[Hanno Spoelstra]

Follow the link to read the entire article, but here's a snippet on the late Mike Ebeling's WOA2:

"Unique Mercury Eight Estate and rare Ford WOA2 head to auction
WWII era Mercury Eight Estate and Ford WOA2 'Heavy Utility' cars up for sale at the April 14th Imperial War Museum auction in Duxford, UK."

https://www.militarytrader.com/milit...ead-to-auction



"This particular example – chassis 7038837 – took the late Mike Ebeling, a noted WW2 vehicle restorer, four years of intensive work to return to its former glory (1997-2001). Known for his relentless pursuit of authenticity, Mr Ebeling used parts from five donors to renovate the WOA2.

Interviewed by Classic Military Vehicle magazine in 2006, he explained his motivation thus: ‘To own a vehicle, or type of vehicle, that played a part in the most awe-inspiring conflict the world has ever known gives me the inspiration to see the restoration through to the end. If I am honest, I get more of a kick from the research and the restoration work than I do from driving the vehicle. Days spent at the Imperial War Museum’s photo library in Lambeth going over photos with a magnifying glass, endless research into the manufacture and variations in design, the arm of service that would have used the vehicle, and even the equipment carried. Maybe, in some way, I do all this work in memory of my father who was killed in France a month or so after D-Day. Of course, my life in the motor trade and service with the REME must also play a part in my enthusiasm for the hobby’."