When I read the article I was instantly fascinated. I was struck by the thought that the Convair was one of the prettiest barchettas of the \u201950s I\u2019d ever seen.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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Vazeos continued, \u201cI took a moment to compose myself and continued reading Angus\u2019 email. Much to my surprise, and delight, his email described a third roadster (EKU 16) that was submerged in a pond just off a public footpath near Staunton and Corse in Gloucestershire, England. Based on the license plate and information gathered from the United Kingdom\u2019s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), this Convair had been withdrawn from circulation in 1964, and for good reason. The car\u2019s owner lived on an estate near a pond and had been racing it on country roads. Apparently, he lost control of the Convair Roadster, which slid into the pond. And, as fate would have it, since 1964 that\u2019s where it has been, waiting for someone to care enough to retrieve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vazeos cared enough and began to construct a plan. Vazeos said, \u201cMy trusted restorer in Greece, Christos Skriapas, recommended I contact Ally Stuart (www.stuartclassics.com), a very active and enthusiastic woman in the classic car business. Her reputation was that she enjoyed a great challenge and I certainly had one here. On January 21 (2017), Ally and a team travelled to the pond and verified the Convair was still there, submerged even deeper than originally thought. Because the road leading to the pond was extremely narrow, sending a truck in was not an option. So, Ally organized a team of 12 strong men armed with chainsaws. The plan was for them to walk into the pond and drag the car out by hand. On January 28 the team spent five hours extracting the car. This involved cutting tree limbs and negotiating treacherous footing through mud. The entire operation was performed by hand and the Convair was carried out piece by piece, including the engine, a distance of 100 yards to a flatbed truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vazeos\u2019 Convair Mk I is currently en route to Athens where a comprehensive restoration is planned for the body, Morris 8 chassis and Ford side-valve engine. While the car collector world may not celebrate this event with the same zest as the Lake Maggiore Bugatti, Vazeos\u2019 Convair story is every bit as astonishing. Motivated by an article he spotted in a magazine, Vazeos\u2019 dream went from vision-quest to adventure to automotive rescue.<\/p>\n
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