In the early ‘90s we got a call to go and see a collection of cars and memorabilia that was uncovered in a barn at Victoria and Eglinton. As any Torontonian would know, there are no barns in that area. As it turned out there was a small barn behind a house. In the barn was a Pierce Arrow that fitted with about 6” inches to spare at each end, how they got it in there was a real mystery. Along with the car were numerous old gas pumps and hood mascots. Along with the contents of the barn there were other cars from the ‘30s stored in Paris, ON.

The background to the cars was that the deceased owner had been a restorer for the Craven Collection. The Craven Collection sent classic car exhibitions to shopping centre malls all around Ontario to promote Craven cigarettes. As friends and family members arrived, the scene got quite hectic, items disappeared with little control.

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.

Coming Soon to Bramhall Classic Autos:

Fudge Snow Sedan

1963 Jaguar MkII Automatic

1970 Opel GT

1994 BMW 850Ci

1965 Mercedes 230SL

Ferrari F40

1970 Jaguar E Type

Check back soon for more details on these unique classics soon to be for sale.

As published in the March 2018 Issue of Northern Prancer Ferrari Magazine.

The first car deal we brokered was a 1973 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow long wheel base. The car was a dark blue with a red interior. A mature couple purchased the car and seemed very happy with it. Three months later, the husband called me to tell me that they liked the car but they needed to re-sell it. The problem was that the lady kept being stopped by the police because no one could see that there was someone driving the car.

Another Rolls-Royce story involves a very nice Corniche hardtop with low mileage in a pretty blue colour. The new owner had trouble adjusting the power seat. He called and asked me to demonstrate how it works so that a tall person could get comfortable. I got to his house and he insisted that I watch a video of him trying to adjust the seat instead of going to the vehicle that was parked right in front of us. It still remains a mystery to me.

When I was in the RR restoration business, I dealt with the RR head office in Dorval. The service manager told me the story of this hippy that came in one day and wanted his Silver Shadow restored, the company president refused to deal with him as he had a pony tail and obviously no money for the project. It turned out that the hippy was the TV personality Don Francks, they restored the car completely without incident. A few years ago I was offered the car for a tiny fraction of the cost of restoration, I see the car occasionally in Woodbridge at a very ordinary garage. One of his other RR’s was the Phantom V previously owned by Engelbert Humperdinck, painted in Royal colours. His last collection was of Model T racing cars.

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.

FOR SALE: 2001 BMW Z8

More information on the listing page.

1970 Pontiac GTO Judge

This car is a one owner vehicle. More information on the listing page.