It’s fair to say that John Gordon has a talent for unearthing the remarkable in classic car terms, and his love of vehicles from the seventies has even helped him in finding love.
Alongside his wife, Tina, he is the proud owner of the only Hillman Avenger Sunseeker Automatic still registered in the UK, and he discovered the 1974 model in perfect condition,
A time warp through and through, the car had been left in a garage for decades but its previous owner had the good forethought to rust proof the vehicle before it was locked away.
With its seventies style ‘Orange Blossom’ hue, the Sunseeker has even appeared in the 2015 film, High Rise, alongside Sienna Miller and Tom Hiddleston.
John, who works at a distillery, is determined to hold on to the rare find, and he has continued to run with the seventies theme with the 1973 Vauxhall Victor.
Last but not least in the trio is a baby Austin A30 from 1956, but John believes he has a lot to thank the era which brought us fringed flares and leotards.
“The Sunseeker is particularly special to me and Tina, not just because of its rarity but because it tells our story in a way,” he said.
“Me and Tina knew each other for years before we finally got together, Tina can remember when I drove a Sunseeker after I passed my test more than 40 years ago.
“We both have a passion for classics, she drives the Sunseeker whilst I drive the Victor, but we’ll be putting the cars away for the winter because the salt wreaks havoc with the chrome work.”
John came across the Sunseeker at an auction in Norfolk and was first attracted to the vehicle due to its low mileage of only 2,500 miles.
After a tense bidding war, the Sunseeker arrived in its new home of Keith, but John was yet to discover how rare his latest purchase was.
“I had no idea it was the only registered model left, as about 300 Hillman Avengers were actually released at the time,” he said.
“There are lots of different models and they were actually produced for the Arab Emirates market before the deal fell through, and the cars were sold in the UK for one year only.
“It was only when I looked the model up online that I found out about its rarity, it has been so well preserved that it is honestly like driving a new car.”
With its original tyres and the 1975 tax disc still in the windscreen, getting behind the wheel really does feel like stepping back in time.
But that’s exactly how John likes it, and although he doesn’t abhor modern cars – he believes vehicles from the seventies are far more interesting.
“I drive a modern car in the winter months but I find that cars from the seventies and indeed from any era are nicer to look at in general,” he said.
“I even love the colour of the Sunseeker, if you put a classic next to a modern car I find that the classic is far nicer and more different to look at.
“Compare a Morris Minor to the average modern car and there’s far more style, more distinct lines and cars from a bygone era have their very own look that you just don’t find today.
“The Vauxhall Victor is similar in that it was only driven from 1973 to 1976 before it was put away.
“It was done up before I came across it and I try to keep all my cars as original as possible.
“I think it ruins them if you start making lots of changes and I feel very lucky to have come across every car in perfect condition.
“They’re really lovely cars to drive, I don’t feel like I’m driving something which is nearly 40 years old.
“The steering is perfect and there’s still some similarities to modern cars.
“We love taking the Sunseeker in particular to shows because people often haven’t seen the model before and it always gets a good response.
“Knowing how rare it is, I can’t see myself selling it on any time soon.”