Only Two Weeks To Restore This 1981 Vanden Plas 1500 & Drive it Half Way Across The Country!!! 

I hope you enjoy this video this was definitely one of my favourite cars to do, i am enjoying using it for a bit now while im waiting to find its new owner! Massive thanks to Tracey and her family for the inspiration to get this thing back on the road, what a great day out it was meeting you all. ❤️

Being a Southern guy from Georgia, I have to say it warms my soul to see an English guy with a beautiful Ford F 250 in the background, and learning so much about what you guys use to drive. Maybe that's why we fight so well together, we are cut from the same stock.

I don't know how your channel got onto my laptop but I'm SO glad it did as this is PROPER old fashioned car restoration stuff which is just so enjoyable to watch ! You have a new fan !

The more I look at that car, the more I like it! I can’t say I find it beautiful but it is distinctive and it has character!

im so glad you are saving this BRITISH beauty she deserves to be saved well done keep this BRITISH classic going. just to add that ending gave me a lump in my throat .....really nice ending i hope the family give it a forever home now that would be nice. well done you are truly a genuine caring guy.

Glad to see you watching an American Classic channel during your back seat break!

Loved the ending so many family members coming out to see her. Cars make cherished memories and that's why I love them being restored. Nice one 👍

Hi Ben ,Love everything you are doing with the classic cars. Great gesture to take the VP to the daughter of the previous owner. Top man.

This is my favourite video on RU-vid ever! What an amazing job restoring this gorgeous piece of British automotive history. The road trip and the tunes were superb too. Keep up the great work on your channel. Love it!

Meeting the family at the end made this video into so much more. Just wonderful to see and hear the memories. Reminds me of when PeteC took Swampy the MK3 Cortina back to the family of the original owner. Putting these old cars back on the road is worth while in itself, but adding the personal touch takes it to another level. Just wonderful to see her back on the road. Great job, lets hope she finds a good home in the future.

A beautiful gesture for the family who really appreciated the chance to see your hard work.

This was actually quite emotional. I fully enjoyed watching the 2 episodes in its entirety. What a blast, what a feat. That you had the guts to even start with it in the 1st place. Congratulations buddy! Top job, and i learned a few things as well, as is, maybe, your determination 😉

My heart is full. I love what you have done and this has been a very enjoyable journey. The repairs are completely adequate and the car has lots of life left in it for someone to enjoy. You have done a great thing and the family you met will have memories for ever. 😊🏆

There is a reason you have so many views for these Allegro Vids it is because there is a lot of love for the Allegro and never believe all the hate stories, I still miss my 1.3L Sandglow Allegro

Such a charming car. Reminds me of driving on the narrow roads in Devon as a child, as my grandad had one. She looks lovely 😊

One is the best videos I’ve seen for a long long time with a great story behind it it’s always nice to see where these cars come from but to get the timewhole family involved is something else well done mate you’re an absolute star the time effort was surely worth it family members faces when I saw that little car sitting there looking at them beaming what a I wait to bring back some brilliant memories for these people well done mate

My uncle had one of these and I had a plan 1300 Allegro, as always great videos and definitely well worth saving this one. Keep up the good work. Would like to see you tackle a triumph 2000 or a Rover P6 if you ever get the chance

Refreshing to see that you don't have to restore a classic to within a inch of it's life to get it back on the road, inspiration for those who don't want to empty their bank account renovating an old car. Brilliant video too.

Love the Kylie Dailey tunes you’ve been featuring. I absolutely love her album. She even replied to a complimentary comment I made 😊

you done a good job Ben

Well done Ben

Came back pretty fantastic.

Proper old school restoration thank you mate keep em coming love it

This one surely deseved to be saved. It was important for you to show these guys that the car is in good hands and will be cared for which shows what kinda guy you are. Really liked that..

Brilliant video mate - that car is a superb result and shows off your brilliant skills as a mechanic and car restorer to the full - a credit to you and its former keeper.an epic video and worthy of a watch again!Well done!

I think there is a lot of love out there for these cars

Registered the week that the Police got to number 1 with 'Every little thing she does is magic' back in November 1981. You've certainly put some magic back in to this Vanden Plas! Terrific 😁 👍👍

Great journey from start to finish 👍 I remember back in the early 80's i worked with a bloke who had an Allegro.it was a mustard colour (The most common colour ) He loved it and was always praising it up lol . Ernie his name was he was about 15 years older than me at the time,im now 62 . Last time i saw him was early 90,s in the barbers 😁

What a beauty! Another job well done Uncle Ben!!

Absolutely loved this series. A Damask Red Allegro was my first ever car and I spent lots of time peering into the engine bay. The underneath shots brought back a lot of memories too. I can still remember where everything was! The rust spots are in exactly the same place as mine and for its day, are remarkably few. Of all the Allegro's well publicised issues, rust wasn't really one of them. Most of the examples I clambered over in scrapyards in the mid-80's were pretty rust-free compared to the other vehicles rotting away beside them. History has been unkind to the Allegro. It could and should have been a great car. As you've demonstrated, it does have some redeeming features. The late Harris Mann's original sketches show a much sleeker design to what finally emerged. Internal and external politics and poor management conspired to produce what we know today. It deserved better.

That was an awesome video. You sit in the back eat in your lunch. Watching Pole Barn garage was hilarious.

You really can't go wrong with keeping it British, can't turn the clock back but this brings back so many memories, this was when nearly every other car on the road was British, keep up the good work and try and keep it shiny side up

Lovely car great condition and excellent work and channel thanks ❤❤❤

Such a nice episode and I even going to like this model......Thanks for sharing !

Loved every minute of this series

This was great, Ben. Well done! Reuniting the vehicle with the family was a really lovely gesture.

Wonderful video. Great to see the love and attention on this old thing. Thanks so much.

The ending of this was fantastic.

This video brought back fond memories of a car I almost cherished it was a 1976 Ford Cortina 2000E. I Purchased the car locally for £760 it was a rough looking car in Sahara beige The front wings wasn't in the best state.. My Friend welded two new front wings (pattern) and I then one day set too doing the bodywork. I managed to find 3 large rattle cans of spray in Sahara beige it looked really nice when I finished and my dad said I should keep it, but I knew in my heart I wanted a newer car, I bought a Ford Capri 2.0S In Stratos silver V875 TAB. NOWADAYS I don't do much to my car collection I have two Astra convertibles one is Bertone in need of a restoration project in and nice shade of dark blue metallic over the weekend I saw an 04 Plate Bertone for spares or repairs my car really needs new rear bumper a bonnet driver door mirror casing and new boot lid plus my interior is looking dated and the 04 car has a lovely leather interior.my Other Astra is Twin top 1.9CDTI on 07 plate, in OK condition I only bought to sell on but I had a window switch issue and being nervous I took ages to fit it the car was a real bitch to start but once I percivered it started. I have used it few times on long runs its great on diesel. My most recent purchase is a Jaguar 2001 Y registered 4.0 LWB Full leather it drives OK apart from the swinging interior mirror and unless I don't appreciate the car it will at some point need a couple of tyres but given I had Classic car insurance and chose 2000 miles I see no point in changing them till next year. My Audi 07 2.7 TDI estate beautiful car I love it more than my Mercedes CLK convertible 320 on 52 plate.. But my Audi is high mileage at nearly 192.000 and my Ford Transit high top van is just 130.000. I spent started spending on my cars as required and my van I did close to £1500 only to be offered a piss poor £3000 Yet I know my 14 plate van cleaned up nice and a few of its advisories removed should gain me well over £6500 so I don't like the idea of lining someone else's pocket with easy cash.. its not happening. On the plus side I could easily earn £1200 a week in income doing deliveries.. And that may be my plan purely as a hobby towards my next new van.. This video was so cool it motivated me to do some jobs on my mentioned fleet Alex Assets she's Allegro fan one never knows..it would go to a good home..

Past my test in one of those you cant beat the old classics 😊

great to see allegro back on the road, was my first ever car , never gave any problems .

I got a real soft spot for Austins and all their derivatives, my dad had an Austin dealership back in the day, they come with a lot of nostalgia for me well done for saving at least one.

Thank you, great couple of videos on this car. We had an Allegro, SUE 291R way back when, Thanks for the memories.

What an amazing change. Great work to put another classic on the road.

Love the music 😂 love youre video and the time youre spending on that lovely car thanks for cheering me up 😊😊😊😊

I've watched this all the way through it was nice to see it going back to the family that had it well done

Best vid so far! Hope this is the one that triggers the algorithms and you end up on the homepage of lots of potential new subscribers

This car oozes with quality. I will watch it all.

I had one in the late 80s bought off my friend and loved every minute of it only broke down once needed a bit of welding on front tie bar. Never understood the hatred to these cars. Another great video keep them coming.

This is absolutely heart warming to watch and see the VP brought back to life like the biblical Lazarus raised from the dead. Wonderful to watch. These cars are very special and often abused and totally misunderstood.

Been a pleasure to watch some of the longest you tube vids I've ever seen! Good luck with the sale

Really happy your vid came up on my feed. Well done! 🎉 Made my day really I'm in hospital recovering from magor heart surgery ( triple bypass) the Austin brings back memories of mine I had when I was 19. Brilliant it was a great riding car so comfy the hydra gas was a great invention underrated. Thanks for your work on the video 🎉🎉🎉🎉

What a good bloke you are sir,reviving a old British classic then road tripping it to previous owners to see looking forward to you next video ,take care buddy and stay safe

You should be really proud of yourself buddy. The world needs more people like yourself who get enjoyment from the enjoyment of others. A true gentleman❤

Love this car and it’s complete story, well done to you! What a nice thing you did for the family

Greetings from S Florida. Nice job mate and what an experience being able to show it off with the family. That maybe the most satisfying part of the whole project.

Very well done in a short space of time.She looks great now.Ihad one years ago for 5 years till i sold her. Was a great car. yes very comfatable to drive all day long. She only did 25 MPG Though ...

Hey Ben, ive spent quite a few weeks watching your long restoration video's inc of TOYOTA MR2, ROVER GSI 1.4, Ford Mondeo ST24 (and the track race sequel) Reliant Scimitar SE5a and a load more inc this one and the previous incarnation to it. i dont comment a lot these days on YT videos, but id resolved that while i was watching your "Encouraging" works of art that i should sub to your channel and show some appreciation, so that i have have done. and i love the way that you make people feel that they are actually there when you say "watch and let me know if ya can see/hear etc etc, at some point on some of ya videos i was shouting "YES" Mr ben, i can lol, and lol at those bitching at you saying the allergo had tappet issues, when in reality it was a fuel pump issue. HA! you tell em ben. in conclusion, ive been going through a tough time of late in 2023 and you kind of helped me. so i thank you for that and i wish you, your family, your cars and the people that support you every happyness. ref the old cars you care for, go listen to peter gabriel song called indigo, search peter Gabriel lyrics (its on his second solo album..

The “Ben Den Plas “ 😂 great video and great ending ! Another saved by the Bearded Wonder 👌 can’t wait to see what’s next

Ben, when ya gonna get a log burner for the workshop.. You'll love it buddy. Great episode. You prove to others, that you don't need to go too mad to get these old clacker's to a respectable standard. A sympathetic restoration is by far good enough to bring them back to life. Well done mate. 👍

love your videos brings me back to when i was a kid

It's amazing how an old car can rekindle family memories. It certainly isn't just a piece of metal.

Very sweet and moving at the end. Well done. You are a sweetheart. I loved the drive though Derbyshire. Lovey people. You too darling. You are a nice man. 💌

My mum had an allegro back in the day, only temporary whilst her Hillman Hunter was in for repair (again.). I remember it never let us down. I really enjoyed the video especially the blast over the Cat and Fiddle

Thanks for this wonderful Xmas fairy tale. The bearded prince saves a ragtag princess (yes I know it's not a 'princess') and takes her back to visit the long lost family. A nice real authentic project in contrast to 'the barn find Testarossa carefully dusted off with flour to make it look neglected for decades. I like Pole Barn Garage too but honestly can you imagine driving the 'Holey Goat' on the M1 without being stopped within 2 miles by 'your friend and helper'? Looking forward to more content on this channel.

Loving the journey of the Allegro perfect balance and totally agree with your preference of not over sanitising the history and character out of a car I can’t stand cars that look more pristine than they came out of the factory, that’s more a homage to the mechanics than the car. I had an Allegro 1750 Sport back in the day and it was terrible and eventually self destructed but I love your little “Vanden Plas”, keep us laughing too it makes it so enjoyable.

Absolutely brilliant Ben. Loving the choice of music as well.

I absolutely love your channel. You are a complete sunny day! Total escapism. This was the best one yet. My dad had an Austin Cambridge. Big white one with leather seats real beauty. Be nice to see one of those again.

Brilliant!! Loved this restoration. Keep it up. Enjoyed so much.❤

Amazing on just a few touch ups and now its almost showroom! 😮

Woohoo,excited for this one,can’t beat a bit of British Leyland shenanigans

She's a little beauty Ben. Good job mate.

Awesome video that shows what a car is to a car guy!! Top top man, well done 🎉

Best channel on the Tube ! thanks for the uploads.

Fantastic video, what a great job you did on the VP 👍 What a treat for that family. Lovely !!!

My brother in law owned an Austin Princess Vanden Plas, based on the Austin Cambridge, reg 69 ABU. This was around 1970, the car was a '63 I think, but the interior trim was absolutely sublime. Walnut dash, leather seats, the works! Very enjoyable video seeing this relic brought back to life! I owned an Alegro back in the 80s, never gave me a scrap of trouble, took me all over the UK!

This old girl definitely deserves to be looked after. Really like your type of channel typical DIY repair that most of us can manage 👍

Great work Ben - saved for posterity!

Brilliant, simply brilliant!

Nice to see it on the road

ok this was a great refurb. one of your best. look forward to the next from the grave to the road revival. stay well

Thanks,great stuff! 👍👍

Very good work! You drove it to my neck of the woods which was nice to see.

Fantastic couple of videos... Thanks so much for all your hard work ...

You know what. This is your best to date. Love seeing an underdog car coming back from the brink. Well done, a fantastic job. This is what classic motoring is all about. That car is talking back to you..."thanks for saving me."

At 54:20 - Autodata's 1996 Timing Belts - Ooh, my favourite bedtime read! 😉Reminds me of my best friend in childhood's dad, who had a Triumph Dolomite - avec luxury walnut dash and comfortable beige velour seat covering - simply exquisite in a cheap British way, monsieur!

Really good job and what a very kind thing of you to do. It’s nice to see there’s still some good people in the world. Well done👍

Awesome stuff bro. I can't get over the sound of that old school twin carb engine. I had no idea the vanden plas had two carbs... thanks, really enjoyed that vid..

I don't really know English geography, but that countryside looks like...Yorkshire? I love that car. We do not have such little vehicles in the US. Smashing job on the revival!!!

I had the same situation as the lady who's father had this. I had a singer gazzelle before I moved to Devon and I drove it everyday but had to sell it due to only having one parking space in Devon absolutely gutted still am 16 years later 😢 love your videos

Really nice restoration. Lovely video with lots of work transforming a beatiful car. Well done!

Waw your amazing at your job

Brilliant, just brilliant , i always like your style of doing things .

HI nice follow up video holding back the water works was hard they look genuine and surprised in and out of the vehicle good job. 😀😀👍👍👌👌

Very nice, I like it. And its my favourite shade of beige

Top viewing , thanks i really enjoy your content , fun and engaging , but a little serious where it matters , such as caring about the original owner , she's a keeper again now , which gives me warm fuzzies .

About the heater & water jacket, I use to speak regularly about Vauxhall HB/ HC'S purging the any likelihood of air locks 🔒 from the heater matrix hoses. Can't remember the specifics of the Allegro/ Vanden Plaa set up. With the ohv Vauxhall, use to split the heater hose mid point junction with nearside heater hose & funnel fill the upper hemisphere heater matrix where the likely airlock shall likely take place. Good luck with the resto of the rare gem 💎 Vanden Plaa ❤

Two weeks is too long for us to wait!👍👍🇬🇧

This was great, Ben. Well done!❤❤❤

Significance worthy of mention. Alan's Midget with 5,000 miles... and original tyres!!!! That could possibly be the only one left in the world in that condition. Most museum vehicles don't have their original tyres still on. Absolutely fantastic. So lovely to see the different generations of family turn up. He must have been a proper legend. God bless. Best one yet, Ben.❤