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Press, 30 January 1981, Page 2

An immaculate 1926 Model T Ford is just the car for getting about town, according to its owner for the last 51 years, Mr Harry Close (right), of Christchurch, who kept a friendly eye on Mr Ron Payton as he gave the car its regular service yesterday. Mr Payton has serviced the vintage car for more

than 30 years and before that, when he was doing his apprenticeship. his employer looked after it, too. Mr Close, aged 76, bought the car secondhand for £l2O in 1929, when Fords were the commonest cars on the road, and has not brought another since. The old car has never

been out of Canterbury since Mr Close bought it and, because it only travels about 400 kilometres each year, is in excellent condition. It still sports the original leather seats, has no speedometre or petrol gauge, and has the same colour scheme, although it was repainted about 20 years ago. Mr Close said that he

had had several offerts to buy the car in the last few years, including one from an American buyer, but he does not want to sell it at any price. “I didn’t want any pub-licity,”-he said. “I won’t be able to leave the telephone for a week pfter you put that in the paper,” he said.