Description
When we purchased this car 22 years ago it was in pretty original and in running, driving condition. We used it for a number of years as summer use only and then decided it really needed some restoration work (completed 2018). The remit was to keep it as 'original as possible' and to that end it still has it's original roof paint, although the rest has been painted and all structural areas completely rebuilt, bright-work re-furbished and some odd bits of trim replaced as required. It has no rust what so ever and has been back to summer use/ spending it's winters in an Air chamber (could come with car, if required, not included in sale so by separate negotiation) for the last few years. It's not "perfect condition" like a full 'nut and bolt' resto, it is as 'original' as possible and capable of being used without anyone needing to be too worried about damaging it, which is what we wanted. It wouldn't be out of place at a car show but it's not 'concours' or anything. Of course the work done has given it years of relatively trouble free use to any new owner. It has done an genuine 82, 000 miles in total, it is running it's original 1600cc engine and 4 speed manual gearbox (straight gear-lever with syncro 1st and 2nd much better to drive). It has a stainless exhaust, so no worries there. As part of it's restoration it got a new clutch, dynamo, starter, brakes, tyres, battery, carb re-build, water pump, re-cored radiator, to mention just a few things. We have MOT'd it every year, I don't really believe in this 'MOT exempt' business and prefer someone else to check it and verify it is all safe and everything up to date. We have now become the longest owning owners of this car, with the first owner having it for 18 years. It's been a 'loved' car all it's life and was supplied as new to this owner, a retired gentleman form Wales who treated it like a classic, even then and documented every journey, gallon of petrol and so on, so between what he did and what everyone else has kept, it has a' large' documented history file. When he could not longer drive it, he passed it to his family, they used it for a few years and then it was sold on the open market, of course it wasn't really anything unusual then, 20 year old car (now 58 Yrs young), not even half it's lifespan. It had a couple of owners over the next ten years or so. During this time it made it's way with one to Scotland where we purchased it, that was in 1997 and we have more or less had it since then. You may gather this is not all the story but there really isn't space/ time to read it all on here. It's a joy to own, I have lost count of how many people have remarked how nice and unusual it is to see one nowodays and they remember someone in their family having a Gazelle back in the day, everyone seems to remember them with fondness and that enhances the ownership experience. For me it takes me back to when I first started driving, nice simple mechanicals, no electronics, plenty access to work on components and still plenty availability of spares, it's a pleasure to own and a reluctant sale as we really need the space. Looking for £9, 000. 00.
