Lost in France

Well, not when the photo was taken, as this was us boarding the ferry to Caen on our way to Le Mans in 1999. However, thanks to a strike by either English or French dock workers (can’t remember which one it was that year) we were some seven hours late departing so it was dark when we landed in France. As this was in pre sat nav days, it didn’t take long before I was lost and it was nearly midnight when I finally got to Le Mans. Mrs C had wisely jumped in the van with our fellow race goers (she didn’t fancy 100 miles in an open car at night), and they had arrived a bit earlier.
Anyway, this picture was inspired by yesterdays blip when I mentioned that the book I read in 1987 had inspired me to build a kit car a few years later. It took me about three years, building it as and when funds and time allowed. I actually enjoyed the building process far more than driving it, but I’d always promised myself that I would take it to Le Mans when it was completed. Technically, I didn’t actually own it any more by the time this photo was taken. Whilst sitting on the dock side, waiting for the ferry, I was approached by a chap who wanted to buy one like mine, but didn’t want to build it himself. I named a price (about half what it had probably cost me to build it!!) and he agreed subject to a test drive. As he was also on his way to Le Mans, we agreed that the test drive would be on the public road parts of the circuit. I couldn’t think of a better place to demonstrate the acceleration, grip and cornering abilities.
By the time we got back to the U.K., I’d definitely had enough of driving it and was more than happy to hand it over to the new owner a week later. But I didn’t regret for one minute building it - it was great fun and I learnt a lot. Don’t think I’d build another kit car, but I still fancy restoring & modifying an old MGB GT one day, before petrol engined cars are banished from our roads forever…