The history preceding the restoration of this automobile could serve as an example of how an incredible love for automobiles, for one’s profession, for beauty and perfection allow our most secret dream to materialize and become a reality.

This happened just before the war with Lebanon. There was a lot of work and there were many opportunities to make money. The staff of the garage stayed at work very late, and, practically, very little time was left over after work.
One night, after a hard day at work, when the exhaustion from the day’s work went through the bones, Rafi awakened. He awakened from the fact that, in his dream, as if in reality, a huge white car suddenly appeared to him. A beauty. No other like it… So beautiful, that it set Rafi’s heart racing crazily. It was four o’clock in the morning, but Rafi just couldn’t sleep.
Lolling in bed another hour, Rafi simply couldn’t stand it any more and decided to go to work. He called one of his employees, whom he usually took to work in the mornings and said, “Alex, please excuse me that it’s so early. But I’m going to Ashdod now. If you want, you can join me. Or, you could get to work by yourself later. You understand, I had a dream about an incredibly beautiful car – I just can’t tell you… I can just see it… I just feel, that something is about to happen, that something must happen …”

They began to work early, but work wasn’t going like it should. The day turned out to be a little crazy. And Rafi had had very little sleep at night, and very little satisfaction from the work during that day. They began working on something – it just didn’t turn out, then started working on something else – also not successful, another something – still not good. They continued working until nine in the evening. Rafi called Alex to go home. “Let’s drive through a couple of areas on the way home. Maybe I’ll find that car. It just can’t be that that dream won’t come true…”

They drove through Rehovot, through the Industrial Area. In those times, the sidewalks and roads in the area weren’t lit with streetlamps. The area was full of small businesses, stores, here and there, a light shone through. They passed on one small street, another, and suddenly – as if a strange feeling…! At some point, somewhere here, stood a garage…

When they drove closer, they saw a sign that said, “Jaguar Classic Cars”. And, from afar, behind a fence, as if some rare bird, Rafi saw his dream. The car was covered in dust and looked matte. And because of that, in the light of the headlights, it was clear that the body of the car was even, without large dents.
“That car will be mine,” Rafi said decidedly. Alex stopped breathing, “Rafi, stop! Don’t you have enough work?!”
In a year and a half, after a series of meetings and long negotiations, Rafi became the owner of this Jaguar. He received the car and, as a bonus to it, another, completely battered, ‘for parts’. In exchange, he gave up his fabulous, restored, cabriolet Lancia..

The automobile looked decent from the outside. There was a problem with the roof – apparently, kids had ‘danced’ on it.
On the inside, however, the car was a nightmare, something simply indescribable. It was completely disfigured. Everything was torn out, cut up, the leather cut into shreds. The engine had been ripped out from underneath the hood. This happens, sometimes, when a car isn’t looked after and left to anyone who wishes to climb in.
The good thing was that the running parts were in order. Little by little, literature was collected on the car and work began. The engine had to be completely overhauled. Some of the parts which were lacking were bought in England.
Eventually, the roof was straightened, as well as the body, where needed. A pearl color was picked out to paint the restored automobile. The car was painted according to a specialized technology. It is surprising, how well the color suited the car. The car looked simply fabulous!
After that, work began on the interior of the car. The seats were, at first, done in suede, but later, re-done in leather.
And so, from a dream, this Jaguar received its second life.