Spiridione Deguara (Spiro) developed an interest in classic cars in his early teens. This came about as as he decided to join his uncle’s business in Msida as a panel beater.

“I joined him when I was just 14, learning the trade from scratch, and stayed there for 15 years. I then set up my own panel beating business in Santa Venera, where I have been working for the past 35 years,’’ Deguara said.

“During this lengthy period, I developed a keen interest in old cars, being intrinsically involved either in their restoration, which gave me great satisfaction, or the other extreme, dismantling them for required parts, which saddened me,’’ he explained.

He said that in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a roaring local and overseas demand for spare parts of all kinds and shapes, thus sounding the death knell for many old cars. People wanted the new, modern and attractive models and, seduced by slick advertising and the perceived need to keep up with the Joneses, waved farewell to their trusted but now tired old-timers.

Throughout this lengthy period of close encounters with classic cars, Deguara handled dozens of old vehicles from different brands. The list is long and never-ending – Fiats, Minis, Hillmans, Fords, MGs, Triumphs. Many a time, a strong temptation came over Deguara – especially as he was working on Hillman vehicles – to buy a classic car for himself and realise a lifelong dream. Only one thing kept him back: he had no garage space for it.

However, close to reaching 60, the jigsaw started falling into place. For some time now, he had been joking with a client who used to bring his old Hillman for service at his garage, that one day he would buy this classic car from him.

He bought two other Minxes to cannibalise for spare parts. The packing, tyres and red upholstery were sourced from overseas

“Six years ago, the owner had suddenly offered to sell the 1951 Hillman Minx Mark V 1200cc model to me,’’ said Deguara, who then rented a garage to start a restoration project on it.

The body was in a good shape, but most of the other components – engine, differential, upholstery and wheels – had been replaced.

He bought two other Minxes to cannibalise for spare parts. The packing, tyres and red upholstery were sourced from overseas. The bumpers were also chromed abroad, but luckily the original grille was untouched by time, wear and tear. Finally, the four-door saloon was resprayed in the original black colour.

The Hillman Minx was a series of middle-sized family cars produced by the UK Rootes Group from 1932 to 1970. The Mark I to Mark VIII spanned 12 years and differed from the pre-war models by the introduction of a protruding boot which replaced the flat back look, as well as by a much more modern looking body.

In his search for spare parts from abroad, Deguara was helped by his daughter Svetlana, who while surfing the internet for some chrome parts, came across a 1961 Hillman Minx Series III convertible. She immediately fell in love with it and left no stone unturned until she persuaded her father to buy it.

“It was a shot in the dark, because although the old vehicle looked fine on screen, I could not go to Yorkshire to see it,” he said.

“I had to trust the owner, who described the vehicle as being in good but not perfect condition. The Englishman was a real gentleman and we found the car as described.”

In fact, Deguara did nothing to the red-coloured Minx, except for patching a small tear on the front seat.

When in the mid-1950s Rootes involved the design company of Raymond Loewing – that had been involved in the drafting of the Studebaker coupe – the Minx underwent a significant facelift. There was a new engine with valves, the body became elongated with finned-end tails, while the models changed their identity from Mark to Series.

If his daughter was responsible for Deguara’s second classic purchase, then his wife Mary was instrumental in his third. Assisting an elderly couple on a regular basis, she was asked by the woman to find a buyer for her husband’s car, as he was no longer able to drive it.

“It was a 1958 Wolseley 15/60. The owner used to take it out on weekends until he was too old to drive anymore. Still in impeccable condition, the two-tone, beige body with light brown sides needed no touching up, except for an original low-set replacement tyres.”

He now has two big garages for his three classic cars, as well as for another three Hillman vehicles awaiting restoration – a 1955 Hillman Minx station wagon, a 1956 Hillman Minx Mark VI and a 1963 Hillman Hunter Sceptre.

“Now it is more a question of time than space,” Deguara said, who is still very busy with his panel beating business, in which he has been joined by his son Malcolm.

It is not an unusual sight to see the Deguaras on a Sunday with Spiro, Mary and younger daughter Vanessa driving around in the Wolseley in front of Svetlana in the Hillman Minx convertible, and Malcolm making up the rear of this classic car trio in his 1962 Ford Anglia 105E, which he has restored himself.

Deguara points out that the significant interest in old motors can be gauged from the fact that today, not only have old cars disappeared from scrap heaps, but also it is nearly impossible to find any original spare parts for old motors locally. While it is time consuming to source items from abroad, he considers this to be a good omen for the future of classic cars in Malta.

www.oldmotorsclub.com

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