Kirkcaldy teen brings taste of vintage to the streets with first car purchase

Callum Grubb, 19, has been saving since he was 12 years old to buy the car of his dreams – but while most new drivers might look at getting behind the wheel of a Vauxhall Corsa or a Fiat 500, Callum has opted for the slightly more retro 1938 Austin Cambridge.

He explained: “Ever since I was young, I have been interested in old things. When I was about 12 or 13 I decided I wanted an old car when I passed my test. When I was about 13 I started saving little bits of money, pocket money and whatnot. Then I got my part time job when I was at high school and I started putting away bits of my wages from that.”

He said he has always been interested in history but his focus on the 1930s and 1940s, was first sparked by reading his great-grandfather’s prisoner of war diaries. Callum passed his test last year and has been driving around in his grandmother's car, who he cares for. However, he reached his total on Sunday and was finally able to afford his own stunning motor.

He said: “A few months ago we were on holiday down at the Black Country Living Museum and I saw this car. I was speaking to the gentleman who owned it and I said ‘it’s a lovely car you’ve got, that’s the kind of car I’ve always wanted’.”

Callum said that if the vehicle was ever put up for sale he would be interested, but the owner was adamant that he would never sell. As luck would have it, Callum went on to spot a similar looking vehicle in a classic car magazine a few months later. Callum said: “I looked back at the holiday photographs and saw that it had the same registration number.”

He called the seller and discovered it was up for sale with its owner having to undergo an operation and unable to drive it. Callum said that his enthusiasm meant the seller knew the car was going to a good home – and the vehicle is already proving a popular, eye-catching sight on Kirkcaldy’s roads.