More Than Just a Taxi

Submitted by Chad on October 1, 2009 - 6:03pm

A big perk of the restoration work we do here at the Service Station is getting to hear the personal stories attached to the cars or trucks brought to us. We were very fortunate a few months back to get the opportunity to begin work on a very special  London taxi cab with more stories attached to it than most.

In 1955, Alfred Hobb's and his former wife Jakobine turned their honeymoon from a short trip to a four-year odyssey. While in North Africa celebrating their union they bought a 1935 Austin taxi cab and proceeded off across the Sahara, across Africa, through India, and beyond.

This fine old car has seen better days, but we're working hard to return it to its former luster for one more journey. Film maker Jonathan Howells is working to document Alfred's story and the next trip planned for the Austin taxi. Read more about the story and keep up on progress on this blog.

We've posted a few picts in our gallery. Check out the video the film team's posted showing the Austin being prepped for paint. More to come soon.