMW 2002, Alpha Romeo Clover Leaf, Fiat 500 Coupe, Fiat X19 and others. One day, he turned up and said he had bought a Porsche. Unconvinced, I said ‘prove it’ and, two days later, he turned up in a 1985, white 924S.
“After a good look round it, I asked what it was like to drive and had the shock of my life when, at great speed, a set of keys was thrown at me. Half an hour later hour later, I returned the ‘S’ with a huge grin on my face, announcing "if you ever sell it, give me first refusal".
A few years later David's wife rang Tony with the news that he had sadly died. Five months after David’s funeral Tony received a phone call from a solicitor, asking when he could take delivery of a car. “I was stunned to find out that I was to receive David’s Porsche.”
Once the car arrived, Tony, who lives in Ingrow near Keighley, set to work to restore it. “After a few hours with the T-Cut, I had in front of me a Porsche in multiple shades of white, with a touch of red thrown in.”
He planned a re-spray after the MOT, which it failed. “I said to my mechanic 'fix it up, I'm going to do this how my mate would have wanted'.”
Tony later removed the interior and re-upholstered the car, then commissioned a full body respray in Alpine White.
The £4,000 revamp left the car looking splendid. Tony wanted to show his vehicle to other classic enthusiasts and contacted local classic car club the Craven Old Wheels Society affectionately known as COWS.
“I had a chat with the then president, attended the next meeting and joined. The benefits of being in a club are great - attending rallies and club nights, and you develop a large circle of friends, many of whom are mechanically minded, which I’m not. This came in very handy when the Porsche broke down on its first outing with the club.
“I’ve been a member for about ten years, and progressed to being a committee member to my position now as editor of the club’s tri-monthly magazine.”
The love of classics has rubbed off onto Tony’s wife Cathy, who’s first car was a 1972 VW Beetle. “It was a complete basket case but had an MOT - we even bought a second Beetle just for the donor parts to restore it,” says Tony.
He attends many rallies and shows. “It’s amazing to see the different sides to the visiting public: some say ‘That’s not a classic, it’s not old enough - insurance wise, more than 20 years is classed as a classic- others say ‘I had one of these’, and some, usually the dads, not the children, ask if they can sit in it.”
Cath and Tony organise an annual classic car show, usually in July to raise funds for Sue Ryder/Manorlands, with all the money raised going to them.
“We try to make it different by making it a little more relaxed - there is no judging or trophies. Owners just turn up and enjoy the company of like-minded people, which I hope will encourage younger drivers to consider a classic and join up ocal clubs. If you are over a certain age, some insurance companies even offer a discount if you are in a club”
*cravenoldwheels.com
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