Cheryl Livingstone speaks to Ian Stallard about his collections of cars that all have an interesting story to tell.
It’s a known fact that a car with some kind of heritage is deemed more valuable, either financially or simply in the eye of the beholder.
It’s usually a car that was once owned by a legendary racer, a Hollywood action star or a rock ‘n’ roll musician that grab people’s attention.
But Ian Stallard has a car that has an equally interesting history.
His car, a 2000 Daimler supercharged V8 4L was not once owned by a famous movie star; his is a film star in its own right.
“You would have heard of the comedy character, Ali G?”, he said.
“Well, he did a film called In Da House and the car features in it. It is in the scene where Ali G is supposed to be the prime minister and he is in the back of this particular Daimler. It isn’t just the same model as it. It is actually this car.
“You see it when it is with a police escort going into the gates at 10 Downing Street. It’s just a split second but it’s there nevertheless.”
The car’s split second of fame was discovered after the 65-year-old, who lives on Orkney in Birsay, googled the registration number.
He said he wanted to know if the car had ever been owned by anyone of note as the marque was once a favourite among government ministers and even the Queen.
The Daimler is the most recent addition to Ian’s collections, which also includes two Jaguars, a 1985 XJS Cabriolet and a 1999 Jaguar XJ8 and a 1970 Mini which has been renovated into a complete one-off – plus a few motorbikes as well.
Ian explained that it all began with the Mini, a car that he remembers from a young age.
He said: “When I was at primary school one of our teachers turned up with a brand new Mini. All the other teachers’ cars were all black and very tall and had big wheels. And then this little cheeky red car came along with white wheels and it looked totally different.
“In those days all the cars were exactly the same and then suddenly this little Mini came along and everybody laughed at it and said it would never take on. But it changed the world.
“It was the first production front wheel drive in this country for a lot of years and gave people cheap transport. The first ones were only £450.
“They did a lot more miles to the gallon and they were quick. They are fun to drive and people went rallying with them, moto crossing, all different sports appeared with Minis in the centre. It was an icon that I grew up with so it seemed like the best car to have.”
It would become the first of a long list of cars and bikes that Ian would build – and rebuild – over the years.
The Mini now features a 1275 engine with fuel injection and is so unique that it even has its very own name.
“Because the car had so many different parts to it, you weren’t allowed to call it an Austin or a Morris or whatever, so I had to use my own name,” Ian said.
“So it’s called a Stallard Mini. And on the log book and tax disc it says Stallard Mini. So it’s a real one-off thing.”
In the 1980s, Ian became involved in Jaguar Clubs and eventually bought the XJS Cabriolet and built it from a damaged car and a brand new body shell.
While the Mini has been completely modified, the Jaguar has been kept as an exact copy of the original. While many classic car owners will have a position on the “to modify or not” argument, Ian seems bang in the middle.
“I definitely like a bit of both,” he said. “I love to see modified vehicles for the innovation. Britain is great because people did stretch the boundaries. But I do also like to see a concourse restoration of something that is absolutely as it came out of the factory. And I do both myself. Sometimes I strive to get the exact part, mainly with motorbikes I will admit.”
The XJS was something that Ian had been seeking out for a number of years, despite being warned by people that he wouldn’t be able to afford to run a Jaguar.
He said: “I found a way around it. They are not as uneconomical as people make out. I found the body shell advertised in a magazine and the damaged car came from an advert. I went to see maybe a dozen damaged cars before I got the right one.
“People talk a lot about green issues nowadays but I think I’ve been green for years because I’ve always wanted to repair things rather than throw them away. At the time that particular Jag would have cost around £18,000 and I think mine cost me around £7,000.”
The second Jag was a totally different story. Rather than a project, this one was bought in an excellent condition with only a few touches needed done to it. Doing all the work himself on his four cars means that Ian has been able to enjoy luxury motoring “on a shoestring budget”.
So what else is great about being a part of the Mini and Jaguar fan club?
“The Mini is a lot of fun. We went down to southern Germany a few years ago to an international Mini meeting and that was a lot of fun but to drive the Jag – it’s like being wafted along on a magic carpet – you don’t hear much road noise or get bounced about on the suspension,” he said.
“The Jag is a lovely drive, both of them, they have a kind of a presence. They are very comfortable, they are kind of special.”
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