Wedding day memories are special, but especially so for Iain Wright, who still has the 1959 Austin Healey 3000 that took him and his wife on honeymoon.

Iain, a civil engineer who lives near Nayland, Essex, has been restoring the car’s mechanics as a first step to getting the classic car back on the road: “I have been playing with cars since I was 7 or 8 years old,” he said.

Not content with doing up one Austin Healey he is also working on the mechanics of a second one, which also brings back fond memories.  It was owned by his best man, who has since died of cancer, and the car took the two of them to Iain’s wedding ceremony. He is now working on it to get it running again for its former owner’s son.

One thing that this skilled engineer will not be doing, however, is restoring the two cars’ bodywork.

He has put this in the capable hands of Motts Body Repairs at Nayland.

“They first painted the chassis four or so years ago,” said Mr Wright. “Then we got complete new panels but they didn’t fit and Motts had to sort them out.  They came from a Healey parts supplier but frankly they weren’t fit for purpose. “

The Honeymoon Healey is nearing completion, awaiting some last Chrome windscreen components and Iain is expecting to be able to drive the car again by the end of February. Although thirsty on petrol by today’s standards he intends to drive it as often as possible, including on trips to his native Scotland.  “The job that comes out from Motts is brilliant, and the costs and quality are right,” he says.

“I think they are one of the greatest sports cars ever made, “he says. “It’s a very classic British sports car.”

The second Healey is expected to be put into Motts in March for fitting and final painting and polishing of its bodywork.