Many of us do it every day down the high street or in a shopping centre.
Martin Gray window shops online – for classic cars.
It was this activity that led him to find his dream car – a 2003 Volkswagen Beetle – four years ago.
At the time it belonged to a dealer near Oxford and after some correspondence – including seeing lots of photographs and chatting to the owner – the Auchenblae resident headed down south with his dad to buy it.
“When I saw it, I just though that is the one,” Martin, who is a nurse in Aberdeen, said.
“My dad drove us down in his car and we drove back in convoy. It was a fine drive, good fun. I think that was one of the biggest journeys she’d done in her life.”
With just 3,500 miles on the clock, the car was practically “brand new” and has needed little work done to it, mechanically or aesthetically, since it became Martin’s Midge four years ago.
After deciding their new purchase needed a name, and that it was a girl, he found the perfect one.
“We just thought she’s a wee Scottish bug, so Midge was as good as anything,” he added.
The car is one of the last of its kind to be produced. The last 3,000 were an “ultimate edition” and as Martin puts it, all its old quirks were brought back.
“They put all the old chrome and badges and various bits and pieces back on it which had disappeared over the years”, he said.
It has a more retro look than the previous ones. So I think she’s about 400 from the end.”
When he finally decided to buy a classic car, the Beetle was at the top of the list. His fascination with the model goes back to his childhood when he lived in Perthshire.
“I remember we used to drive through Scone on the way to Perth and there was a garage in the middle of Scone that had an orange Beetle on the roof, that was their advert.
“As a kid it was fascinating to see a car on the roof of a garage and I’ve always remembered that. I’ve just always liked them. Always liked the shape, I just always wanted one.”
While he has a more modern car for everyday, Midge is used for holidays and trips to rallies across Scotland. Her most recent adventure was to the Circuit Historique in Laon, France in May.
Martin and Midge have been to the event for the past few years, usually accompanied by Martin’s dad. This year, his wife took the passenger seat.
“We usually go for a long weekend but this year my wife came and we had a whole week,” Martin said.
“We did the show and then had a few days buzzing around France in her as well.”
The event is a classic car show, set in the Medieval town of Laon. It involves a 90-mile round trip with some lunch involved on one day and a closed street run through the historic town the following day.
“You see some fantastic parts of France with all the little villages and everyone is out waving, it’s just great fun,” Martin said.
Midge also had a starring role in the wedding of one of Martin’s colleagues. It came about after he heard what theme she was going for on her big day.
He said: “She had a shabby chic wedding, so she had an old fifties wedding dress, old china sets and non-matching things, it was all that olde-worlde style. So I think it was nightshift and we were sitting speaking away and one of my co-workers suggested she used my car so we did. And I did the wedding for her.
“On the day we were driving about and we were passing other wedding cars, Rolls Royces, the usual choices, and they were all honking and waving. It was great fun.”
First car: Peugeot 106
Dream car: Got it
