MEET THE OWNER – ROGER LENTELL AND HIS VAUXHALL MAGNUM 2300 SALOON

When I bought my Wolseley 6/99 in 2021, one of my first thoughts was, “I must join the Cambridge-Oxford Owners Club”. This splendid organisation covers not only the 1 ½-litre and 3-litre British Motor Corporation ‘Farinas’ made between 1958 and 1971 but the 1954-1959 A40, A50, A55 Mk. 1, A90, A95 and A105, not to mention the ‘Half-Ton’ commercial vehicle derivatives. Their scope is not restricted to the UK, as BMC made the Farinas across the world from Argentina and Australia to New Zealand. Eddie Foster is the CO-OC’s Chairman, and for him, it all started when:

I began to look for a Morris Oxford 20 years ago as it was the first car I can remember my late father having. I had just turned 40 and had some redundancy money burning a hole in my pocket. I work in IT, and Dad had been a blue-collar engineer – I guess I wanted to connect with him in some way and get my hands dirty for a change. I also wanted to experience just a snippet of life with cars before the days of computer chips and seven-year warranties! Joining the Club was a no-brainer – to get the support and advice of fellow enthusiasts. They are not keyboard mechanics who type out advice from anonymous profiles, but from authentic enthusiasts who care enough to come round to your garage and give you a hand. 

Countless CO-OC members are responsible for saving so many vehicles, ranging from the Vanden Plas Princess 4-Litre R to the Morris A60 ‘Suntor’. As Eddie puts it: “The Club isn’t just a community, it’s a family. Now, after all these years, I’ve ended up as Chairman, and it’s great to be able to make a direct impact on how the Club runs and develops”.

To visit a CO-OC display is to be reminded of the range of vehicles embraced by the Club, ranging from the 1954 Austin A40/A50 Cambridge and the A90 Westminster to the last-of-the-line 1971 Morris Oxford Series VI, as favoured by Eddie himself. The Farinas were an essential aspect of everyday life to generations of UK motorists, from company cars to taxi cabs and police Wolseleys in black and white B-features. As Eddie observers, their contribution to British motoring history is highly significant:

Their production spanned over a decade – the entire 1960s – and they are omnipresent in any road scene picture or film from that time. Everybody knew someone with a Farina. The clever BMC “badge engineering” meant that it appealed to everyone from the factory worker to the bank manager. It was cheap to buy, easy to maintain, robust, reliable and about as British as you can get. 

As far as future recruitment is concerned, Eddie reflects:

Our core demographic is male, aged 50+ who remember these cars from their youth. Our recruitment comes mainly via Facebook and local car shows – which is where these people are to be found. We make the Club accessible, cheap to join (£25 per year) and provide a fantastic private forum where they get all the help and support you could wish for. At local shows, we make the cars accessible – they’re not behind velvet ropes with ‘Do Not Touch’ signs. If someone shows an interest, I let them sit in it, blow the horn and take a selfie! I keep a stash of club magazines in the boot to hand out – particularly to any youngsters who may be shy of asking. The Club often advertises cars for sale that haven’t been touted on eBay, Marketplace or a dealer’s forecourt. These come from private individuals who are often dealing with the estate of a deceased relative or have come to the point where they no longer can drive or look after their car. The problem is that the value of a typical ‘barn find’ Farina is low enough to attract the Banger Racers, and we could lose savable cars. We take the time to explain to sellers what the market is like and what values they can achieve, and then we advertise the car for free to our members. 

As the last Morris Oxford Series VIs and Wolseley 16/60s departed the showrooms over 53 years ago with the advent of the Marina, the CO-OC faces a challenge familiar to many clubs; attracting younger members. Eddie notes: 

Occasionally, the owners are so keen to see the car restored and used by an enthusiast that they agree to sell at a reduced price or even donate for free to a younger driver. In the past year alone, we’ve put three young chaps behind the wheel of Club cars for very little money. This has the added bonus that a younger audience sees the cars. It is all very well having young fans who ‘like’ pictures of our cars on Instagram or Facebook, but we need them willing to buy, run and learn to maintain them. Joining the Club helps them to do that. 

The success of the Club is reflected in the public reaction to members’ cars at events across the UK.  Eddie finds:

Everybody’s family seems to have connections to a Farina. We always hear, ‘My dad has one’, ‘My grandad had one’– there is always a story to be told. People literally stop and stare when they see a Farina on the road. Kids wave, and other motorists give a friendly nod. There’s nothing aggressive about the design; it is elegant, classy and nostalgia on wheels. You need to factor in an extra 20 minutes for any trip to the supermarket or petrol station because someone will always come over for a chat. The joy of Farina ownership is one of the best-kept secrets in the classic car world. The cost of ownership is low, and support is readily available. You have just one dedicated Club that pulls all that support and camaraderie together with no agenda other than helping people enjoy these cars for as long as possible.

And without Eddie and his friends in the Club, so many of these fine cars would have been lost to history. That is why we wish them every success in 2025 and beyond. 

With thanks to Eddie Foster for his time and permission to use the images in this blog.