A YOUNG entrepreneur from a New Forest village has pulled off a multi-million-pound deal with Donald Trump’s business partner to buy the entire contents of two famous motoring museums in Cumbria.
And in a few weeks, Rebecca Donovan, 22, who currently works with her parents Barbara and Stuart at Mayfair Motors in Milford-on-Sea, will be jetting out to Miami to start work for the property tycoon Michael Dezer, who has bought the famous vehicles.
Rebecca, who set-up her own internet business selling traditional British food to ex-pats at the age of 18, while also helping at her parents’ business, facilitated the sale of The James Bond Museum and Cars of the Stars in Keswick in February this year.
After being told by a friend the cars in the museums were going to be sold on eBay, Rebecca and her family contacted Mr Dezer in the US, who flew over in a private jet to personally view the collection.
Her parents’ business specialises in importing and exporting English and Japanese motorcycles.
The family, who had remained in contact with Mr Dezer from a previous deal, knew the prominent businessman was setting up a motor museum in Florida, as he had already offered Rebecca a job running the gift shop.
The museum – The Dezer Collection – will contain cars including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Magnum’s Ferrari, FAB 1 Rolls Royce, James Bond’s Aston Martins and Lotus plus many more famous cars including Laurel and Hardy’s Model T Ford and the BSA motorcycle from Thunderball.
The opening of the museum has now been pushed back to October to accommodate the new cars.
Rebecca, who travelled extensively to Japan when she was younger, attended Wentworth College in Bournemouth until aged 18.
She said: “We’ve been in Keswick for six weeks moving the cars and shipping them out to Miami.
“There are 78 cars, a lot of motorbikes and a tank so it’s taken some organising.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I am nervous but I have a mixture of feelings.”
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