LLG 999T had an inauspicious start, suffering from an accident on its pre-delivery test drive, the damage being repaired for her first owner. Dad kept the Royale until mid-1985, by which time it had completed more than 80,0 miles. It was sold to a local garage and changed hands twice more before I came across it in 1994, completely by chance, parked outside the owner’s house. The car was duly purchased for £401) and was driven down to Hertfordshire on its three remaining operable cylinders.
It was clear that it would not pass its next MoT test without major work. With few models remaining and spare parts becoming a problem, it was laid up until 1998, when a similar car of the same age and colour that could provide the necessary spares was purchased. Both were despatched to a specialist for a full restoration.
The Vauxhall emerged in 2000 and was then used sparingly until 2004, when further work brought it up to its present condition.
Just one comment intrigued me in Martin’s article: “I could never understand why anyone would buy one.” Dad’s car of choice had always been a six-cylinder Vauxhall and, beyond that, he had two requirements. One was that it should have folding rear seats so that his son’s bike could be dropped off at the bus stop each morning and, secondly, that it had enough rowing rapacity to pull a horsebox. In the Worth family, it was-and still is – the perfect car.
