A MOTORING marvel at a Stratford care home is all geared up to take a cruise down memory lane.
The team at Ambleside on Evesham Road is helping make 87-year-old resident John Bacchus’ wish to get behind the wheel again come true on Saturday June 1.
And they are calling on the community to get involved too.
A fleet of 15 cars from 1930 to 2000 will be pulling up outside the home, between 2pm and 4pm, provided by Arden MG Club. Guests and residents can admire the craftsmanship, as well as share stories of their own memories with the classic cars.
Growing up with cars, John’s father was in the motor trade industry, managing a group of showrooms in North Wales, which sold Hillmans. John’s first car was a half share in an Austin 7, before later getting his first “proper car”, a 22 Bentley Gurney Nutting. During World War Two, he loved driving his Rolls-Royce into Europe and spent a lot of time in Brittany, France.
John said: “When I used to pull up at hotels in my Rolls-Royce, people assumed that I was an English Lord and the staff used to bow as I went towards the hotel entrance.”
John’s career began at Ford as part of the team that brought out the original Transit van. He then went on to become product planning director for Austin Morris in the ‘small car’ division at British Leyland, which eventually became Rover Group.
John was responsible for bringing the MGB GT V8 into production and he designed the radiator grill, the Wolseley 2200, and the Austin-Morris Princess. In 1979 John became part of the Rover Group and Honda collaboration, which resulted in the Triumph Acclaim and the Rover 200, 400, 600, and 8000.
John added: “I’m very much looking forward to the day and talking to the owners about the fantastic engineering of days gone by.”
