Terry….. I’ve probably told this story before this, but when I was 16 (1970) I had a summer job for 2-3 years working at a Datsun dealership. It was a tiny, corner garage that later exploded into a much larger operation as Datsuns and Hondas hit our shores.
I couldn’t drive my parents cars because the insurance was too expensive, but when the dealership received their first, tiny Datsun pickup, I was covered as an “employee”. I got to do all the running around for parts, lunches, booze and cigarettes for the owner etc! He even let me take it home at night! To this day, small trucks make me smile!!!!
Fantastic John, my cuz had a Suzuki dealership and leased one just like that for delivery work. As an aside, he once drove it to Melbourne to drop off a riding mower. The old guy had him put it in his garage for him, and inside the garage was a 1928 Erskine car, in mint, if not dusty condition.
The old guy had been in both world wars, and in between had bought the Erskine new, and drove it around the US, India and Europe before coming home after WW2, and driving it right up to the late 1960’s. My cuz asked if it was for sale, but as expected he said “no, it’ll stay here until I die”.
Fast forward to the early 1980’s, Rod gets a phone call from the old guy’s wife to say that he’d passed, and did Rod still want the car? Rod replied that he’d love it, but had recently married and bought a house and basically, was broke. The little old lady replied that her husband had told her that Rod was to have it, if he still wanted it, for free.
Rod’s still got it, and regularly drives it, still with the original paint and interior, with only new tyres, battery, rings and a cylinder hone required, which isn’t bad for a near 100 year old car.
