Mini miracle: Great Gransden man reunited with nan's old car
- Published
Daniel Fox with his mother, sister and the Mini, which was once owned by his grandmother, Joan
A man plans to restore his late grandmother's Mini, which he last saw in 1994, after spotting it being sold in an online forum.
Daniel Fox, 36, stumbled across the Mini while shopping for a second-hand vehicle.
Mr Fox, from Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire, said he was "amazed" to spot the 35-year-old car languishing in a Norfolk garage.
The radio presenter was reunited with the Mini on Sunday.
Mr Fox said he had been looking for a similar vehicle for about a year when he saw the picture posted online.
A young Dan Fox with his grandmother Joan
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"It had no number plate so I didn't immediately recognise it, but then I had to do a double and triple take," he said.
"When my sister Andrea had the car, she put in a distinctive radio and changed the steering wheel, which was key to identifying it was the right one.
"It's remarkable, really. In a way, it's a bit of a burden - it's a car I can never sell, so I'll have to break that to my wife."
Since he made the discovery, Mr Fox said his sister - who inherited the car when their grandmother Joan died in 1990 - had been "crying non-stop".
The car, which has not seen daylight in years, being loaded on to a recovery truck to go "home"
His main goal is to get the Mini "back on the road" but ultimately he would like to take part in a classic car rally that goes from Ipswich to Felixstowe in May.
"I'm desperately trying to find some pictures of its glory days," Mr Fox said.
"It's weird - I have vivid memories of being in the back of the car and rolling around because it didn't have seatbelts.
"My nan never drove very far but even then, it felt like you were driving to the moon. Minis are wonderfully charming cars but people remember them because in essence, they're a bit idiosyncratic and a bit crap."
Mr Fox said his driveway is "littered with old cars" - and his collection includes this Ford Sierra
Mr Fox said he agreed to pay "a lot of money" for the car.
He also said the seller was "amazed" by his family tie.
"He's made me promise that I'll send him a photo when it's finished, but I'd like to go back and take him out for a ride," Mr Fox said.
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