Vintage Dad's Army car road trip from Radcliffe to meet old owners

In February last year, Carl Slater, 53, from Radcliffe, a lover and collector of vintage cars, went to see a 1933 Austin 10/4 saloon car with "no intention of buying it".

After quickly realising there was no way he could leave without it, the vintage vehicle and its brown buff log books became his, opening up a new chapter of history to Carl.

The car, on set, for the filming of Dads Army (Image: Public)

He said: “When I started looking into its history, it had stayed in Shropshire for the first 50 to 60 years of its life.

“I joined a few Oswestry groups on Facebook to see if I could get in touch with its previous owners and within a few days, I had more information on previous owners than I have on my own family so decided to reunite it with some of these people.”

Inside the car (Image: public)

Almost a year after buying it, the car, which has had the likes of actions Catherine Zeta-Jones and Bill Nighy inside it, was taken by Carl on a family trip to Shropshire to hunt for its old homes.

Carl said: “This was not going to be a normal trip, this was going to be a pilgrimage of sorts, a returning home for our car.”

Inside the showroom (Image: Public)

In 1933, at the Lower Brook Street premises of E.J.Gittins, the Austin 10/4 saloon car was being prepared for sale to Miss Elizabeth Jane Morris and 90 years later, it was making its way back.

Carl first arrived at the spot where the car was sold to Miss Morris, which is now a showroom for Arthur’s Vauxhall dealership.

Brian Denny (right) served his apprenticeship on the car 1953 (left) Carl Slater, owner of the car (Image: public)

While there Carl and his family met Brian Denny who had served his time as an apprentice and had worked on the car in around 1953.

The next stop was Pen-y-cae cottage where Elizabeth Morris lived out her later years before her death in 1943, aged 69.

Pen-y-cae cottage. Home to Elizabeth Morris and home to the Austin (Image: Public)

Carl said: “We met the current residents of Pen-y-cae cottage, Jill and Roger Newman and they made us so very welcome.

“After a couple of hours, we headed off to Ty-Draw farm, a 45-minute drive into the hills, and wondered if the car was getting deja vu as we slogged our way up and down.

Ty-Draw farm, home to the car from 1943-1968 (Image: public)

“It had been at least 80 years since it last made this journey and we tackled the hills at a slow and steady pace and only needed first gear once and I did think if the car had thoughts she would be saying, oh no, not again.”

Second owners of the car (Image: Public)

Ty-Draw farm was said to be home to the Wright brothers who had used the car to take their weekly stock of eggs to market in Oswestry every Wednesday.

After having the car serviced and fuelled at the Gittins garage in Lower Brook Street they would then head off home along the route Carl travelled.

Rupert Bevan reunited with his car (Image: public)

Carl then took the car to Ellesmere and to Dudleston Hall farm, once home to the Bevan family.

They met with Rupert Bevan, who owned the car in 1968 and drove it around the local area after passing his test.

Dudleston Hall (Image: Public)

Carl said: “On a trip to London and somewhere on the A5 the car broke down due to lack of oil and it was the last time Rupert saw the car after leaving it on the roadside...until today.

“Rupert was reunited with his old car, telling us stories of mechanical mishaps and his tangle with a cattle truck while running an errand for his mother, who we then went to meet.”

Rupert’s 97 year old mother. (Image: public)

Carl added that he will never forget the look of surprise and joy on the 97-year-old's face after seeing the old car again.

He said: “After that, we headed home.

"The old car has performed well and is now tucked away to rest and we must agree with the advertising slogan in 1933, 'You can depend on an Austin'.”

Rupert Bevan (centre) owned the car 1968-1974 (Image: public)

Although the vintage car is “most definitely” not used for Carl's work as a driving instructor, he says he tries to use it whenever he can, be it for weddings, proms or even the morning school run.