Earlier in the week, a landlord found an abandoned VW Transporter T2 and transformed her into an emblematic show van. That got us thinking: how many other enthusiasts out there are secretly building a classic car army for when we have to take on AIs and their overlord, Elon Musk, in the future?
Quite a few, as it turns out.
In partnership with Car Facts Disc, Mikaniki are thrilled to present a brand new series, exploring the extraordinary adventures between man and machine, and how, with a little time, talent and TLC, you can bring a beat-down hot rod back from the brink and wind back the years to the glory days.
For this first episode, we’re taking you all the way up into the North of Wales, home of the Pontycsyllte Aqueduct, where an ambitious ‘carsmith’ plies his trade, specialising in bodyshell restoration and motorsport preparation, with an impressive portfolio including a Mikaniki favourite, the VW Golf MK1 GTI.
This is Will Malkin of Malkin Motorsport, and this is the story of how he restored Pete Millington’s Hillman Avenger, turning a pile of dog-eared twisted metal into pure motoring goodness, taking home 2018’s accolade for best prepared car.
What inspired it?
“The inspiration for this vehicle: This Avenger, is a recreation of the 1976 BTCC Championship winning car as driven by Bernard Unett.
“It was the first modern race car I saw as a youngster, probably around 1977. My Father worked for the Chrysler Competitions Department in Coventry and was always bringing competition cars home to play with.
“One day this car appeared outside our house and I was hooked. After a conversation in 2011 with Will at Malkin Motorsport, a decision was made to build a recreation that was eligible for modern day race meetings.
“Before you is the end result of a few years of hard work and heartache!” – Pete Millington – Warwick
The journey
Here’s what the Hillman Avenger went through from the day it was brought into Malkin Motorsport to winning 2018’s best prepared car of the season.
Looking ahead
It’s people like Will Malkin who give us petrolheads our motoring fix. Especially when it looks as though classics are either being pushed out entirely or being given electric engines to run on.
We’re certainly looking forward to more classic car owners sharing their car stories. There’ll come a time when our driverless cars will take us deep underground, close to the Earth’s core, into the last remaining city of internal combustion, where we will relive the times of rumbling engines and sheer driving exhilaration.
Until then watch this space for more classic rod anecdotes!
Wanna share your car’s story with the world? Consider getting a Car Facts Disc. You’ll make a petrolhead’s day.
