Birthday treat as Bob is reunited with £250,000 E-Type after Shropshire renovation
A classic Jaguar E-Type has been returned to its former owner in time for his 83rd birthday following a renovation by a Shropshire garage.
Bob Reed, a former Royal Naval Commander, raced the 1961 Roadster after buying it in February 1965 and went on to own it for more than 45 years.
He decided to sell up because he could not afford to restore the car and did not want it to deteriorate further, eventually raising £109,000 at auction.
It was bought by Chris Anderson who funded a refurbishment of the car. It is now worth £250,000.
The painstaking work took 3,500 hours was carried out by Classic Motor Cars in Bridgnorth. The original owner was reunited with the finished piece after Mr Reed's daughter, Katie, contacted CMC to ask if she could have a picture of the car for his 83rd birthday.
Her father had kept in touch with the restoration work and stayed in contact with the new owner, such was his affection for the car.
Conversations were held with Mr Anderson and it was agreed the car, which recently won Best of Show at the 2015 RAC Midsummer Drive-In, should go back to celebrate Mr Reed's birthday in Somerset.
The former Commander had not seen the car since it was picked up by Bonhams and taken to auction at RAF Hendon on April 23, 2013.
Mr Reed said it was an amazing birthday surprise. "I was absolutely flabbergasted," he said. "I wanted to see the car once it had been restored but thought that I would have to travel to it at some point – little did I think that it would be brought to me.
"I can't thank CMC and Chris Anderson enough. It made my day. The car is fantastic and the level of detail and time that CMC have put into it is just fantastic."
Nick Goldthorp, from CMC, said:
"It was a pleasure to bring the car back to someone who enjoyed it for so many years. The look on Commander Reed's face when the car turned up was fantastic and I am sure it was a day he will never forget."
