The UK Healey Centre

'The autojumble at the NEC show in November [The International Classic Cars Show] is very good, especially for electrical parts,' he says. 'But the Beaulieu autojumble is my number one - I found the heater core there and you usually can't find them anywhere in the world. It was just lying there... I couldn't believe it.' 

Where Derek has had to resort to reproduction parts he has made sure that they are brought up to his standards. The bumpers were bought and immediately sent for rechroming at Standard Chrome in Coventry, for example, but Derek was unhappy with the quality of the reproduction overriders and so he stuck with the originals, rechromed of course. 

'People say I've taken concours to new heights, to a new level,' Derek says, 'and I'm honoured that they think that. But it's not just the quality of the rebuild, it's the preparation of the car that counts. 

'We start the cleaning two weeks before an event, Scott and me working every evening and both weekends. I couldn't do it alone; there's so much concentration needed that you have to have someone with you.' 

They jack up the car, using a rubber pad on the jack to protect the underside of the bodywork. Similar pads fit into the tops of the axle stands used to support the car. Wheels, carburettors, exhaust and seats are removed for cleaning then carefully replaced, ensuring that adjacent bolt heads align. Thread ends are cleaned with Duraglit. 

The 100's wheels, being the painted 48-spoke variety, take an hour each to clean - Derek's Healey 3000 has 72-spoke chrome wheels which need two hours each.

The windscreen will be cleaned several times before it's right, taking an hour or more. The engine oil has to be changed at the event because it may be checked for cleanliness. 

'It's so easy to run out of time if you're not experienced at concours,' Derek explains. 'A competitor must be calm and collected, with a set pattern of work. Cleaning in a frenzy often does more harm than good. 

'Judging starts a 9 or 10am so you often have to get there at least a day before, because for most comptetitions the car must be driven, not trailered. We're on the field at about 5am on the morning of the event because there are certain things you can't do the day before. The last hour is for details - even getting yourself washed and changed helps create a good impression.' 

The hard work has paid off - Derek's shelves are packed with concours trophies - but do they make up for the hours spent polishing a car that might never be driven in anger? 

Derek is adamant that they do: 'I'm not a pothunter, I've enjoyed every minute of this. I get very upset when people say that I'm not getting enjoyment out of concours - it's not as if I criticise anybody who races a classic around Brands Hatch or on a rally.