Young classic enthusiasts: Molly… and Buttercup

The classic vehicle scene can have a bit of a stuffy image; old cars with old owners. But there is plenty of young blood, keeping the industry from becoming antiquated. We at Footman James want to highlight some of the new breed of classic vehicle enthusiasts, and we start with a regular to our Coffee & Chrome Collective meets, Molly.

Always one of the first to arrive, and a regular at both Footman James and other meets across the country, Molly Burton has a Morris Minor that she takes to events. Oh, and she has a distinctive pet who comes along with her. We’ve asked Molly a few questions to find out more.

How did you get into classics?

When I was around the age of 4, I remember my dad asking my sister and I how we would feel if we got a Morris Minor. My sister and I both jumped in the air, shouting ‘yes’ with joy… however at this point we didn’t actually know what a Morris Minor was.

We loved going out in ‘Moggy’ to shows, and I’d try and help out by handing the tools to dad. As I started to get a bit older, I wanted to get involved more with classic cars, so dad bought us a Morris Minor – ‘Elsie’ – to work on.

What do you love most about owning a classic?

The thing I love most about owning a Morris Minor is that if (and when) we break down, the majority of the time we are able to work out the issue, and sometimes were even able to sort it out as we always carry spares of certain parts.

 

What classics have you owned over the years?

I have a 1955 4-door split screen saloon Morris Minor. Her name is Elsie and is Clarendon grey in colour; we bought her in 2018.

Why did you choose the Morris Minor that you own now, and what do you love about it the most?

My dad put the idea into my head that we could get a Morris Minor that needs a bit of work doing to it so that I could work on her and make her road worthy for when I passed my test.

A lot of the work that I did on Elsie was painting. I striped down the underneath of her as well as inside her cab, applied rust treatment and began painting. Seeing the progression of what I have completed is what I love most about working on classic cars.

Do you have a favourite memory of your classic?

My favourite memory of a classic car would be the time my dad, sister and I went to Much Wenlock in Dad’s maroon B Traveller called ‘Moggy’ with the ‘Moggy Roger’. The Moggy Roger is the baby caravan that now matches Moggy, however, back in 2009 when the Moggy Roger interior had been completed, she didn’t look much like a caravan from the outside. We took her out for a trial run.

Once we all got snuggled up in bed, the heavens opened and it threw it down, and just minutes into the storm the front window began to leak quite badly. So, we had to shuffle around to find the toilet roll in order to soak up the little river of water entering the caravan. But it’s safe to say now that there are no more leaky windows and Moggy and the Moggy Roger work well together going to different shows as well as camping.

Do you have a dream car or bike that you’d love to own?

My dream car that I’d love to own is a Land Rover Defender. My boyfriend owns a Defender 90, called Winnie, that I love to help out with, such as changing the wheel bearing and giving her a full service.

Have you done any fun road trips or taken your classic abroad? Where is your favourite place to drive?

Due to my driving test being delayed by 4 months because of the driving test strikes and the price of insurance, I have not yet been able to take Elsie out for a drive yet even though she is road worthy now. However, my dad has taken me out in Elsie to a few car shows such as Coffee & Chrome. I would love to drive Elsie to Wales and drive through the hills.

What events do you love to attend and why?

I like going to Coffee & Chrome because there’s a wide range of vehicles that arrive, and I find it fascinating seeing how each one varies. I also like going to steam rallies, where I can see various classic cars, tractors and steam engines, such as Welland and St Mawgan steam rallies.

And finally, what about Buttercup?

Buttercup is a Pekin Bantam hen and is currently 7 years old (very old). I’ve owned her since she was only a few weeks old. Buttercup used to live with three other hens, however, over time she’s become on her own.

As chickens don’t live well on their own, she lives mainly indoors with me but has a walk-in run outside too. She’s spoilt rotten! She has a crate under my desk in my room where she sleeps with access to lots of treats. She comes on holiday with us all, as well as to cars shows, loves inspecting the classic cars, and she sometimes helps me work on Elsie.