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Operation Austin Agro!
When I first saw 16158 it was hardly love at first sight! It was after all an Austin Allegro albeit a Vanden Plas version of one of the most derided cars of the 1970's, and this one had spent 4 years in a field slowly turning into a bramble bush! Which made it difficult to assess just what sort of condition Agro the Allegro was in, but I just had to try and save it somehow!
As there are so few left on the island it would be a shame to see another old but locally owned car head for the scrap yard. A plan hatched, some may say festered in my mind! I would track down the previous owner using all my stealth and cunning, that and a phone book, and make him an offer!
Agro first arrived in Guernsey on the 15th April 1976, he was not a new car but imported and sported the registration 11411 and was first owned locally by Mr Charles C Taylor and cost him £28.50p for one year's Motor Tax.
It remained in the same hands until 12th April 2005 and after 29 years it quickly changed hands twice before it ended up where I found it in a field in the vale.
After the brambles were cut down, I managed to get in the car and tried to start it with a jump pack, this failed, so a new battery was purchased and fresh fuel put in the tank, I cleaned the points, replaced a spade connector on the coil, checked all the fluid levels, and turned the key, the engine promptly refused to fire, After what seemed like a battery flattening eternity Agro sputtered into life! And after a few minutes I was able to drive him around the field, 34 years old and 4 years of that in a field, the old boy was back from the dead!
Now all I have to do is clean and patch him up a bit and then move him on to someone who'd be willing to look after a little piece of local history, when this car was imported in 1976 it was the year that punk rock exploded across the UK, and we had the hottest summer on record. This little car was trundling around the island roads for 30 years! And that's got to be worth £375 of any ones money!
I got Agro back on the roads in time for our August run! And I now need to find a new owner for him as I have no space to keep him safe...so if you can find it in your heart to give agro a good home call me on 07781 406609.
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