For many, acquiring a first car is more than just a milestone; it’s a journey filled with memories created alongside the ticking odometer. Yet, one Scottish woman has taken her love for her inaugural vehicle to an extraordinary level, by purchasing the same model of classic car she once owned nearly half a century ago, all the way from the other side of the world.
Cathleen Hourie, now 72, first got behind the wheel of an Austin 3-litre thanks to her then-boyfriend. He had lost his driver’s license and bought the car for her, hoping she would chauffeur him around. Over time, though, Cathleen parted with the car—a decision she would come to regret deeply.
The longing for her classic automobile never faded, and Cathleen was elated when she discovered an identical Austin 3-litre up for sale. The twist? This cherished model was nestled over 11,000 miles away, listed by a dealer in New Zealand.
But she eventually gave up the wheels regretting the decision ever since.
Having hankered after her old car, she was thrilled to find an identical model fore sale.
However, the vehicle was marketed by a dealer in New Zealand.
She messaged car seller Hans Compter and finally picked up the keys earlier this year.
Mrs Hourie explained that in the late 1970s she became the owner of this model of car after the deal with her then boyfriend and added: ‘It seemed like a good idea at the time.
‘I got over the boyfriend – but I never got over the car.’
Cathleen Hourie with Hans Compter, who drove all the way from Holland to deliver the Austin
Although the retired hairdresser went on to own other Austin 3-Litres, it was the first one she struggled to let go.
And after trawling the internet to find more for sale, she was delighted to spot one advertised last summer until she realised the vehicle was in New Zealand.
She contacted Mr Compter after seeing the four-figure sale price included shipment to the Netherlands and added: ‘He became enthusiastic about getting it here [to me in Orkney].’
After securing the deal last year, the seller – who is in his mid 80s – began the process of getting it over to Scotland.
Mr Compter who has bases in New Zealand and the Netherlands packed the car in a container and had it transported to his homeland in Europe.
He fixed it up and loaded it onto his 1970 Opel Blitz truck that has been turned into a car transporter before sailing to Newcastle and driving onwards to Orkney.
However, Mr Compter still had quite a distance to travel, and his long journey nearly hit the buffers at the notoriously steep Berriedale Braes in Caithness, after pulling into what he thought was a lay-by, but was actually a soft escape bed for vehicles whose brakes have failed.
He was stuck for about an hour before being pulled out.
Mrs Hourie says she had offered to meet him in Aberdeen, but he insisted on taking the vehicle all the way to Orkney.
Austin made fewer than 10,000 of the 3-Litre model, and there are believed to be only around 30 of them left on the road.
Cathleen Hourie is delighted to become the owner, and said she is ‘chuffed to pieces’ with the purchase
She admitted his dedication to deliver the car in person was a bit of a shock and added: ‘Having now met Hans, I’m not in the least bit surprised. He has a great affinity for the cars that he has collected. He likes to know where they’re going, and why people want them.’
And the delighted new owner added: ‘It was quite a moment seeing it for the first time, and it’s just such a fun thing to think that it’s come that distance. It’s in really good condition, and I’m chuffed to pieces.’
In terms of the customer service rating she would give him, she said: ‘Absolutely five stars – maybe even six.’
Mrs Hourie and her farmer husband John even had Mr Compter to stay at their home for a couple of nights, and showed him around Orkney. She added: ‘I really enjoyed the couple of days he spent here with us, and we’ll keep in touch.’
Mr Compter was quoted saying of the vintage car: ‘I don’t see why you couldn’t use it for the next 50 years easily.’
As for why Mrs Hourie is such a fan of the Austin 3-Litre, she said. ‘I like the style of it, and it’s a pleasure to drive. You have to drive a classic car with a smile on your face. Everyone waves to you, everyone looks at it and asks you about it.
‘I think it’ll be a Sunday car for me, but I’ve been asked about taking it to a classic car show this summer in Shetland.’
Austin made fewer than 10,000 of the 3-Litre model, and there are believed to be only around 30 of them left on the road.
According to austinthreelitre.co.uk, it was the last luxury car to bear the Austin badge, and each one was built at the Austin Cowley factory between 1967 and 1971.
Police forces had a fleet for motorway use, while some were converted into ambulances, hearses, and limousines.
