TEARS of joy were shed by a Cofton care home resident recently when he was reuinted with his first car – a 1935 August 10 which has been restored to its former glory.
The team at Cofton Park Manor on Lickey Road arranged the wonderful surprise for David Harrison,aged 86, when they invited the current owner of ‘Peggotty’ to their annual Classic Car Show for the touching moment.
Thrilled David was overcome with emotion as Brian Artus, who has lovingly restored the car over the past few years, drove her into the car park.
David said: “It’s really good to see Peggotty again. She looks good.”
Peggotty was a present to David from his father Dennis, a motoring enthusiast who bought his son the car in 1956 when he was just 17.
The vintage vehicle was among those on display at Cofton Park Manor’s 2025 Classic Car Show, which is a tribute to Birmingham’s automobile heritage.
After being David’s pride and joy in his youth, ‘Peggotty’ – named after Dickens’ character Clara Peggotty in David Copperfield – was a part of many happy family memories for him and his children.
He sold her to Brian, an engineer who has restored other classic cars, over a decade ago, and this is the first time he’s seen her since.
Brian said: “It’s wonderful to be able to reunite Peggotty with David.”
The happy scenes were the highlight of the day as classic car owners from far and wide brought their vehicles to display. Crowds came to the care home to enjoy the show and take a step back in motoring history.
Cofton Park Manor’s customer relations manager, Wendy Sibley, said: “It’s been a terrific day and seeing David’s face when ‘Peggotty’ pulled up was the icing on the cake.
“We all got emotional to see how much it meant to him, having heard all about her from David and his wife, Netta.
“We were delighted to have another epic turnout for our show, but there’s no doubt that this moment made the whole event very special.”
