Finished in Californian White, the same shade as The Saint’s car, ‘NNP 819K’ is a Volvo P1800 that’s been so beautifully restored that it comes with “a crateful of trophies and awards along with copies of multiple magazine features.” The registered keeper bought it back in 1994 for £1,500, a saving of £250 on the asking price, and the only problems on the 75-mile drive home were the rearview mirror and exhaust, both of which fell off.

He set about restoring it – and modifying it to suit his tastes: “I decided early on not to be a slave to originality.

I have never been able to resist customizing to some degree, and it gives me a great excuse for not winning prizes.” Nonetheless, modified or not it has won a stream of awards over the years, and these awards will stay with the car as they form an important part of its provenance.

Despite having been restored around 30 years ago, the coachwork is still in a fine condition with nicely aligned panels and good shutlines.

It also has that...