This 1967 Jaguar E-Type had been in Martyn’s family for decades. He has owned the car since he was in his twenties and, after spending more than 30 years working for Jaguar, it’s fair to say that cars like this have always been a big part of his life.

His son Paul originally got in touch to arrange the photography shoot as a birthday gift. After owning the E-Type for so many years, Martyn had spent two years carefully restoring it, with the aim of finally bringing the car back to the road. It had been off the road since Paul was four years old.

There was something particularly special about photographing the car once that work was complete. This wasn’t simply a beautifully restored E-Type — it was a car returning to the road after decades, and one that had been part of Martyn’s life for most of his adult life.

The location made the story even more appropriate. We photographed the E-Type at Wappenbury Hall in Warwickshire, the former home of Sir William Lyons, founder of Jaguar. It was a remarkable setting for the car, and one that connected its own history with the wider story of Jaguar. The combination of the Hall, its grounds and the freshly restored E-Type gave the photographs a real sense of place.

The shoot was originally planned as a birthday present, but quickly became something much more personal. Alongside the wider photographs of the car, there was a chance to document the details of the restoration, the character of the E-Type and the relationship between the car and the people who had cared for it over the years.

As an automotive photographer, these are the shoots I enjoy most. The car is obviously important, but the story behind it is what makes the photographs meaningful. When Paul first found my work, he described the difference perfectly: “Most of the other photographers that I found just take photos. You take stories.”

That is exactly what I try to do. Photograph the car, but also capture its story — its history, its surroundings and the people who have made it special.

After two years of restoration, this E-Type was finally back where it belonged — on the road, and with a new collection of classic car photographs to help preserve its story for the years ahead.