It is about time that we start telling something about my own cars on the site, over the years I have collected quite a few. Of course, I told already about the drive to France of my Suzuki Samurai, but there is more...

The point is that I am hopeless in parting with one of my cars, so I simply keep them. This does not mean that – due to the very busy times – some cars have somewhat been « forgotten » or left in a too long « beauty sleep ». Since my daughter is getting married in October, we decided to have a go again at one of my first cars, I bought in 1976, and which I had restored completely on the mechanical level by the kind attention of Forward Engineering in England at the end of the seventies .

Hans Knol ten Bensel

We went last week to see the car again in its Brussels garage, where it had been left « sleeping » for quite a time.

We were pleasantly surprised to find the bodywork of the car in quite good shape, with also the interior having survived unscathed. Of course, everything is quite dusty, and the car needs a good wash in the first place, with the slightly pitted chromium needing a soft but thorough polish.

The old '70s Jaguar Drivers' Club Belgium sticker is still on the window. The chromium is in quite good condition...

We suspect that the mechanics will be another matter, especially the brakes. We will keep you informed about what we will discover.

By coincidence we met in the basement garage after 20 years our friend Willy Blomme, (to the right) former secretary of the Jaguar Drivers' Club!

When « undigging » the car, the lady of fortune had a heavy hand, because we met by pure chance mr. W. Blomme, the former secretary of the Jaguar Drivers’ Club Belgium and son in law of Jacques Gaudfroy, the former president of the Jaguar Drivers’ Club, at the time when I bought the car in 1976. He was just parking his car in the garage of the building, and needless to say it was a happy reunion, and we could not resist the temptation to take a photo together, remembering happy times.

The interior is dusty, but largely unscathed. Note the original radio!

We contacted Garage De Ridder in Beveren on our car, and they are pleased to help us out. Soon you will read more on our « revival » saga… suffice to say here that the family De Ridder has a long life with Jaguar, and is one - if not the oldest still existing official Jaguar Dealer on the continent...

We will soon report also on the remarkeable saga of the The Ridder family and Jaguar...