A 1972 Toyota Crown 2600 Automatic De Luxe saloon has been returned to roadworthy condition following more than 25 years in storage.
The rare saloon was sold to Percy Cole nine 1972 and enjoyed a leisurely life cruising around the Surrey Hills, though never at more than 30mph – the original dealership’s ‘running in’ sticker providing the perfect excuse for driving slowly. The car lived a pampered existence during Percy Cole’s lifetime and was run by his son for a decade after his death, but it was eventually consigned to long-term storage, where it remained until October 2016.
The Crown was eventually disinterred by the family, who attempted to recommission the car prior to its sale, but a hefty MoT failure sheet proved an insurmountable stumbling block. However, it’s fortunes changed once it was spotted by Robin Shepherd, who approached the family and bought the car, having passed it during his daily commute. Shepherd quickly addressed the litany of repairs, which included blow bulbs, binding brakes and a holed exhaust and returned it to the road.
Remarkably, it transpired that Shepherd’s good friend Nick Garrick was the grandson of the original owner. Garrick was reunited with the car on the 45th anniversary of its first registration, when it became the subject of a photoshoot for Toyota GB.
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