A CLASSIC car-mad Herefordshire boy has seen his Austin Seven named "best restoration" at a major car show by a classic car magazine after embarking on an ambitious project.
Henry Dukes, from Bromyard, saw his project car take pride of place on a club stand at the NEC Classic Motor Show in November, after two years of work.
The 11-year-old Sutton Primary Academy pupil started his project just after his ninth birthday in 2020, when he found a completely derelict and seized 1937 Austin Ruby engine that had not run for over 60 years.
Henry was very keen to find out how it worked and, under the supervision of granddad Martin Prior, a coachbuilder and lifelong Austin Seven enthusiast, he began the long job of rebuilding it.
Eight months later, he reached a milestone moment when the engine ran for the first time in decades on the bench.
And it was not long before it became clear that the project was growing, granddad Martin said, as Henry had also been busy scavenging the family's accumulation of Austin Seven parts, unearthing a chassis, a stripped bodyshell, and various other parts, all in need of total restoration.
But with a minimal budget, plenty of parts still needed, and work fitted around school, the car was still a long way from complete.
In 2021, assisted by his own Facebook page, Henry's Ruby, word of Henry's project began to spread through the Austin Seven community, and offers of parts and services started to pour in.
And in July this year, another milestone was hit, as Henry drove his car around his grandparents' garden under its own steam for the first time.
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Work is now underway on the car's interior, with wood framing made by Henry's granddad and his uncle, David Prior, and seats restored by his grandma, Jo Prior.
On November 9, the car was granted a new registration by the DVLA, putting it a step closer to returning to the roads.
"He's very serious about it, and has done most of the work himself," Mr Prior said.
"He has put two years of work into the car and has shown no sign of losing interest! We are very proud of the effort he has put in."
Henry has also been given sponsorship by RH Specialist Vehicle Insurance and has been made an honorary member of the Square Wheels Club, on whose stand his Ruby, Ethelbert, took pride of place at the NEC Classic Motor Show.
The keen youngster and his car were a hit among visitors to the show, featuring on two of his favourite motoring YouTube channels, HubNut and Furious Driving.
His car was also featured in Classic Car Weekly, with the magazine labelling it the "best restoration" at the show.
Henry said he was "very excited" to have been able to exhibit his car at the Birmingham show, where he also met DriveTribe's Mike Fernie and was given the chance to sit in Richard Hammond's Opel Kadett, Oliver.
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