Angus man reunites with family’s 95-year-old car after it was sold 64 years ago

By Amie Flett

October 30 2022, 10:42am

Paul and his kids with the car. Image: Paul Reid.

An Angus man has been reunited with his family’s 95-year-old Lagonda after it was sold 64 years ago.

Phil Barnett’s great grandad, Sydney Burnett, bought the Lagonda 14/60 in 1927, to be used on his farm in Arbroath.

The car was then passed on to Phil’s grandad, Walter Burnett, and was used daily until Sydney sold the car to another farmer in Tealing for £25 in 1958, without his son’s knowledge.

Phil's grandfather, Walter Burnett, as a young boy and his aunt with the Lagonda in the 1930s. — Phil’s grandfather, Walter Burnett, as a young boy and his aunt with the Lagonda in the 1930s.

Devastated by the loss, Walter had made it his life’s mission to get the car back.

Throughout the years, Walter followed the movement of the car but never had the opportunity to buy it back and eventually lost track of it.

Phil, 35, finally managed to purchase the car, but four years after his grandfather died.

‘My grandad loved the car’

Phil, who lives in Lunan Bay, recalled his grandad talking fondly of the car throughout his childhood.

“My grandad loved the car, he still had all the documentation for it,” Phil said.

“It was basically used on the farm as a second tractor – they used to call it old Kirsty.

“When my great grandad sold it without my grandad knowing, he was furious.

“He spoke about it all the time, there was always a story that related back to the car.”

As the years went on, Phil’s grandad developed dementia and was moved into a care home until he died aged 93 in 2018.

Phil Barnett and his children Bravely, 10, and Gregor, 7, with their 95-year-old Lagonda 14/60 at the graves at Arbroath's Western Cemetry. — Phil Barnett and his children Bravely, 10, and Gregor, 7, with their 95-year-old Lagonda 14/60 at the graves at Arbroath’s Western Cemetry. Image: Paul Reid.

“Before he passed away my grandad was in a home with dementia and would only speak about the car even though he struggled to talk about what happened the day before,” Phil said.

“Grandad had lost contact with owners years ago but I managed to contact someone from the Longonda firm who put me in touch with the new owner so when I would visit my grandad I could bring updates of the car and tell him what it was being used for.”

Phil's granny Connie Burnett driving in the Lagonda in the early 1950s with Phil's grandad Walter Burnett in the passenger seat and his Auntie Jean in the back. — Phil’s granny Connie Burnett driving in the Lagonda in the early 1950s with Phil’s grandad Walter Burnett in the passenger seat and his Auntie Jean in the back.

Now, Phil has managed to purchase the beloved vehicle and bring it back into the family.

He said: “The previous owner was 81 and was getting a wee bit too old to run the car.

“He kindly gave it to me for a good price because he said he wanted to see it come home.”

Getting Lagonda back ‘a dream’ for family

Although it’s four years too late, Phil says he knows his grandad would be absolutely delighted to have the car back in the family.

He said: “It was his dream to get it back – which is what we’ve done.

“It was an amazing feeling, quite emotional too.

The interior of the 95-year-old Lagonda. Image: Paul Reid.

“I’d always kind of dreamed of seeing it too, I could write a book now about all the different stories of the car and what it was used for.

“Its probably been away longer now than we had it.”

Phil decided to take the car to Arbroath Western Cemetery, where his great grandad and grandad are buried, to reunite them with the car on the anniversary of his grandad’s death.

Phil said: “Sunday marked four years since my grandad passed away and I wanted to get a picture of the car next to his gravestone to commemorate the anniversary.

“I’m hoping to keep it in the family now, I have two kids who I’ll be passing it to.”