“You should really consider a Vauxhall 30-98 instead of the Bentley. It’s a brilliant car and will do everything you want.”

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Chip Wright, who is well known to us at PreWarCar.com, tells us about his search for the ‘right’ car, his experience with purchasing and transporting it and doing, as he puts it, “the first loops around my neighbourhood with its six stop signs, numerous autos and kids on bikes” in his newly acquired Vauxhall 30-98.

It’s been an interesting journey… I am an avid reader of PreWarCar.com and check it just about every day to see what new and exciting cars are available around the world. It’s always a treat and I’ve learned a lot over many years of watching and, once in a while, purchasing some treasure on the site. I’ve also sold a few cars there as well and have always appreciated the service they provide to such a wide-ranging audience.

In September 2019, after a trip to the Goodwood Revival, I started looking for a car to tour with but also to circuit race and hill climb with here in the States. My first thought was to find a mechanically great but a slightly scruffy Bentley 3-litre. For several months I scoured the pages of PreWarCar.com to see if there was anything suitable that was the ‘right’ car. I called on several but none really suited my criteria for purchase.

A Vauxhall 30-98 instead of a Bentley

I then spied a car that a friend of mine had talked about for many years. He had always said: 'You should really consider a Vauxhall 30-98 instead of the Bentley. It’s a brilliant car and will do everything you want.' The added bonus to all this is the fact that there are very few Vauxhall 30-98s in the States and it might help with invitations to some exciting events. I started doing some research and in doing so forged a relationship with a very knowledgeable gent in the UK. We sent messages back and forth and had several Facetime calls, which allowed me to get a better feel for what I might find in a Vauxhall. He made several suggestions and thought that a 23-60 Vauxhall with an upgraded motor might be a good car. He said I could save a few quid as the upgraded 23-60s were not quite as desirable as the 30-98 but would perform in a very similar fashion. With this information in mind, I saw several cars that were quite nice but just didn’t ‘feel’ right. I joined a group on Facebook devoted to the 30-98 Vauxhalls and soon became intrigued by the cars and the mystique that went with them. The stories, technical advice and stunning photos of cars both in period and in current use made my desire to own one grow. Encouraged by several members of the group, and a perusal of the Vauxhall 30-98 registry website, the tipping point had at last been reached and I had made up my mind.

Beginning in about October of the ‘lost year’ I found a couple of cars but not the one. The search continued in to April of this year, when I found what was to be the right car on PreWarCar.com. I made an enquiry from the ad and was greeted by a delightful owner and a stunning car. As it turned out the owner was a former Christie’s car guru and well respected in the industry. He is also quite the fettler of all cars old and really knows his stuff when it comes to fine vintage automobiles. He sent me some additional photos and quite a lot of history on the car, which included stints at Brooklands, Prescott, Shelsley Walsh and other venues in period. It had also been campaigned after the war by several owners and had quite a successful career with the VSCC during its lifetime. As an old car nutter and history buff, the 'Siren’s Song' was overwhelming and I decided to purchase the car.

Making arrangements

The following months consisted of making arrangements with the shipper, the former owner and the receiving company in the States to bring the car here. This included an Export Licence from the government in the UK to make sure I was not trying to strip the British people of some sort of national treasure. After a number of weeks it was determined that, in fact, the car was not a national treasure and could be sold abroad. I was thrilled that we were all set. Now came the arrangements for delivery to the shipper, transport company, packers and shipping line to get the car here. I chose a very reputable company to handle both sides of the passage, one to ship and one to receive. It couldn’t have been easier. They are the consummate professionals and it went as smooth as silk.

Once the car had arrived at Port Everglades in Miami I sent a friend in the tow truck business to collect it for me. The staff at the shipper’s warehouse couldn't have been more helpful in unpacking and helping to load the car aboard the flatbed. And so off she went from Miami to my home on the west coast of Florida.

Familiarising myself with the old beast

On arrival at my home the driver and I made short work of unloading the car directly to the garage. Once there I began familiarising myself with the old beast. As we had dinner plans for the evening the starting and driving procedures would have to wait.

Up bright and early the next morning, I was in the garage and ready to begin the process of learning about the car. The former owner had sent some instructions on the starting procedure but, following them as they were written, the old car just wouldn’t start. Total dejection on my part. I did a FaceTime call to the former owner and he had left out one small but immensely important detail — the magneto switch needed to be engaged to get it to start. While on the phone with him we went through the operation and on the first touch of the starter button it sprung to life. Success! I thanked him and told him how impressed I was with the car and how pleased I was with the whole transaction. I believe I now have another new friend in the UK.

Be patient, think through every procedure and concentrate

Once running it was time to give it a go. I thought to myself 'How hard can this be?' I know how to double clutch a car and shift. I can use a handbrake and I fully understand the advance/retard lever on the steering wheel. I’ve owned an Amilcar CGSs with a centre throttle as well. No problems ... Hahaha ... I hadn’t noticed that the shift pattern was the complete opposite from all the other cars and that the effort required to shift and double clutch a car with a transmission stop in it and then stop it fully on a handbrake requires a lot of thought! My concentration level was not initially up to what it needed to be on the primary go and I quickly discovered that, no matter how hard I tried shifting from second to third gear, it was not going to work as long as I continued to think first gear was third gear. Driving the car requires intense concentration particularly as there is no easy way to shift it — you have to move from your comfortable driving position to a shifting position and that requires the equivalent of doing sit-ups. In addition, delicately double tapping the clutch only partway down to avoid that terrible grinding noise a poorly shifted transmission makes became disheartening. After making several loops around the neighbourhood, with its six stop signs, numerous autos and kids on bikes just waiting for me to hit them, it started to come to me: be patient, think through every procedure and concentrate. I've now done a total of 35 miles around my six stop, two and a half mile training drives and I’m feeling a little better. I don’t think I’m ready for high density traffic quite yet but I am confident I will get there. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and this one is monumental. I’m loving every minute of it!

We would very much like to thank Chip for sharing his story. Would you like to tell us about your experience in purchasing via PreWarCar.com or PostWarClassic.com? Send us an e-mail.

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