“I CAME out of the Army in 1965 and started work as head chef at the Heather Brae hotel and my mother went halves with me in buying a car, a Ford Anglia 105e. The first car I could call my very own was a Honda 800 coupe which I bought from Tom Cowie’s garage in Sunderland in 1967.
It was one of the first in the North-East and I believe that shortly after this Cowie’s had to decide whether to stay with Honda or BMC and they chose the latter, so I had to go to Morpeth for servicing at Robinsons who used to race a similar car.
Ted with his Range Rover Sport
When I went to collect the car my girlfriend took a day off school and came with me. We married in 1972 and she is still putting up with me 43 years later. The same year, a pal of mine and I went on holiday to Spain in it. It was admired everywhere we went. I don’t know how many were built but they were a rare breed.
I eventually sold it to Neasham’s garage in Darlington. I remember that they employed quite a few of the football team as salesmen and they were lined up to drive it round the block. I wish I still had it. I traded it in for a NSU 110 and stayed with the make for a lot of years. They were very economical to run.
I have some photos of it from the day we picked it up and from Spain. I now drive a Range Rover Sport as I have a caravan and need a 4x4 for the weather we get.”
Ted Hoyle's motoring memories.
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