When Joe Camilleri’s wife Jeanette casually mentioned that an MGB Convertible was her dream car, little did she know how seriously he would take her statement. The penny only dropped when her 50th birthday dawned with a lovely surprise. Ramona Depares finds out.

From the very beginning, fate had cars in store for Joe Camilleri. His grandfather was one of the very first licensed drivers in Malta and he transmitted this love to Joe’s father. It was a foregone conclusion that Joe himself would be raised to love cars.

“My father had beautiful cars and took very good care of them. My two favourites were the Willys-Knight and the Humber Hawk. From an early age I started taking in interest not just in the mechanical aspect but also in the driving: I used to race in the era of the British Forces and I even took part in the first pursuit in Ta’ Qali and assorted rallies, treasure hunts and hill-climbs. I’ve never really stopped enjoying cars,” he said.

And it was this passion that led him to make his wife Jeanette’s dream – that of owning an MGB convertible – reality, just in time to celebrate her 50th birthday in style. Although Camilleri’s personal choice for a dream car would always be the E-type Jaguar, something about his wife’s admiration for the MGB convinced him.

“I’ve always liked the little car. Of course, there was no question at all but that it had to be a convertible. This was part of what made it a dream car, after all. When I found the right car on the internet I was overjoyed.”

Although the MGB in question was still on the road, it was in need of restoration. From outside the car looked reasonable enough – but closer inspection of its interior revealed that it was suffering from a bad case of rusting, all thanks to constant exposure to the English roads.

“Luckily I had already dabbled in restoration. Twenty years ago, restoring cars was partly a hobby and partly work for me, but the restorations I carried out in those days were minor works and not to the full extent that were needed on the MGB. This was definitely an ambitious project!”

Ambitious or not, Camilleri was determined to get his wife the perfect gift. One year and three months later – with some eight hours a week of straight work – the gift was ready.

But before work could start, the treasure hunt for all the parts, nuts and bolts kicked off. Luckily, almost everything was available from England. And what was not available or was out of stock, Camilleri manufactured himself. Some of the smaller parts ordered from England were sent down by post, but the majority was brought back in the family campervan.

“That was quite an adventure. I actually enjoyed the long drive and we turned it into an opportunity to have a bit of a holiday in England. We were equally happy choosing the parts and making new friends. I guess some would consider this a hassle, but we really enjoyed it.”

Back in Malta, Camilleri had to dismantle everything down to the bare body, placing the whole body on a rotating jig that he built himself so that the car could be cleaned by burning all the old underseal off. The car was then taken for sandblasting to clean off all the rust.

“The next step was changing of all panels, including floor panels and running boards. When panel beating was ready, it was again taken for sandblasting and then galvanizing. The next stage was spray painting, which was sprayed from bare metal to the nice finish that it has now. Then it was time to start fitting brand new mechanical and electrical parts. This done, the car was put on wheels and lowered to the floor again. The next step was putting the doors, bonnet, luggage boot, chrome and interior in place,” he said.

The last thing to go in was the re-conditioned and beautifully sprayed engine, which had already been bench-tested for a couple of hours; and the car was ready for its first test drive. Surprisingly after this first drive, Camilleri found that there were only a few minor setting changes that were needed.

However, Camilleri does not use the car every day. “The car never gets wet. We just take it out on a nice Sunday drive any time or day that the weather and commitments permit,” Camilleri said.

His wife wouldn’t have the heart to ruin it after all the hard work that went into restoring it. “It would break my heart to have someone scratch or damage it while I’m doing something as mundane as the grocery shopping!,” she said.

The MGB restoration seemed to act as an inspiration and now Joe is also in the process of restoring a mini. He explains that he always loved the brand and one of his dreams was to restore a nice Mini Cooper to be able to participate in the Historical Grand Prix.

“I found this old Austin 850, which I was told, by the previous owner, was in the first consignment that had come to Malta. I was advised by the people that supplied me with the parts from England that the car is very rare and it would be a sin to make it a Cooper instead of restoring it to its original state. Because all parts are new, including suspensions, steering rack, all rubbers, springs, etc. the car has a very comfortable, quiet drive. It looks like a toy and is a joy to drive,” he explained.

This passion for cars seems to have also been inherited by the couple’s son Dane. Although not as “obsessed” as his father, the young boy is already showing signs of being very mechanically-minded and is always eager to help – particularly when it comes to pulling things apart!

“Dane loves modern sports cars, particularly convertibles, but once he saw the Mini taking shape he became very excited. Even though he is still too young to drive it he is now very proud that the Mini is ‘his’. His name is on the car and he even has a Heritage Certificate from England in his name,” Camilleri said.

Of course, neither the Mini restoration and much less the MGB came cheap. Camilleri admits ruefully that he could have done a cheaper job.

“Jeanette was very sure about what she wanted in the end too... convertible, British Racing Green, polished wood dashboard, light beige interior, wire wheels and a picnic basket on the back! I bought the car for a good price so I didn’t mind how much I had to spent to make it safe and to bring it back to its original condition – though not its original colour, which was Flamenco Red. Being Jeanette’s 50th birthday present I didn’t want to spared no expense!

“The car not only has the looks, but drives beautifully, sounds nice and feels as if it is a new car. It is not only Jeanette who enjoys driving it now We’ve been offered very good sums for the car, but it is not for sale,” he concluded.

What Jeanette has to say about her husband’s gift

“Although I can appreciate cars, my ‘passion’ is limited. But I have to admit to a weakness for convertibles from the late 60s and early 70s... they are so elegant!

“The MGB is really my dream car. I’ve always pictured myself with a white scarf, big sunglasses and glossy red lips, settled into a British Racing Green MGB (convertible, of course). I am not sure where the image came from. I think there is something terribly glamorous about it.

“When I saw what Joe had done to this MGB I thought it’s nothing short of fantastic! I always felt guilty when I’d see him surrounded by fumes, dust and smoke hour after hour (while I choked in minutes). I don’t know how many times he rubbed down each panel to make sure each and every one was spot on. I used to get frustrated just watching.

“The result speaks for itself though. The car is everything I imagined and I adore it! It is immaculate inside and out. But what you don’t know is that the underneath is just as perfect and shiny and clean as the outside. You could literally eat off it!

“I have to say that it was an experience in itself to see Joe on the internet for the first time ever; he only did it so he could find the right MGB.

“How was I to know he was serious? After all, the MGB was my dream car not Joe’s. Admittedly, whenever we saw a classic car on the road, I’d usually say that an MG would really suit me, but it was just an off-hand comment, never to be taken seriously... and we never discussed it. Then, “bang”, Joe just goes and orders one off the Internet, a sight unseen. And what’s more, he promises to have it fully restored in time for my 50th birthday. Gob-smacked is an understatement!

“I don’t think it really hit me until I was driving the car home from the port. I felt so excited but guilty at the same time – it was so much work and such an expense. This mixed feeling lasted right throughout the restoration process.

Now I’m living the dream. Although it’s ‘mine’, I must admit I’m happy to share. After his generosity and all his hard work, Joe deserves some of the pleasure too. I love to drive the car, but I get as much pleasure from seeing Joe enjoy it too. If we’re together, usually I drive one way and he’ll drive home. I also enjoy preparing to drive the car; after all I do need my white scarf, big sunglasses and glossy red lips!”