We are inviting ANY MEMBER of PCVC to submit their interest in showcasing their vehicle at future meetings. The monthly Classic photos have been used to produce the 2022 Calendar, and are free to members, or 7 euros to non-members.
April 2023
Our Classic of the Month for April is a car which changed the motor industry and literally took the world of rallying by storm, the Audi Quattro. In 1980 Audi developed a revolutionary all wheel drive system which they allied to their powerful 2.1 litre, turbo charged, 5 cylinder, petrol engine and wrapped it in an elegant 2 door coupe body, which they called the Quattro. Savvas Christodoulou, as a teenager, watched in awe as these four wheel drive Quattros attacked dusty desert highways and icy mountain passes and swept to victory after victory in the WRC rallies in the early 80s. After searching for many years, in 1999, he finally found his Audi in Larnaca, and purchased it from its original lady owner. The car was in very good and rust free condition, but needed some TLC and re-commissioning. 24 years and much hard work later the car appears “factory fresh”, resplendent in, what most enthusiasts consider to be the best colour scheme, Tornado Red. Whilst Savvas pampers his Quattro he considers it belongs on the road, not in a museum, and drives it as much as possible, it even recently braved the Troodos snows. This car is a prime example of what the Classic Car movement is all about. The Christodoulou family have created a family heirloom which Savvas, assisted by his two sons, are preserving for future generations to enjoy and admire.
March 2023
You will all recognise our Classic of the Month as a Rolls Royce from the imposing radiator and iconic “Spirit of Ecstasy” mascot. However, what you will not know is how special and unique this 1955 Silver Wraith actually is. The car was coach-built by the Park Ward Company in Willesden, London on a long wheel based chassis and delivered back to Rolls Royce. Here it joined the Experimental Department and was constantly modified and up dated to prototype new features and proposed developments. This Silver Wraith was, as a consequence, the first RR to be fitted with power steering and air conditioning. In 1959 the car was used to provide driving instruction/practice for the Queen`s chauffeurs in preparation for a Royal Tour. Unfortunately the tour was cancelled and the car was therefore returned to its development role. It is remarkable that the car survived, as usually development cars such as this are broken up and scrapped when no longer required. However, this Silver Wraith became an instructional vehicle and was loaned to the Willesden Collage of Technology. It miraculously survived the attention of the students, and fortunately came into the ownership of Peter Jarvis and Annabel Czajka in 2017. The car, whilst complete, was in a deplorable state so they set about the herculean task of returning this Roll Royce to its original former glory. The engine and gearbox were completely rebuilt, the chassis and running gear renovated and the bodywork stripped of 48 coats of paint, repaired, prepared and repainted in the original Silver Mink colour. The luxurious interior was meticulously restored , with Soft Stratos leather seating, walnut trim, Wilton carpets, and West of England Cloth headlining. Their 3 year restoration resulted in the beautiful, immaculate, and original Rolls Royce Silver Wraith that we see today. However, Pete and Annabel do not believe that the car should be treated as a museum piece and drive their Rolls Royce as much as possible. They usually refer to their car as “the Old Girl”, and, by the way, Annabel actually grew up in a house next door to the Park Ward site where the car was originally made. to edit.
February 2023
Our Classic Vehicle this month will bring back memories of the swinging 60`s and oozes Italian charm and style. It is the legendary Lambretta Scooter.
Lambrettas were designed and originally manufactured by the Innocenti Company in Milan, Italy from 1947 until 1971. However, due to the rise in the popularity of the cheap small family car, such as the BMC Mini and 1100, the demand for motorcycles/scooters fell, and the company went into liquidation. Fortunately the continuing potential of the scooter was recognised by the Indian Government and the rights and tooling were purchased and transferred to Lucknow, India. Lambretta manufacturing by the SIA Company commenced in 1972 and continued until 1997. Our Classic is a Lambretta GP 200, but started life as a Vijay Supra 150( GP 150) back in 1986 and for its first 22 years had a hard working life in India. When this scooter was imported into the UK in 2008 it was a complete wreck, being hand painted in sand coloured household emulsion paint, with no electrics, seat, lights, and had only one wheel! The present owners, Malcolm and Dorinda, completely renovated the scooter, replacing all missing parts, beating out and repainting the frame and panels, and increasing the engine capacity to 200cc. They now proudly ride their immaculate Lambretta around Paphos reliving their youth memories of the 60s/70s. Come and meet Malcolm and Dorinda and view their classic scooter at any of our PCVC Meetings, details of which can be found on our Facebook page, or our website (www.paphosclassicvehicleclub.com), or, telephone 97760997. USELESS FACTS NO. 120Classic scooters will always be associated with the names of Lambretta and Vespa but did you know that “vespa” is Italian for “wasp” and a “lambretta” is a mythical Italian water sprite.
January 2023
Paphos Classic Vehicle Club`s first Classic of 2023 was unearthed by its present owners, Patrick and Geraldene, from the dusty basement of a Nicosia car showroom. The car is a Mercedes Benz (W123), 230E, four door executive saloon, which dates from 1981, and although originally supplied to the UK came to Cyprus 8 years later. Patrick and Geraldene had a long search for a suitable vehicle and viewed many wrecks that had been advertised as “classics” before they found their “buried” treasure. There was little in the way of history, other than it had been previously owned by a Cypriot bank manager, had after market air conditioning and been resprayed. Resplendent in its Ivory White paintwork with an excellent blue interior, the car is powered by the reliable Mercedes 4 cylinder fuel injected petrol engine of 2.3 litres. This drives through a 4 speed automatic gearbox producing 134 hp and a top speed of 112 mph. The W123 model was the most successful Mercedes car, with over 2.7 million being sold between 1975 and 1986, and are renowned for their reliability and longevity. Full details of PCVC meetings and events can be found on our Facebook page, our Website (www.paphosclassicvehicleclub.com),
December 2022
Our Classic of the Month is the wonderful 1987 Morgan Plus 8 belonging to Sue and Richard Griffiths. The car is hand built in the traditional coach building manner, with body panels fixed to an ash wood frame. The car only weighs 900 kilograms and is powered by a fuel injected 3.5L V8 Rover engine which produces exhilarating acceleration. How did this iconic British, open topped, sports car come to reside here in sunny Cyprus? This is Richard`s story. “I had fallen in love with these beautiful cars when, as a schoolboy, my local bus used to pass by a Morgan dealer showroom. Many years later, there I was in the middle of a desert when a friend commented that you only had to put down a £50 deposit to order a new Morgan. So in 1979, when I was next on leave in the UK, a cheque was written (after visiting several Banks), and an order made. Seven years, yes, SEVEN years later, I received a letter from the Morgan Motor Company advising that they were about to start building my car. A visit to their factory in Malvern resulted in the agreement of the specification, including the Royal Ivory colour scheme. In January 1987, I was now living in the UK, and the car was delivered to me via the same Morgan dealership. However, as I had just bought a house, I didn’t have a lot of spare cash. No problem, I thought, I can always sell it for more than it cost (a quirk of the long waiting list), but when driving it home I decided that I had to drive it for one summer at least. 40 years later I still have it and I still love it!”
November 2022
PCVC`s Classic for the Month is a true “Cypriot Car” having been sold new on the Island in 1985 and remained here ever since. The car is a beautiful Astral Silver “S class” Mercedes 280 SE, which is owned by club members Jane and Phil Fellows. This Mercedes is a type W126, which was one of their most popular luxury cars, with over 890,000 being produced in saloon, coupe and long wheel based versions, during the 1980s. Jane and Phil`s car has a 2746 cc, 6 cylinder, fuel injected, petrol engine, which delivers 182 bhp smoothly and silently through a 4 speed automatic gear box. Although the car is made for effortless cruising in comfort rather than racing it is still capable of 130mph (200 kph). Being from the 1980s this Mercedes does not feature all the electronic gadgets found in a modern car but is still packed with creature comforts such a climate control and self levelling suspension. When Jane and Phil purchased their car they had no idea they were buying a “Love Bug”, until they found a love letter under the rear seat! The letter read “Dear Lulu, since our wedding day I have always been faithful to you……” but you will have to ask Jane and Phil about the rest of the letter.
October 2022
Many classic car enthusiasts consider the Sovereign to be the most elegant Jaguar saloon ever produced. The example featured as the PCVC Classic of the Month is the much travelled car owned by club members Bruce and Sarah Knight. This Jaguar Sovereign started its journey to Cyprus back in the spring of 1991 when Bruce bought the car in Derby from the original owners, Jaguar dealers Paramount Cars. It had been the General Managers personal car and demonstrator and was fully loaded with over £3100 of non standard extras, including Connelly hide leather seats and trim. The car is powered by a 3980cc straight six engine producing 237bhp. It enjoyed a pampered life for 4 years, being kept in a climate controlled garage, and only being used on Bruces annual visits to the UK, where it eventually wore the cherished number plate 100 SOV. In 1994 the Sovereign was exported to South Africa, and became his “daily driver” and in the next 7 years accumulated over 120,000 miles, including a 4000 mile round trip. This journey started in Cape Town and proceeded via Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Johannesburg, to Harare in Zimbabwe, then onto Bulawayo and Pretoria, before a final 600 mile dash back to Cape Town, arriving just in time for the 1995 Rugby World Cup Final (won by South Africa of course). The final move for this globe-trotting Jaguar came in 2001 when Bruce emmigrated to Cyprus, where the Sovereign is now used only on special occasions.
September 2022
Our Classic for September is “ERIC” the Esprit SE Turbo, who celebrates his 33nd birthday this month, having rolled out of the Lotus factory on 1st September 1989. The car is owned by PCVC members, Paul and Diane Chadwick, (of Rock FM Radio quiz fame), who imported it to Cyprus 3 years ago. Why do they own and drive such an iconic British sports car? Paul explains “ It all started back in 1977 with the release of the James Bond film “The Spy who Loved Me” starring Roger Moore. You may remember that Mr. Bonds Esprit converted into a submarine and that, as he drove it out of the sea he wound the window down, and threw out a fish…….. BRILLIANT !!! I said, one day I’m going to have one of them, (the Lotus Esprit not the fish). Many years later, as a sales representative. I used to visit Harrogate in North Yorkshire, and always called in to the local Lotus dealers to drool over the Esprits….. WELL ONE CAN DREAM. However, 35 years later the dream came true and a Lotus Esprit became a member of the family which was christened ERIC by my stepdaughter”. The Esprit was styled by Peter Stevens who later designed the McLaren F1 car. It features the improved 2.2 litre engine, known as a type 910S, with the new Lotus/Delco multipoint fuel injection with a air-water intercooler. This turbo charged engine produces 284 bhp, takes 4.7 seconds to reach 60, and has a top speed of 165 mph.
August 2022
The design of which car was so advanced that it caused a sensation when it was first displayed at the Paris Motor show in 1955, resulting in a record number of over 80,000 orders being placed within the first week? This was the Citroen DS, whose futuristic and streamlined bodywork clothed a car bristling with many innovative features, including the revolutionary, self levelling and variable height, pneumatic suspension system.
Our Classic of the Month is a late model Citroen DS being a 2 litre, left hand drive, D Special dating from 1970. This car is a remarkable survivor having spent its first 28 years on an island off the northern coast of Norway, before moving to the more clement climate of Oslo. The car, which is now called Athena, was imported to Cyprus last year by its current owners, Paul and Joan Gannon, after brief stays in both the UK and Ireland. re to edit.
July 2022
What is your favourite classic British sports car? A Triumph, a Jaguar, or would it be PCVC `s Classic for the month of June, a mark 1, 1963 MG B Roadster? This classic design was first manufactured by MG in their Abingdon factory in 1962 and remained in production for over 18 years. More than 380,000 were sold, with the combined total production of MGB, MGB GT, MGC and V8s being 523,836. Our Classic of the Month is “Johel” a 1963, white MG B Roadster owned by Morag and Andy Carrington Porter. This car spent its first 40 years basking under the sun in the USA until it returned to the UK for restoration in 2004. The car was purchased by Andys father in Scotland and later passed into the care of Morag and Andy who subsequently imported the car into Cyprus in October 2018.The car is powered by a 1798cc B Series engine through a 4 speed manual gearbox producing 95 hp. Andys father, John and his wife Helen visit Cyprus every year (Covid restrictions permitting) to inspect their old MG B which is named for them.
USELESS FACTS NUMBER 116One of the famous owners of a MG B Roadster was Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones. However he never drove it himself as he did not have a Driving Licence!!!
JUNE 2022
Once upon a time, long, long, ago (well the 1970s actually), in a land far, far away,(eh….England), there lived our hero, Graham. Like most young men of 19 years of age, Graham thoughts were full of the usual things, such as winning the FA Cup, young ladies, becoming a millionaire, and, of course, young ladies. However he also dreamed of a sleek, swift, topless Italian, the Alfa Romeo Spider sports car. His father owned one at that time but as a teenager Graham was never allowed to drive it! Fast forward to 2018, Graham and his wife Jane had just sold their MG Midget and discovered in the UK a low mileage, original, 1985 Mark 3 Alfa Romeo Spider, which they promptly imported into Cyprus. This is clad in a beautiful Pininfarina styled body in metallic mint green, which contrasts well with the burgundy red leather interior. The car is powered by the 2.0 litre DOHC, twin carburettor, petrol engine which produces 126 BHP through a 5 speed manual gearbox. Well, was it worth the wait…… Graham says the car is so well balanced and the engine has such a magnificent over run burble that he cannot help smiling ever time he goes for a drive.
May 2022
Grace, Space, and Pace” was how the ad men described the Mark 2 Jaguar, if you were to add the word “Beauty” then you will have the perfect description of our Classic of the Month. This Jaguar Mark 2 is owned by Penny and Alan Wood and was imported by them in 2017 from the UK, although the car had spent 25 years in the USA. The car was manufactured in 1964 and is powered by a 3.4 litre petrol engine that smoothly produces 210 hp through a 4 speed gearbox with overdrive, giving a top speed of 120mph. The interior is, of course, well appointed with red leather and walnut trim. The immaculate Golden Sand paintwork clads what is considered, by some, to be the best looking saloon car Jaguar ever produced. You may recognise the style, as the Mark 2 was the car favoured by Inspector Morse and extensively featured in the TV series.
April 2022
We would like to introduce you to Humphrey, a 1938 Austin 7 Opal which is our Classic of the Month for April. The car was gifted to Richard Corbett in 2019 by his brother and a good friend, as they noticed his hands were, unusually, too clean. The car is also identical to the first car he owned, which he had bought from a scrapyard for £15, over 60 years ago ! The Opal is the 2 seat tourer (open top) version of the Austin 7, which was also produced in many other versions. The 4 door saloon was called the Ruby with the cabriolet version being known as the Pearl. The Austin 7 was the car which introduced affordable motoring to the UK with nearly 300,000 being sold between 1923 and 1939. The Opal is powered by a 747cc side valve engine, producing 10hp through a 4 speed gearbox. Richard says that Humphrey is happiest trundling along the coast road between Paphos and Peyia at 35/40 mph and definitely does not like the hill up to Kathikas !
March 2022
1963 Ford Zephyr 4 mark 3 as our Classic ofthe Month. The American styling includes rear wing fins, a front bench seat, column gear change and plenty of chrome. The car, which was manufactured in Dagenham but immediately exported to Cyprus, is now with its third owners, Ken and Anne Hughes, and still carries its original registration number CE 581.The original owner was a Cypriot contractor who worked on the Sovereign British Bases, and Ken still has some of the 1980s security passes for the vehicle. Powered by a 4 cylinder 1703 cc petrol engine that produces 68 bhp through a 4 speed gearbox, it will still effortlessly cruise at a comfortable 65 mph. When new this model cost £846-00 on the road. Ken joined the PCVC at its second meeting and is our longest standing member. He and Anne have campaigned the Zephyr at numerous rallies and shows, amassing an impressive collection of plaques and trophies, during their 14 years of ownership. Ken says that spare parts are still available but it sometimes takes extra effort to find them. He has found that one successful area of search is New Zealand as the Zephyr was also produced there by Ford, and some reproduction spares are still made.
February 2022
The Toyota Supra, currently owned by Alison and Neil Wishart, also founding members of our club, dates back to 1991. It came to Cyprus in 2013. The Toyota was originally owned by a banker from Fleet Street in London, and Neil and Alison are the third owners, having acquired it from a friend who did not like the car. Neil admits that the car can be quite powerful, as it has a 6 cylinder 3.0 litre turbo charged petrol engine, produces over 230 bhp. The Supra was advertised as an affordable supercar and was then the fastest production car manufactured in Japan, with an acceleration of 0/60 in 5.6 seconds, and a top speed of 165 mph! The car has many high-tech features and is resplendent in its bright red 1980/90's wedge-shaped body, and its pop-up headlights.
Our first Classic of the Month for January 2022 is the iconic, and quintessentially English, Morris Minor 1000. The car in question, which dates from 1968, is called “My Baby” by her owner Debra Innes and was purchased by her husband Chris as a birthday present. Chris found the car in Emba and, in secret, had it fully restored over a period of 5 years. However when he went to collect the finished Moggie he discovered that it had been painted an authentic shade of green, Debra`s least favourite colour. A full repaint was ordered to a stunning shade of baby blue. Debra was obviously delighted with her birthday present and, what else could she call her “new” car, but “MY BABY”. The Morris Minor was one of the most popular family cars in the UK in the 1950/60`s with over 1.6 million being produced between 1949 and 1971. The car was designed by Alex Issigonis, who also designed the Mini and 1100, and was produced in saloon, convertible and estate (Traveller) versions. The Minor 1000 was powered by a 948cc A Series engine producing 37 bhp. through a 4 speed gearbox. Top speed was advertised as an astonishing 75 mph but the 0-60 time is 30 secs!
Classic of the Month- November 2021 Here is an American Beauty of a 1958 Ford Custom 300 that was purchased by Lee and Leona Chellingworth in 2008 and imported into Cyprus ten years later . The Custom 300 was designed by the Ford Motor Company as an economical fleet car and found favour with many USA taxi companies and police forces in the late 50s and early 60s. Lee and Leona`s car has been fully restored and is resplendent in its green and white paintwork with white wall tyres and vinyl roof. Motive power comes from a 4.2 litre, straight six, petrol engine which deliveries 148 bhp through a 3 speed automatic gearbox. Lee has fitted, for safety sake, power assisted disc brakes to the front wheels, and, although the car is not be equipped with power steering or air conditioning, it has the 1950/60 style and charm you cannot find in a modern SUV. When in the USA their Ford Custom was owned by a Texan eccentric who would often take his pet jaguar for a drive. Lee and Leona do not have an exotic big cat but do have an usual passenger in the rear seat. Why not come and discover his identity and inspect this and other classic cars at one of the Paphos Classic Vehicle Club events. Details can be found on our Facebook page, or Website (www.paphosclassicvehicleclub.com or click on the QR code), or Telephone 97760997.
JUNE 2021: BSA Bantam d14b, 175cc
The club contains motorised vehicles that were manufactured more than 30 years ago; this includes motorcycles and commercial vehicles as well as cars. Our Classic this month is a beautifully restored 175cc BSA Bantam d14b motorcycle which was first registered as ODD 75F in the U.K.in 1968. Bantams were manufactured by the Birmingham Small Arms Company from 1948 until 1971, producing over 250,000. They are powered by a two stroke engine fuelled by a mixture of petrol and oil ,which was originally 125cc then 150cc and finally 175cc capacity with power being increased from 4 to 12.6 BHP.
ODD 75F is owned by Annabel Jarvis ,a birthday present from her husband Pete and is a replacement for her first bike which she purchased back in 1980 . She used this to become a motorcycle instructor for the RAC/ACU and BMF at the tender age of 20. Unfortunately when the bike was purchased it needed a considerable amount of rebuilding ,in fact the engine was so badly seized it was soaked in Irn-Bru (a well known fizzy drink ) for 2 years .However Pete did set to work and over a period of 6 years fully restored the bike just in time for their wedding in 2016 . Sprayed pearlescent white, the Bantam carried removable plates which read “BRIDE “before and “MR and MRS ”after the ceremony.
Ian Frith
MAY 2021: Mercedes 230E
The following is an interview with its owner and our Chairperson, Steve Wilkinson.
Steve is a retired Senior Financial Advisor who relocated to Cyprus with his wife Marilyn 15 years ago from Manchester, and now lives in Anavargos..
Why do you drive a Classic Vehicle? “There is nothing like cruising along in a classic car: it is so relaxing. The driver is more involved, and the Classics have a character lacking in modern cars”
Why a Mercedes? “I have owned many classic cars including a beautiful but expensive Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, a Fiat 124 which I wrote off, and a bright yellow (temperamental) Lotus Elan. However, my favourite was a 1965 Mercedes Coupe which I owned for 40 years . I drove it across Europe in the 2010 Commemorative Monte Carlo Rally. We only changed it for our current W123 because I decided we needed a Classic with minimum maintenance but with performance, comfort ,elegance and style”.
Why are you a member of Paphos Classic Vehicle Club? “The Club is not just the vehicles, it is also about the people. We have enthusiastic members with a wealth of experience who share a common passion for keeping Classic Vehicles where they belong : on the road!”.
If you would like to meet Steve and other members of the club we normally have a Classic Breakfast meeting at Tea for Two, Geroskipou (near Gabors Restaurant) from 9.00am on the first Saturday of the month and again at Periklis Taverna in Nata village from 3.30 pm on the 3rd Saturday of the month ( Periklis pending Govt. announcement)
Safe Motoring, Ian.
April 2021 : 1985 Sirocco Mk11
Classic cars are not all exotic sports cars or weird and wonderful vehicles, but ordinary cars and motorcycles that were once a common sight on our roads 30 years ago .These were the vehicles we or our parents drove every day, but are now rarely seen. Ans and Alex Driest chose their 1985 VW Sirocco Mk11 for that reason and because they wanted a classic car that was easy to drive and maintain in running condition . They found this GT-S car in Nicosia, where it had been in storage for over 12 years and is possibly the only one on the roads in Cyprus. They bought the car sight unseen, as they were living in the USA at the time, and whilst Alex had to carry out some restoration work to bring the car up to its present condition, they now have a usable car to be proud of and returned a Classic car to where it belongs: back on the road.
Ans and Alex attend most of the Paphos Classic Vehicle club meetings, outings and road trips. They advise “get a running classic vehicle ‘,join the Club and come and enjoy being part of the PCVC.
March 2021 2CV
Meet Florence, she is a Citroen 2CV owned by Sheeiagh and terry Tearne, who are long standing members of the club.
The 2CV was designed in France in the late1930`s but did not go into production until after the 2nd World War. It was conceived as a “people`s car” with the remit that it had to carry 4 adults in comfort over a ploughed field ,or with the rear seats removed,2 bales of hay or a prized pig !
These cars are unique, being of simple construction but incorporating many innovative features, a legendary suspension system and are considered to be a design icon .Powered by an air cooled 602cc engine the 2 CV`s is not the fastest car on the road but has a top speed of 63 mph (downhill with a following wind).
Florence was built in 1986 and imported by Sheelagh and Terry in 2005 . She was originally white but now is resplendent in pink and blue, decorated with flowers and butterflies. Come and meet Florance,Sheelagh ,Terry and the rest of the members of the Paphos Classic Vehicle at our next meeting.
FEBRUARY : MERCEDES-BENZ S-class 500 SEC
This month (February) Classic is a Mercedes-Benz S – Class 500 SEC which belongs to Ann , and Ian who is the clubs archivist.. The car was imported from the U.K. in 2019 and so began a yearlong restoration/ preservation project to bring the vehicle up to the standard it is today. The W126 the Mercedes code name for this vehicle was manufactured 1988 and was coincided by many as the “Best Car in the World” given its price tag of around 120 thousand euro`s in today’s money it was expensive to buy and in the 1980`s was the chosen car of many Government ministers and also with celebrity owners such as F1 legend Ayrton Senna.
Below is a selection of events and photos now archived
Paphos Homemarket Promotion Day
On Saturday 27th October 2018, PCVC was invited by Paphos Homemarket to take part in a promotion day. The customers enjoyed a day of discounts in the store, demonstrations, a free barbecue , wine, music from Rock FM and a raffle. It was so successful that it could become an annual event. Below are photos of some of the club's classic cars in the store's car park.
Photos taken by Don and Trisha Sainsbury of the Harbour Display, 2017 Below
Photographs from the Episkopi Garrison Fete, 23rd September 2017, taken by Ian Frith.