For 78 years, this Austin 10 has been part of Liz Bligh’s family. She tells Cheryl Livingstone why she is hanging on to that heritage.
This Austin 10 Conway first became part of Liz Bligh’s family back in 1936, when her grandfather, Clarence Hall, bought it new from the Burton and Deakin Garage in Orpington, Kent, for his retirement.
When Clarence died in 1963, the Austin was passed down to Liz’s father, who, having no interest in the car, left it in a garage. He later decided to sell it in 1976 – and that is when Liz became the proud owner of a car she had spent many happy days as a child in.
Liz, who lives in Nairn, explained that her grandfather used the Austin as his family car and she remembers fondly her brother and herself fighting over who would get to sit in the front seat.
It is understood there are only 14 of these cars in Britain now. Its soft-top roof may be an attraction to many but Liz described her grandfather’s purchase of the car as “out of character”.
She said: “My grandfather was a very practical man so it was quite out of character for him to get a car with a soft top. I’m not sure if it was going cheap or whatever. I don’t really know what made him get it. It’s a mystery really.
“I was particularly fond of my grandfather and I wanted the car to remain in the family. I love the smell of the car, the feel of it. Every summer, we used to go and visit him.”
The car became Liz’s daily transport after she swapped her Renault 4 for it and used a pool car for her work. It is a stunning car, but it didn’t always look like this. When Liz inherited it, it was in a pretty bad condition.
She said: “The bottom of the doors were rusting away, the running board was flapping and the front wings had holes in them. I got the canvas roof replaced as well. The work was all done in the eighties.
“I just wanted that car in particular as it was my grandfather’s but I do have an interest in cars. I love going to car shows and rallies. I love seeing the older cars, particularly the pre-war ones.”
Something else happened to the Austin in the 1980s – it not only got a makeover but it became a TV star too. Liz said she had heard about a man looking for cars to appear in the movies. She got in touch and the Austin was chosen to appear in a TV film series about the Holocaust and Jewish people coming to this country.
The series, War and Remembrance, starred Robert Mitchum and Victoria Tennant and was filmed at an airport in Bedfordshire.
“It was used as a country taxi in the show,” Liz said.
“I remember I had got it all polished and washed to be in the show and then, when I got there, they covered it in dust so it looked authentic.”
For many years now, the Austin has accompanied Liz to rallies and shows. Doing so much driving has meant she has come accustomed to the car’s old-school style.
She said: “It is obviously very different to drive. The gears are totally different. You have to be at a certain speed before you can change gears, otherwise it makes a horrible grating sound.
“It’s very heavy and there is no power steering. I still have the original indicators, although I also use hand signals as a lot of people might not know to look at the side for the indicator. So I’ve been complimented on my flourishing hand signals. I think most people probably wonder what on Earth I’m up to.”
Liz belongs to two clubs – The Austin Ten Drivers Club and The Historic Wheels Club.
“It’s a really friendly atmosphere,” she said. “Everyone is willing to help each other.”
The car is always a
hit with visitors at the shows and even members of the public in the street. It’s been such a hit with some people that Liz has received many offers from to buy it. But she insisted the car was going nowhere.
She said: “I haven’t been able to convince any of my family yet but I would like to see the car remain in the family. I get offers for it all the time but it isn’t for sale.
“It’s irreplaceable. I had my first seaside holiday in there when my grandfather took us to Devon. It’s been with me practically all my life – and it’ll probably outlive me.”
My first car…
A Barrel Model from the 1930s bought for £10 – my best friend and I went in halves – a fiver each.
My dream car…
A Citroen 2CV “deux chevaux” it has a corrugated body (like an old tin roof) and is known in France as “quatre roués use parapluie” – which translated is – Four Wheels under an Umbrella. They were about in Paris in the 1960s and I have always adored them.