This is what G4, UK registration number NAR156C, looked like in 1969 when I (David Etheridge) owned it. And this is what it looked like 30 years later  in 1997/8 (the following photos are courtesy of SpadgeHopkins at Cottage Classics). The bonnet, side windows, seats, wheels and dashboard have changed, but amazingly the windscreen has not.  I know this, because the crack on the lower corner of the passenger side can be seen and it was there when I bought it (and I used to worry that the crack would spread !). The steering wheel is also unchanged.

I have pleasant memories of the car.  If anyone, including the present owner, can provide information and/or photos of it during the intervening years I would be interested to hear from them.   I have some other photos taken when I owned it which might be of interest.


Update, April 2000

 The following photo was supplied by the current owner who lives in New Hampshire, USA, and who is embarking on a complete restoration.  The car is shown being unpacked from its case.

The new owner is as keen as I am to find out more about the previous history of the car (it could help him with the restoration), so if anyone out there can provide further information, please get in touch.

It appears that the G4 shown entering the Bristol Freighter on page 95 of Trevor Pyman's book is NAR 156C.

Update, March 2004

More details of the history of the car have now come to light, as a result of investigations carried out by Trevor Pyman.  (Trevor is the author of what I think is the definitive book on the G4, first published in 1990 and which has recently been republished in a revised edition.)

The car was built from kit form in May 1965 and was kept by the first owner until 1968.  During this time it was taken to France several times (hence the photo of it on a car transporter plane in Trevor's book).  The photo below shows the car on a rather rough road in France.  It was originally registered as PAE 1 and was painted green.
 




It was re-registered as NAR 156C in 1968 when it was sold to the second owner.  I bought the car in1969 and I guess I was the third owner.   It was no longer green, but purple (Ford "aubergine" – a popular colour at the time).

I sold the car in 1971, virtually unchanged (apart from a new engine and numerous starter rings) and it seems that it was then owned by the same person until 1996, when it came into the possession of Spadge Hopkins at Cottage Classics.

This seems to complete the broad history of the car.  Rather surprisingly it seems to have had a small number of owners.
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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