- This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated August 25, 2017 at 9:27 am by
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Hi everyone,
My name is Bill and my brother Jon was a HUGE Rootes fan. Alpines, Humbers, Hillmans, Arrows, Commers – you name it, he probably owned at least one at some point. He was active in Rootes-related organizations as well and extremely knowledgeable about the marque and its products. He lived in NJ for most of his life and I’m sure many of you have had contact with him. He moved to Nebraska a while back, but he never gave up his Rootes. 🙂
I said "bittersweet" in the subject because on January 13 of this year Jon passed very suddenly. It’s taken me this long to introduce myself, mostly because his loss has hit me really hard. He was my baby brother and the two of us were all that was left of our family. With his passing, all the details of his life – and death – have fallen to me and I’ve been trying to sort through all the various components of what he left behind – accounts, belongings, responsibilities, etc.
In case you’re wondering why I’m here, it’s because I think you can help me out and do my late brother a solid at the same time. See, he left behind a LOT of stuff – several storage units worth, in fact. In those units there are 2 cars, one rolling shell, and literally tons of parts for Rootes products. I haven’t been able to inventory the stuff, but I DO have photos I’ve taken on my trips out there. I’ll be posting the pics as soon as I get them sorted.
Jon spent many years acquiring these parts and I know how much they meant to him. For that reason I can’t bring myself to scrap them – even though that would be the easiest route for me. He’d want those parts and those cars to go to good homes, and you guys could probably put ’em to good use. Because I live 1500 miles away from them I’m not in a position to sell them off piecemeal. Rather, I’m looking for someone (or a bunch of someones) to buy the whole lot. I don’t have an asking price yet, so I’m open to offers.
Neither of the 2 cars is in show condition, but they’re both drivers. One is a Hillman Minx convertible, and the other is a ’66 Series V Alpine. I have photos of both. The rolling shell is an Alpine roadster of indeterminate year. Hopefully I have a pic of the data plate so I can date it. If not, I’ll do it next trip.
Anyway, I’m glad to know you and look forward to hearing from you. Sorry for the length of this post, but I start talking about him and it’s hard to stop.
Regards,
Bill Arzt -
Hello Bill
I am really sorry to hear about Jon’s passing. I had not seen him in many years but I knew that he was a serious Rootes car enthusiast. A long time ago he came to TEAE United in his Commer van and that is the first one that I had ever seen.
When the time is right post some photos and more info and I am sure that will lead to a sale. Eric -
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Hi Bill,
Sorry to hear about Jon’s passing. I met him a few times and we corresponded several times about some Humbers he used to have. I’m sure some members of TEAE or the club can come up with a proposal to get all of Jon’s cars and parts to find good homes. Not knowing in how much of a hurry you are, maybe it is possible to have a plan before the United, and act during the United? That’s September 21-24. Good luck and keep us posted.
Robert -
Thank you for the kind thoughts and remembrances. He was a great guy, a terrific brother, and a good friend. It’s weird knowing I can’t just pick up the phone and talk to him.
I’m in the process of preparing for another trip to the storage units and I’m going to do my best to take some kind of inventory. In the meanwhile, I’ve put up some photos on Flickr. There are 4 albums – one each for his 66 Alpine, an Alpine rolling shell, a Hillman Minx, and some random shots of the contents of the storage units. If you’d like to have a look, please PM me and I’ll send you a link.
Bill
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