If only my great-grandfather could see his classic car now

From This is Somerset (UK):  If only my great-grandfather could see his classic car now

When Alan Bartlett inherited his great-grandfather's car he vowed to restore it and keep it roadworthy – and now it has driven off with a top award.

1. ​

The little Jowett Long Saloon, dating from 1934, was one of five finalists for the title of Classic Car of the Year 2012, at the Classic Motor Show at Birmingham's NEC this weekend, and yesterday it was announced as the winner.
Mr Bartlett, 23, of Chard, South Somerset, is thrilled to think the car his great-grandfather bought when it was just a year old has survived to win the votes of classic vehicle enthusiasts nationwide.
Surprisingly he had no idea of its background when he inherited it from his father. Nor did he have the skills which have since won him a job with Wheelpower, MG specialists over the Dorset border at Mosterton.
As he put the car through its paces this week he explained: "I always knew my father had an old car in the garage but I didn't know how much connection with the family there was until my dad died six years ago and I inherited it.
"I had the choice to keep it or sell it and I decided to restore it, learning as I went, and as I researched it I realised our connection with it.
"It had been off the road for eight years. I was a media student, but working on the car has made me change direction and now I work in vehicle restoration."
Mr Bartlett started a blog detailing the restoration, and it won fans as far as Australia. A typical blog, from last August read: "I've had the body off, repainted the chassis, powdercoated the wheels, and embarked on a full repaint via brush.
"I've also finally got the engine up and running after its long-awaited rebore."
For a time Mr Bartlett was using the car regularly, but now he says he uses it just for shows. It has 400,000 miles on the clock, probably far more than the Jowett factory ever imagined.
The Jowett was up against two more 1930s cars, a Morris and an Austin, as well as a 1960s Aston Martin DB5 and a rare 1970s Bristol. As the winner of the contest, organised by Classic Car Weekly, Classic Cars and Practical Classics magazines in association with Lancaster Insurance, Mr Bartlett received a prize worth more than £3,500.
He said: "My great-grandfather and my dad would be proud."