Many foreigners who retire to Malta bring with them a chequered career that sometimes remains firmly folded and far from public knowledge.
Barry Owen (pictured below) is one of them: his claim to fame is his work on classic cars which graced the silver or small screen. These include a Triumph Stag, which was the first James Bond vehicle; the Reliant Robin featured in the long-running British television series Only Fools and Horses; a Volvo P18 that Roger Moore used to drive in The Saint; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; the Rolls Royce driven by Lady Penelope in The Thunderbirds; and Herbie the Volkswagen, of which he says there were more than 25 different models to be harnessed in the original film and subsequent successful spin-offs.
Born in Bangor, north Wales, Owen left school at 15 to start work at a panel beater and sprayer in the area. The job lasted less than a year, as he moved on to shop- fitting construction work, and eventually to create his own interior design firm.
An attraction and genuine love for old cars from an early age led him to simultaneously set up a vehicle restoration business. “I started out about 25 years ago with two mechanics working there full time, while I contributed my bit in the evening as well as at the weekend,” he said.
Besides the restoration projects, the business also provided sophisticated vehicles for special events and weddings.
Owen lists a 1932 Sunbeam 18hp, a 1958 Princess Limousine and a 1971 Rolls Royce Shadow I among the classics that graced his spacious garage. He had a soft spot for a 1935 Rolls Royce 20/25 which he himself had restored. But he became a victim of his own success, because the vehicle was so opulently restored that he decided to sell it.
“I had worked hard and long on it, but my guiding principle was, and remains, to have old cars encrusted in a patina, rather than being over restored. Thus the Rolls Royce lasted only two weddings before I sold it, although it always held a permanent position in the labyrinths of my mind,” he admitted.
Owen used to drive a number of his classic cars in national and international rallies, participating with vehicles like the Cooper S, the Cortina Mark I as well as an MG TD. It was during one of these rallies, the May 1989 Great British Film Rally between London and Cannes, that the Malta connection was forged. Taking part in the same event was David Arrigo, the doyen of the Maltese old motors scene, and they hit it off. Consequently, Owen started to visit Malta regularly. One memorable trip that stands uppermost in his mind was way back in 1992, when he drove the first skip from Wales to Malta overland, a distance of around 2,000 miles.
Around ten years ago, Owen got the shock of his life when, out of the blue, his main mechanic, who was not only staff but also a close friend, suddenly passed away while still in his 40s.
He took stock of the situation, closed down his restoration business and decided to retire in Malta. All the old cars were sold in the UK, with the exception of the MG TD, which he brought over to Malta and which now graces the Aviation Museum .
Once a classic car collector, always a classic car collector, and in the few years that he has been on the islands, Owen has managed to put together another significant collection of old motors, all of them roadworthy.
There are three Jaguar models – a 1968 420, a 1974 XJC two-door coupé and a 1977 XJS, as well as a 1974 Jensen Healy. He has also managed to get his hands on a rare, right-hand-drive, 1928 Renault van model Z.
A few weeks ago, while surfing the net, Owen caught sight of his beloved 1935 Rolls Royce which had bolted from his Welsh stables 25 years before. It had remained with the same owner, who continued to use it regularly. Nothing had changed over this lengthy period in the black-over-burgundy-coloured car, with the exception of a carburettor.
Owen bought it again, and all that it required was a new clutch as well as some fuel problems that needed seeing to. He carries out all mechanical work on the old cars himself, despite having had no formal technical training.
“I am just a keen enthusiast. I am very good at solving car problems, because I first think a lot about the difficulty before working on it,” he explained. Owen is also full of praise for the local engineers and mechanics, who he claims are second to none. Such high standards, he said, contribute to an improvement in the quality of cars on the road, and subsequently to safety.
With all the undoubted field experience under his belt, Owen generously shares his vast knowledge with a number of local old motors organisations. He sits on the committee of the Valletta Grand Prix Foundation, as well as that of the Jaguar Owners Club. He is also actively involved with the Old Motors Club, where he frequently participates in various events.
www.oldmotorsclub.com