The Prudential Pensioner

Keith Hall may have taken the sensible route into classic car ownership but that doesn’t stop him having a lot of fun.

- Karen Drury

Keith Hall’s MG Midget was a retirement present to himself after 40 years of working in the motor trade. He looked around for a small sports car to use in the summer. “The reason why I chose this one was not because it’s an MG, or for the colour, but for the PRU registration number. My late father worked for Prudential so he was ‘the man from the Pru’ and some of my early pension was from Prudential so that’s what paid for it." Keith now works as a gardener.

“As I was in the motor trade for so long I just wanted a car that I could appreciate. I spent a fortune on all the Land Rovers I’ve done and I very rarely drove them so I wanted something that I could drive.” In June 2016 he paid £4000 for this December 1973-registered MG Midget, in Citron, which is a classic 1970s colour somewhere between green and yellow.

“I knew it needed work. I had it up on the ramp and the guy I bought it from said that this and that needed doing but it was in pretty good condition. It did have a couple of holes that I could see and it did make a few strange noises, such as from the suspension bushes and spring hangers, so I managed to knock him down a few quid. The guy just wanted rid of it as he had another car project.”