by What could be more British than the sight of a shiny Jaguar E-Type cruising through the rolling terrain of Salisbury Plain?
Arguably, just add veteran actor and national treasure Nigel Havers behind the wheel.
However, in recent years the petrol spy and his classic sports car have increasingly come to grips – sometimes literally – with another vital aspect of British life: the pothole.
In fact, the star says the problem has become so bad in and around the Vale of Pewsey, where he lives, that he no longer dares to take his 1970 car out for fear of damage.
The 72-year-old has therefore decided to sell the vehicle, which will go up for auction in Birmingham next Sunday for an estimated price of between £60 and £70,000.
Havers is ending a two-decade relationship with the beloved Jaguar, which he said was “so much [famous] friends there I couldn’t name them all”.
“I’ll be sad to see it go, because it’s the most beautiful car I’ve ever seen,” he said.
“I have to say, the state of the roads is not good. You have to be very clever not to hit a hole, especially when there are lorries coming from the opposite direction.
“Wiltshire is particularly bad,” he said. “They have to do something about it.
Opposition politicians, national and local, have accused “Pothole Britain” of being emblematic of a state that seems incapable of tackling the bread and butter issues that affect people’s daily lives.
In November, Rishi Sunak announced £8.3 billion for local councils to tackle what he described as a “scourge”.
However, local government leaders described the money, which came from savings from broken sections of HS2, as insufficient, putting the true cost of local road repairs closer to £14 billion.
“It’s not like he got here,” said Havers, who has starred in Chariots of Fire, Downton Abbey and Coronation Street.
“The problem with any government – not just this one – is that they don’t take care of the things that affect us every day.
“They never take care of the things that really bother us. Instead we’re all talking about Diane Abbott.”
The problem of potholes across the country has worsened especially this winter due to temperature variations and significant rainfall.
Wiltshire council, which is responsible for the non-main roads in the county, said it is repairing damage “as quickly as possible”.
‘These cars have to be used’
The pots section on their website says some repairs may take more than 12 months.
Until last month the council’s leader, Richard Clewer, apologized for “being political” after a heated discussion at a cabinet meeting on the matter.
He suggested that money for other services such as libraries and leisure centers could be at risk of being wasted on repairing Wiltshire’s non-main roads.
Reflecting on his decision to sell the E-Type, Havers said: “If you have these beautiful cars and you don’t drive them, it’s terrible.
“They have to be used. I’d rather someone use them than sit in a garage with the cover on.”
‘The most beautiful car ever made’
Made by Jaguar Cars Ltd from 1961 to 1974, the E-Type was described by Enzo Ferrari as “the most beautiful car ever made”.
Based on the highly successful D-Type racing car, it was built with a top speed of 151mph.
Haver’s E-Type, one of many classic cars the actor has owned over the years, recently underwent a complete rear end rebuild and repaint, as well as upgraded brakes.
It will go up for auction on March 24 at Classic Car Auctions at the Practical Classics and Restoration Show sale, at the NEC in Birmingham.
Havers is also selling his 2013 Mercedes-Benz S350 Blutec, which is estimated to fetch between £12,000 and £15,000.
Appreciate information about road defects
Caroline Thomas, Wiltshire cabinet member for transport, said: “Unfortunately, factors such as recent extreme temperature changes and significant rainfall have increased the number of potholes across the country.
“Although we carry out regular road inspections, we have over 2,800 miles of highways in Wiltshire and we appreciate the public being made aware of faults. Other councils across the country are cutting their budgets, but our strong financial position means we can invest much more money in road maintenance.
“We have invested an extra £10 million over the next two years in road resurfacing to prevent potholes, which is on top of the £20.7 million we get a year from the Government, plus the £3.6 million pot funding from Government, and £5.2 million over the next two years from the Road Resurfacing Fund.
“The changes won’t happen overnight but, over the coming months, people in all areas of our county will see more resurfacing work and more potholes filled as part of our multi-million pound investment in Wiltshire’s roads.”
