As a child, Peter was introduced to fine cars by his motor-engineer father, and his passion for such vehicles continued throughout his entire life. He said, ‘I had some memorable rides in Allards, Armstrong-Siddeleys and Alvis's, but it was the Rolls-Royces that really moved me." He owned over 15 during his lifetime, his first being a 20/25 Mulliner saloon which he bought for £62 in 1964.
However, he was moved to, not only own and drive such cars, but also immortalise them in painted form. A member of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club since 1960 Peter was incredibly knowledgeable about these sublime vehicles and the idea was sparked to create a collection of paintings as a tribute to Sir Henry Royce.
He originally set out to produce 15 paintings but didn’t stop there, and in fact continued painting a wide variety of high-quality vintage and classic cars before his death in 2014 due to his enthusiasm for the subject matter. Whilst seeking inspiration at the beginning of this period of his art, he visited Althorp Hall, the stately home of Princess Diana's family, where an annual Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club rally is held. The people wandering amongst these vintage cars were clad in jeans and T-shirts and Peter later mused, "the reality of today's jean and carrier bags just doesn't appeal to me, so when people are involved in my paintings, I give them a period look." So, although true to the detail of the cars he loved, he placed them into a setting more appropriate to their vintage. Indeed, the resulting pictures were first seen in public at the 1995 rally at this venue where they garnered high praise.
It also resulted in Peter being awarded the Richard A Teague award in 1997 for the artist who best exemplified the expression of the automotive spirit at the Meadow Brook Hall, Concours d'Elegance, at Oakfield University, Michigan USA.