Virtually everyone has had a car that they loved. It may have been the first car you ever owned or simply one that you enjoyed driving. It may have been in perfect condition or one that you loved for all its quirks. What would you do if you could have that vehicle back in your garage? In a weird but delightful story about a son’s love for his dad, this is exactly what happened to Eddie Hughes, a 100-year-old man who was gifted a Bentley S3 that he chauffeured in 1964.
How Eddie Hughes found his dream car
1964 Bentley S3 Saloon and new Bentley Flying Spur V8 | TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images
In 1964, Eddie Hughes worked as a chauffeur for his boss and had the special privilege of driving a Bentley S3. Although he left the job after just a year, he held onto fond memories of the car. As the years passed, he eventually told his son Ron that “it was the best car he had ever driven,” according to Outsider. The conversation spurred a search that would take Ron Hughes 20 years to complete.
Eddie’s son tried contacting Bentley clubs all over the globe without any success. He kept coming up empty-handed. However, persistence paid off when Ron decided to search for the registration number online and found the car located at a Beverly Hills Car Club.
Ron, who, along with his father, is a resident of the U.K., had to pay to have the car shipped to him, which amassed a $44k additional cost. Then, the true work began since the vehicle, although mostly in its original condition, had seen the passing of many years and suffered the consequences. It was not in good running condition and needed repairs to run correctly.
On Eddie’s centennial birthday, everything came together. According to Motorious, receiving the car was an emotional reunion. Though Eddie will soon have to give up his driver’s license, he hopes that the vehicle will stay in his family for many years to come.
Why Hughes was drawn to the Bentley S3
According to Automobile Catalog, The Bentley S3 was only produced between the years of 1962 and 1965. At the time, and still today, Bentley is known as a luxury performance automaker, and the vehicles were produced in the United Kingdom.
The Bentley S3 was a larger car than most, with dimensions of 211.75 inches long and 74.75 inches wide. The wheelbase was 123 inches. It also weighed in at 4647 pounds. It was a rear-wheel-drive model and had an automatic 4-speed gearbox. It featured a motor with 200 horsepower and 470 Nm torque (roughly 346 lb-ft). That provides an impressive top speed of 115 mph but with a dismal fuel economy rating of just 9.3 mpg. It is rumored that the car could go from 0-60 mph in about 11.4 seconds, despite its bulky size.
The original MSRP for the Bentley S3 was $16,655, according to J.D. Power. Today the S3 can sell for between $10,568 and $242,517 depending on its condition, according to ConceptCarz.
Hughes isn’t the only one to be reunited with their dream car
Another man, Ron Reolfi, purchased his dream car in the 1980s. It was a 1968 Chevy Camaro. After owning it for approximately one year and making upgrades to restore it, he parked it at work one fateful night, only to have it stolen. Fast-forward 33 years and Reolfi gets a phone call saying they had found his car.
Marco Cardenas’ car was stolen in Salt Lake City and later found hidden in an alleyway. Though it was only missing for a week, he was delighted to have it back in its original condition, according to KJZZ.
In the 1960s, a Jaguar E-Type was stolen from Ivan Schneider. It took nearly 50 years, but the car was returned to him. It was found in a shipping container in Los Angeles, California, and was bound for the Netherlands when it was located.
Keyword: A 100-Year Old Man Was Gifted a Bentley S3 He Chauffeured in 1964