How it all started

In mid-1959, we decided to spend a precious few hundred pounds on the purchase of a kit car.
Although our car at the time was a 1938 MG TB, we were not involved in trials, hill-climbing and the like and used it only for social and commuting activities.
The MG had, however, developed a crack between the valve seats in one cylinder and in view of its age and the real possibility of further problems plus our need to have a car that met our reliability, comfort, sportiness and, very importantly, our economic requirements, we decided to purchase a FAIRTHORPE Electron Minor 1.
For readers who are unfamiliar with the then current tax system, Purchase Tax (the forerunner of VAT) was not charged - in our case, a major factor - if the assembly of the car was carried out by the purchaser. The basic cost of the kit was £503 but if bought assembled, the cost rose to £713 14s 2d or £713.71!
After delivery (costing just over £10!) in a BR road/rail container to a local pub that had a large lock-up garage for hire, we set to work and, with the occasional assistance of my father-in-law, had the car on the road in just over a month of evenings and weekends.
Digital cameras were still many years away in 1959 and although we had a 35mm Kodak Retina 1A (another blast from the past), we did not find the time to take photos - much to our later regret.
The earliest photos we have were taken in 1961 when the car was nearly two years old. Two major modifications had been carried out by then and these can be seen in the photos that follow.