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Crushed by the council: the
£30,000 classic car that was parked legally
London
Evening Standard
Thursday April 12, 2007
It was Mendoza Stewart's pride and joy. A 1972 hand-crafted Bristol
411 - one of only 287 ever made and worth £30,000.
But the vehicle's status as a classic car was apparently lost on
parking officials at Lambeth Council in South London.
Despite it being legally parked, they towed it away and crushed
it.
Mr Stewart, a 51-year-old music producer, is devastated by the
loss of his rare car and has not yet received any compensation despite
the council admitting it was in the wrong.
"It was a very special car that I bought in 1984 after a long
search,' he said. 'I found it with a dealer in Wimbledon. It is
unlikely I shall find another."
Mr Stewart, who lives in Kennington, South London, parked the car
in a council-run car park near his son's flat in nearby Camberwell.
But when he returned it was missing.
"I was horrified," he said. "I thought it had been
stolen and went to the police. They were unable to find it but after
investigating discovered that Lambeth had taken it away.
"Someone who spotted my car arriving at the pound said that
within minutes they had used a mechanical grab to pick it up by
the roof instead of carefully lifting it down.
"By then it was all over. It was utterly wrecked before I
had a chance to retrieve it. I have not seen it since. They cannot
explain why they took away what is obviously a special, rare car."
The aluminium-bodied vehicle, built by British manufacturer Bristol
Cars, was in good condition and was exempt from road tax because
of its status as a classic car.
Mr Stewart, who insists a special "nil payment" disc
was clearly displayed in the windscreen, took legal action against
the council after the incident in December 2004.
But more than two years on, despite the council admitting liability,
he has still not received a penny - and he has been reduced to driving
an ageing van instead of his treasured Bristol.
"I cannot believe it has taken so long," said Mr Stewart.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency confirmed Mr Stewart's Bristol
would have been a classic car because of its age and not subject
to road tax.
A Lambeth spokesman said: "Solicitors acting for Lambeth council
have accepted breach of duty on behalf of their client. The council
apologises to Mr Stewart.
"As the matter is currently being litigated, we cannot comment
further at this time but we are working hard to resolve this case
as soon as possible."
Bristol Cars has made hand-built luxury cars at Filton, Bristol,
since 1945. The 411 was produced between 1968 and 1976 and only
287 were made. In 1972 its showroom price was just under £7,000.
Its Chrysler V8 engine made it the fastest four-seater car of its
time, capable of accelerating from 0-60 in seven seconds and a top
speed of 143mph.
The company, which has a showroom in Kensington, West London, deals
direct with the public and has no distributors or dealerships. It
boasts of being the last wholly British-owned luxury car builder.
Originally an aircraft manufacturer, Bristol began making cars
after World War II when the company found it had a surplus of skilled
workers with nothing to build.
The original designs were modified from those acquired from the
BMW factory in Munich as part of war reparations paid to Britain
by Germany.
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