What do Classic American Cars and the B&E Boys Office Have in Common?
Claire Watson, Office Manager at B&E Boys, is not unusual in that her hobbies and interests outside work are important to her. Everybody is the same and our leisure time is precious. For Claire and her partner Nigel, their passion is classic cars.
As classic cars go, they don’t get much more important than a 1970s American Buick Centurion. Claire and Nigel take great pride in exhibiting their pride and joy at car shows. They are aware that the Buick is a special car, but they weren’t expecting that a journalist from Classic American Car Magazine would be at a show, or that he would be so taken with their Centurion that he would ask he could write an article about the car for the magazine – but that is exactly what happened.
To those who know a thing or two about American cars, the name Buick is synonymous with quality – having produced some of the top models over the years, such as the Buick Roadmaster. However, the Buick Centurion, is perhaps less well-known than the likes of the Buick LeSabre or its predecessor, the Buick Wildcat. Indeed, the Centurion was only in production for a short period of time – 1971-1973.
But in that time the Centurion earned a reputation that has stood the test of time, meaning that it is an extremely sought-after car these days – especially as it is rare to see one such as Claire and Nigel’s with low mileage and in immaculate condition.
3-speed turbo hydramatic transmission, power steering and brakes, and a superior interior specification made the Centurion stand out from the crowd in the early 1970s. It is rare to find a model now in pristine condition and Claire and Nigel’s 1972 car has been lovingly restored and imported from the US by its previous owner. It was good fortune that the classic car enthusiast was ready to move the Buick on to begin another project, when Claire and Nigel saw it and promptly made the purchase.
The rest, as they say, is history and this 20ft long ’72 Arctic White Centurion with green vinyl interiors has been turning heads ever since.
Claire, who has worked for B&E Boys for 4 years, obviously has a real passion for vintage cars.