Anita Craythorne is the last registered owner of the car before me but, mysteriously, she thinks the car was sold on in 1997 but cannot remember to whom she sold it. The car was taxed on 20th April 1998 at Houndsditch Post Office, London EC3, and again on 12th April 1999 at Lombard Street Post Office London EC1.
Prior to my ownership of the car the last recorded service was undertaken by Pickup Motorsport Porsche Specialists of Waterloo Road, London NW2 on 24th March 1998 with the recorded owner at this time of Gordon MacLean with a recorded mileage of 21,375. The MOT the following year dated March 30th 1999 was undertaken by the same MOT test station which undertook the 1998 MOT – Maygrove Motor Company of Maygrove Road, London NW6 – which might suggest that the ownership had not changed at that time. The mileage recorded then was 26,401.
There is no MOT certificate then until I bought the car (6th April 2001) when a new MOT was issued on 11th April 2001 suggesting there was no current MOT. The mileage then was 28,948. There is also no road fund license after that bought on12th April 1999 until I bought the car. The above history hiatus of one year suggests to me that this represents a time when the car was off the road and for sale and not re-registered reflecting my recollection of seeing the car for sale elsewhere.
The log book states she bought the car on 29th March 1997 and the receipt, MOT and tax disc acquired from the same London district from April 1999 until March 2000 for 12 months would suggest a change of ownership after this.
I bought the car from Gary Davis of Panorama Bay Motor Company in Sandbanks, Poole on 6th April 2001 for £36,995 with an invoice mileage of 28,941 miles (another 7 miles recorded before my MOT) and transferred the personalized number plate 53 GA from my 911 Targa which I part exchanged for the Speedster. I had seen the Speedster for sale a year or so previously in a different garage in Poole – Valley Motors in Bournemouth Road now a Kitchen dealership – so it is possible it was not on the road for the time between Anita’s ownership and mine. How it came to be in Poole instead of London I do not know.
My 911 Targa which I part exchanged for the Speedster. This was a great car and definitely undersold!
When I met Gary Davis again in 2022, he had some good and bad news about his life.
Firstly - the garage was still wonderful - containing loads of really interesting sports and classic cars. I particularly fell in love with a 1949 Morris Police car.
Gary had been knighted since I met him last - for services to charity - particuarly the Variety Club of Great Britain.
Sadly in 2014 he had a serious accident. I had heard something about this before and thought he had not returned to work but, after a year off, managed to get back but not in such a fit state as he was before the accident.
Gary was travelling South on Canford Cliffs Road, Poole in an AC Cobra which was a racing example and was in the throws of modification and restoration. When driving up the road the throttle linkage jammed in the full open position. Gary reached for the ignition switch but the barrel seperated from the bevel on the dash board and fell behind so he had no means of stopping the car. Rather than run into a restaurant at the top of the road, he crashed it into a lampost at 105 mph. He suffered 24 broken bones and a serious head injury along with internal injuries.
Interestingly he had two 'out of body' experiences during this time - the first was he saw the accident as it happened - but while watching from the other side of the road. He saw it in every detail. Next he was told he nearly died on the operating table but was able to tell the surgeon afterwards exactly what was going on and confirmed where all the staff were standing and what they were doing while rescucitating him. He was apparently correct in every detail.
Surprisingly he survived but his memory is not all it was and, although he remembers the car (and me!) well, he cannot remember the details of his aquisition of the car. He did, though, frequently buy and sell cars from Frank Spriggs at Valley Motors and says he could well have bought it from him.
Sir Gary Davis outside Panorama Bay Motors with Misty, my boxer, in the Speedster - October 2022
While at Panorama Bay Motors the car was photographed for inclusion in a calendar just before I bought her. I was unable to find any reference to this until, late in 2021, I came across the calendar by chance after ‘googling’ her original registration number!
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