The Sparkford car used to be Mick Leeson's old car, RAA. Yes it was a coal scuttle 175. They bought a sort of metallic red Trojan? from the owner of an Ice Cream (Italian) business over on the Isle of Thanet. Masseralli, or something along those lines, as well. Nice guy. It was a good looking car but not 100% original.
Now I thought that the Leeson car was sold, got split from its correct engine and generally mucked about in the shuffle. So if it is still in Sparkford, and unmolested, I would be a happy chappy, as that car was very important for the Treinkel movement in the early days. It set a standard of presentation and use that encouraged others to equal. He was a big loss to the whole scene when he died, more years ago than I care to remember. He was a person that made things happen and motivated others to do things. I felt him looking over my shoulder, last weekend, at the disproportionately long line of Treinkels, compared to the more common marques. He would have loved that. And it is down to him, in part, that they were there in numbers, in use. More than that, Mick was one of my best friends in Microcars, so its also personal.
Mick's low mileage KR200 is owned by the MOC. Mick's daily KR200 is still owned by another best mate, Fletch. I still own a Mick KR. Such are the things we build, and bought well, to outlive us, sometimes owned jealously because of their history if for no other reason.
