BOY’S TOY

In a corner of Valley Gas Speed Shop sat a charming little Ford Model B, tucked away in the corner. At first glimpse it seemed to share more characteristics with a Bentley or an old Austin, with its knock-off wire wheels, Union flags and maroon paintwork, and it stood out among proprietor Jimmy Hibberd’s backdrop of muscle cars and pick-ups. ‘Apparently it used to belong to some General and his wife, who was a famous writer,’ said Hibberd, as I peered under the bonnet to see an immaculate French flathead V8.

There was something about the Ford that grabbed me: its old-school hot rod looks, the chopped roof, tiny screen, the V8, its understated paintwork, those flags and wheels… It seemed curiously British, though with the hint of a glamorous past. My curiosity was piqued.

I soon discovered that the original owner of the car was Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning, a key figure in the Second World War and the husband of famed author and playwright Daphne du Maurier, no less. His CV reads like one from Ripping Yarns or Bulldog Drummond. A fascinating character, he had been educated at Eton, awarded the Distinguished Service