2080 PO has had a few owners throughout the years. I am still trying to put together the history 2080 PO  so the below is an ongoing process, if you feel you can  add to the below please contact me at: pierre@lequeux.org

The Clues & Discoveries

When acquiring the car there were different clues that came with it in regard of its past. Those are listed in the following:

1) Its distinctive livery and the fact that it mentioned the name of the last driver : Colin Starley from the Starley's Garage Racing Partnership in Brighton. I soon contacted the Garage and managed to get in touch with Mrs. Starley who gave me some generic information about the car.

First I have been told that he was bought from a Page Garage in Chichester that went on being called the Blue Star Garage in Chichester at a later stage. Also I learnt that both her husband Lionel (who initially bought the car in 1964) and her son drove the car at various local hill climbs, sprints and auto tests. Mrs. Starley also indicated that the car was driven at Guernsey, in Switzerland at Ollon - Villars, possibly in France and Holland. The main reason to drive it abroad is that English drivers used to be paid to participate to events abroad by the organisators. This is comfirmed by the fact that the headlights mounted on the car are yellow which you would expect for a car that would have been  used on the continent.

 2) When I receive the Heritage certificate it mentioned that the car was built in January 1959, making it therefore an early model. It was originally colored in Old English White and sporting a red Cherry interior. It was dispatch to Haig's Motors in February 1959. the other information section on the heritage certificate mentioned that it was sold by the Central Garage Feldham in Sussex to a D. A Starkey Esquire from Bognor Regis. To this day I have no information in respect of this owner. I believe that since its second owner Mr. Page raced it at the  Brighton Speed trials in 1960, Mr D. A. Starkey did not own the car for much time.  

3) The second owner was Mr. Charles Page who used the car competitively in the South of England. Mr. Page was the owner of the Page Garage in Chichester which went to be called the Blue Star Garage from what i have been told by various people. The garage is mentioned in a column dated 17th of October 2008 of the Bognor Regis Observer titled "Garages galore – and a new car for just £200 in bygone Chichester". It says : "...At the end of North Street was the Fiat dealer, Blue Star garage. This earlier photograph shows the garage when it was known as The Car Exchange....".  I have been told by a member of the SouthSea Motor Club that the car was raced by Mr. Page at hill climbs and the Brighton Speed trials who are still organized by the Brighton and Hove Motor Club.

4) When I purchased the car some lapel badges that where stuck to the bonnet came with it. Those badges depicted in the picture below are from clubs which i Assume its past owners may have belonged to. The one which remain a mystery is the one on the left hand side of the picture as it is the badge of a South African motor club.

5) on the dashboard handle bar were still attached 11 scrutinizer's tickets. Some were too faded to have any useable information some others where in good condition and either provided the name and date of the event or just a date that was later linked to specific event and verified by getting access to period event programmers.

       6)  Browsing through different records and sources of information there seems to be a car driven by a John Elvers in the sixties that bear a registration quite similar to my car. His was registered 2833 PO whereas mine is 2080 PO, indicating that both cars were registered in 1959 in  Chichester with number quite close to each other. Interestingly the bonnet is quite similar (i.e. rounded under the headlights) rather than flat as is the case for most Sebring bonnet. Also the car was sporting a similar hoop and Brookland screen when racing (though this was not too atypical) Could it be that the cars where built by the same garage ? Any information on this would be great.

John Elvers at Castle Combe  in July 1964

Details of PMO 200,  2833PO & 2080 PO. Please note the rounded shapes under the headlight which are not present on PMO.

7. having been told that Mr. Charles Page  sold 2080 PO to Mr. Lionel Starley I thought that I would  give a try at tracing Mr Charles Page or one of his relatives. So I sent a few letters to all the named Page that leave in Chichester.  After a few days and a few negative answers I received  a phone call from one of the recipients of my letter telling me that he was not related to Charles Page. However he knew of a gentlemen that used to work for the Page garage and would be willing to have a chat with me. I contacted the gentlemen in question who provided me with the following information. He remember the car as in original color English white and that he was driven by the partner  and secretary of Mr. Page , a Mrs. Davidson. He also explained to me that Charles Page came from south Africa in the 50' and was owning the then Car Exchange in Chichester. The garage went on to be called the Reeds garage, then Page's Garage and Finally the Blue Star Garage on Northgate. The Gentlemen also told me that Charles Page used to hill climb at Goodwood in the 60's and that the axle of the car was changed to serve the purpose. It is interesting to know that Charles page came from South Africa as it explains perfectly now the Amateur Automobile Racing Club SA badge that was stuck on the bonnet as well as the Chichester Motoring club and the Healey club badge ( Charles page did also own an Healey BN100 which was raced according to the gentlemen).

Events 2080 PO Participated to:

The below table shows the event that I have been able to link to the car so far with the invaluable help of members various Southern England motor club as well as the Autosport and Ten Tenths Forums...Where those have been kindly submitted to me I inserted a scan of the Programme , Entry and Results  and also map of the venue (click on name)

2080 PO in Anger
	European Hill Climb Championship ; Gaisberg Hill  1967
	European Hill Climb Championship ; Gaisberg Hill  1967
	European Hill Climb Championship Mont-Ventoux  1967 From the Maurice Louche 's book on the Mont-Ventoux Hillclimb 1902 - 1976
	At the Brighton Speed Trials in 1967