“A five-month deadline is super fast for a restoration project,” says Mark Singleton, “which is one of the reasons why we’re hiring additional staff to give the project the attention it will need.

Will BEM meet the June deadline? “Yes, we will,” says Singleton. “We’re so certain we will that we’ve decided we’ll feature the car’s restoration process on our web site. Look for progress reports beginning in February.” (BritishEuropean.com)

The Le Mans race has had a vintage car component for 10 years, but only decided in 2002 to allow older cars to compete in its famous 24-hour circuit. This year, 300 classic cars are expected to be on hand.

Aside from the inspiration of watching venerable cars toughing it out on one of the world’s most prestigious circuits, the old car race is expected to be a big social event – organizers are quite aware that people who can restore classic cars to racing condition are often notable movers and shakers.

Off to Le Mans:Triumph TR-2

left to right; arrival at BEM, off with the body to check frame alignment, running gear and engine condition