A Long-Held Dream
Cathleen Hourie has long desired to own an Austin 3-Litre, a classic car that first caught her interest through her initial boyfriend.
When she discovered a 1970 model listed for sale online last summer, she was initially disheartened to find it was part of a collection located in New Zealand.
However, distance did not deter the seller, Hans Compter, who journeyed halfway around the world to personally deliver the vehicle to Cathleen in Orkney.
The 86-year-old Dutchman arranged for the car to be shipped to the Netherlands before undertaking the extensive trip to the Northern Isles, transporting it on the back of his vintage Opel Blitz truck.
A Personal Connection to the Austin
"The Austin was my first car,"Cathleen told BBC Radio Orkney.
"It was bought for me by my boyfriend at the time who had lost his licence, so I could drive him around.
"I got over the boyfriend but I never got over the car.
"I've been the death of three of them over the years and now I'm the kind of sad person who spends her spare time searching for 'Austin 3 litre for sale' on the internet."
The Car and Its Owner
The mulberry-coloured Austin that attracted Cathleen's attention was part of a substantial collection Hans has assembled in the Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand.
Hans describes himself as a "car idiot" who has devoted much of his life to restoring classic cars.
When Cathleen reached out about the Austin via Hans' website PreWarCar, he responded promptly.
"I thought it was too good to be true and it must be fake,"Cathleen recalled.
"And then when I saw it was in New Zealand, I thought that was the end of it."
The Journey Begins
Hans divides his time between New Zealand and the Netherlands.
He arranged for the Austin to be sent by container to Rotterdam, where he spent time servicing it in his workshop before loading it onto his vintage 1970 Opel Blitz truck, which has been converted into a car transporter.
"I had never been to the north of Scotland and I wanted to see it,"Hans explained.
"Once I got off the ferry in Newcastle I thought it was just a day's drive to the Orkney Islands but that was a big mistake."
Challenges on the Road
In reality, Hans' journey from Newcastle to the ferry port at Scrabster in northern Scotland, which connects to Orkney, took two days to cover approximately 400 miles.
His trip was not without difficulties and nearly ended at the notoriously steep Berriedale Braes in Caithness.
With a queue of up to 20 vehicles behind him, Hans pulled into what he believed was a lay-by to allow traffic to pass.
He soon realized the area was actually a soft escape bed designed to stop vehicles whose brakes have failed on the descent.
The Opel Blitz became stuck deep in the gravel, nearly up to its axles, leaving Hans stranded for an hour uncertain if he would be able to free the vehicle.
"I want to thank the driver who saw me and came back to pull me out. I thought the Opel might have been damaged but she's fine."
The Arrival and Reaction
"I've been grinning since Hans arrived,"Cathleen said, having paid a four-figure sum for the Austin, including delivery.
"Austin made fewer than 10,000 of these cars. They had a top speed of 110mph. Now there are only around 30 of them left on the road.
"It's 55 years old and it is in much better condition than I hoped. It's just lovely. I'm really pleased with it."
Looking Ahead
Hans believes Cathleen will enjoy many more years of driving pleasure with the Austin.
"I don't see why you couldn't use it for the next 50 years easily,"he said.
