The road to the start of the journey

I decided to diarise my progress with my "new" car. A 1954 Austin A40 Somerset. This is about a week retrospective, I have had it for around 4 days now. I don't know how the story will end but at the moment I like the idea that in 10 years time I still have it and can look back over the progress on this blog. Equally I may have decided it was a bad idea within a few months and get rid of it again! Only time will tell. But anyway first some background.

I have always been an old car fan. My first car a VW Beetle, later I had an MGB GT. After that I moved into sensible family car territory for the next 20 years. But older cars were always there in my mind. When others say their favourite cars are Porsches, Ferraris etc... mine have always been E-Types, MG's, Heralds etc....

Over the last 6 months I realised that I probably had an opportunity to get and run old car again, it had to be affordable, almost nothing to run if I didn't use it, and maintainable based on my basic knowledge.

So I started looking, and wondering. An old British built car made sense based on the above criteria. Started looking at Morris, then Austins, Rileys, Wolselys, Triumphs and Standards. Neither Fords nor Vauxhalls appealed, can't say exactly why. Found cars that I never really knew about and started to like the idea of something a little more unusual, but equally maintainable.

I also decided that I needed a fairly good example that would run initially without too much trouble, not a restoration project. Although having skills working on old engines and cars in general from previously, those skills were extremely rusty (pun intended!!)

After a bit more research, pre 1960 became a requirement. Both styling based decision, but the lack of MOT requirement also a factor.

So, the shortlist eventually was Morris Minor, Morris Oxford, Austin A30, A35, A40 Somerset, A50 Cambridge and searching started in earnest in late July......