Much-loved vintage car reunited with owner two months after being stolen from London Fields
The Citroen is now back. Picture: Niels Denekamp - Credit: Archant
A cherished vintage motor stolen from London Fields in the summer has been reunited with its owner after being spotted abandoned in an Islington road.
The Citroen was found in Northampton Road, Canonbury, with the window smashed. Picture: Niels Denekamp - Credit: Archant
Owner Eoin Billings thanked passers-by who recognised the 1946 Citroen Light 15 and sent him photos of it dumped at Northampton Park Road, near the junction with St Paul's Road.
Now living in Portugal, Eoin sent his mechanic to pick it up. When he arrived, he noticed the windows had been smashed in, the bumpers severely damaged, and the internal wiring completely torn out.
Eoin believes the thieves abandoned the vintage black sedan after realising it was impossible to sell.
"Stealing it was kind of stupid," he told the Gazette. "It's slow and isn't as prized as other vintage cars produced around that time."
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The vehicle was built in a converted arms factory in Slough during the Second World War and had been in the Billings' family for two generations when it was stolen in August.
The car, which is something of a celebrity in the area, was taken from the family's Andrews Road address while they were moving to Portugal.
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"I got it back thanks to the kind, selfless people of Hackney. What they did was amazing and I am so grateful for their help," Eoin said.
Once repaired, the car will be parked in its usual spot on Andrews Road as a thank you to locals before moving it to his new overseas home.
