Alan and Sue had toyed with the idea of a 2CV as a second car from around 1979. It wasn't until 1989 when they realised that the cars would soon no longer be available that they took the plunge and bought one of the last Portuguese built Dollys.

Soon after this Sue discovered that her cousin, Gill Harwood, was a long term aficionado which re-established contact between them. This was at the time when Surrey Madhatters was in its embryonic stages and resulted in Sue becoming the Madhatters first Secretary, a position since relinquished.

Their green and white Dolly suffered all the build quality problems associated with the last cars built at Mangualde and was sold after about two years.

There followed a short period with an Adadiane van which was great for camping but Sue didn't like driving it as an everyday car, being left hand drive, so it had to go.

It was replaced by a 1986 Charleston in 1992. This six year old car was an all round better proposition and was used as an everyday car until 1999. Even at thirteen years old it was in better condition than the two year old Dolly had been but the inevitable rustbug meant a chassis replacement was imminent.

Alan began the job in June 1999 and twenty four months later the car was back on the road. Although his original intention was just a re-chassis job, something went seriously wrong and the car emerged as a BRG Lomax 223!

It is now a splendid toy but retains all the best virtues of the 2CV and eagerly looks forward to taking part in lots of events - as long as it's not raining!'