Classic car museum confused by 1970s car in pristine condition

  • This UK classic car museum was baffled by a 1970s car that had held up very well
  • The Great British Car Journey issued an appeal for information
  • They wanted more information about a 1971 Vauxhall Victor FE

Published on Sep 29, 2024 at 12:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson

Last updated on Sep 26, 2024 at 10:11 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

A classic car museum was left bewildered when a rare 1970s car showed up in pristine condition.

The Great British Car Journey Museum in the UK town of Ambergate, Derbyshire, has unveiled a rare gem to the public.

This is the 1974 Vauxhall Victor FE, unearthed after the death of its previous owner.

What left the museum staff confused, however, is how the car managed to rack up less than 100 miles on its odometer.

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Why this car left museum staff scratching their heads

The museum has claimed that the car came to them coated in oil, covered in a bag, and with an interior covered in polythene.

All these factors worked together to keep the car in tip-top condition, as reported by the BBC.

Six years after its purchase from Mercury Garage in Ilkeston, the car was taken to the city of Derby for rust-proofing.

Decades later, it was found in an isolated building on the property of Mr Milner, the car’s owner.

It was then sold to a collector before being bought by the museum, where it currently resides.

Inside the car’s trunk was a range of spare parts, petrol containers, and a Haynes repair manual.

The fact that the car didn’t surpass 100 miles over decades is confusing the museum, which issued an appeal for information.

Richard Usher, the owner of the Great British Car Journey, said: “We would love to know more about this Victor and why the owner never used it. It really is a one-of-a-kind story that we’re desperate to know more about.

“If the name of Mr Milner or the car description rings any bells, please get in touch with us as we would love to solve the puzzle of this mystery car.”

Here’s hoping that this car mystery can finally be resolved.

Other car mysteries that left people confused

Cars carry a lot of history, but since they obviously can’t speak, their stories are left for people to piece together.

Many were left intrigued by this distinct car spotted in the background of a photo of London in the 1960s.

There was also the case of this car in Texas which was so degraded that people were struggling to identify it.

Fortunately, with petrolheads playing detective all over the internet, these matters have a way of being solved.

Case in point: the mystery Porsche spotted at LAX that Porsche didn’t recognize has finally been identified.


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Ben Thompson

Ben got his start in journalism at Kennedy News and Media, writing stories for national newspapers, websites and magazines. Now working as a freelancer, he divides his time between teaching at News Associates and writing for news sites on all subjects.