A bus driver crashed into a rare British sports car that is one of only 15 in the world after being lost on a country road.
Classic car enthusiast Ian Glass took his beloved Marauder from 1951 on a country spin when he was hit by by driver Martin Ellis.
Confused by driver Ellis, 51, caused more than £ 30,000 damage when he hit one of the rarest cars in the world.
Ellis thought he was on a one -way road when he hit the Marauder in a frontal collision after exceeding the middle line.
Retired businessman MR Glass was injured in the crash, but was more concerned about the damage caused to his beloved Marauder.
The cars were designed and built by former Roversieurs George Mackie and Peter Wilks who started their own company.
But the company was stopped after a luxury tax on vehicles worth more than £ 1,000 later was brought in.
Ian paid £ 2,000 for the car in 1979 to buy it from the original owner and has cherished it since then. It is appreciated more than £ 60,000, but Ian says it is priceless for him.
The incredibly rare Marauder from 1951 was badly damaged in the frontal coliision with Martin Ellis's Vans
The Marauder from 1951 is one of the rarest cars in the world, because only 15 were built once
Classic car enthusiast Martin Glass (photo) had his Marauder run for 45 years
Ian, 75, suffered pain from his hip and bone and was worried that his appreciated car for which he carefully takes care of for 45 years, perhaps in the crash in Pentre Hallyn, Noord -Wales has been destroyed.
But 10 months after the crash hand, Ian's hand -built car is almost solved by specialists after a repair job of £ 30,000 and he is convinced that it is ready to drive again soon.
Ellis admitted that he was driving without the necessary care and attention and said he was not familiar with the road.
Ellis, Van Bolton, received a fine of £ 210 and five points his license from Mold Magistrates Court.
Speaking after the sentence, retired transport company boss Ian said: 'I came over the corner and everything I saw was a flash of black and then he hit me.
“He must have seen me come around the corner at the last minute and turned because it just got the car from the middle.”
Ian says he was lucky that the Marauder was such a robust car and said, “If I had been to my motorcycle, I wouldn't be here today.”
“I have driven that car throughout Europe for 45 years without ever having problems so far,” he added.
Ian Glass has driven its rare sports car in Europe for 45 years (depicted in San Marino)
The sports car has now undergone repairs and Ian hopes that it will soon be back on the road
The meticulous repair was carried out by classic motor cars at Bridgnorth
But he said that Ellis had been 'bad luck' to be prosecuted at all, because the police lasted 90 minutes to arrive at the stage in Pentre Halkyn, Noord -Wales.
'If they had been 10 minutes later, they would have had nothing to investigate. Despite two 999 phone calls that informed them about a head at Crash between two turns, it took them an hour and a half to arrive.
“The man had given me his insurance details and he was already gone, but my car was in a dangerous position on the road.”
Despite the precarious position and layout, Ian arranged that his car was loaded on a trailer and was about to leave the stage when officers finally arrived.
“I was in some pain and it was delayed to reach A&E. I was really angry, “he said.
Ian, from Denbighshire, Noord -Wales, knows that the place of residence of all except for three looters was ever made.
He said, “Three are missing, one is in America, one is in Vienna and there are 10 in this country.”
The meticulous repair was carried out by classic motor cars in Bridgnorth, including repairing the wing that was 'very poorly damaged'.
Ian is convinced that the car will be ready this summer for a planned trip to Switzerland to recreate the routes used by its manufacturers when testing the prototype on the climbs of Alpine Hill.
