Solved: Pearson couple owned original E-Type Jag

Peter Spruce, who lives in Towcester, Northamptonshire, contacted The Coleraine Times last week in an attempt to trace the history of his £70,000 car.

He claimed that his record showed the car had first been registered to Peerage Bottlers Ltd, Coleraine.

Peter had bought the vehicle from a classic car dealer in Hampshire and that it had originally been worth £2,200 when purchased from Malcolm Templeton’s garage in Ballymena.

Hea dded that the car spent almost its entire life in the area of Belfast, because old MOTs and invoices showed places like Ballymena, Carryduff, Aghalee, Crossgar, Hillsborough etc

Times readers were quick off the mark when they read our story and many contacted us to say the eye-catching model had been owned by Barbara and Philip Pearson.

Local man Willie Oliver told us: “My father was the manager for some years [of Peerage Bottlers] around the time that Philip Pearson and his wife, Barbara bought the E Type to replace an older Jaguar saloon which they had when they came to Coleraine.

“At that time Phil and his wife lived at Dunboe House near Articlave. Sadly Mrs Pearson died but Phil remarried and for many years resided at Fairview, Articlave.

“After Peerage Bottlers closed Phil worked for years in the bar at the university in Coleraine where he was a popular figure.

“Certainly in the early 60s Phil was well known around Coleraine and in addition to the Jag also drove around in one of the original bubble cars!”

Teddy McMullan, who worked as part time bar man in the Golf Hotel, Castlerock, clearly recalled the car too.

“Phil would have come into the bar for a drink back then. He also had a three-litre Capri at that time too, one of only about six in Northern Ireland.

“His wife Barbara drove the Jaguar and they lived in Articlave.”

Peerage Bottlers Ltd was situated on the site of the old shirt factory at Beresford Road.

Thanks to all the readers who contacted us with information - we have passed it onto a grateful Peter!