Car-Loving Couple Gets Matching Shell Tattoos in Nod to Gas Station Where Their Romance Began

Jack Ellison first approached now-girlfriend Heidi Montague to compliment her on her Volkswagen car

NEED TO KNOW

• Fellow car enthusiasts Heidi Montague and Jack Ellison first met at a Shell gas station
• They eventually began dating after connecting over their shared passion for cars
• The couple decided to commemorate the place where their romance began by getting matching shell tattoos

When Heidi Montague popped into a Shell gas station to get a car wash on her lunch break four years ago, she never imagined she would find her perfect match.

In the summer of 2022, Montague, 23, drove her beloved Volkswagen Polo BlueGT to the Shell station in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England, per Kennedy News and Media. When she pulled up to the jet wash, however, the machine was already in use. The other customer, Jack Ellison, then proceeded to walk over and complimented her set of wheels.

"He was cleaning his car and came over to me and said he really liked my car," recalled Montague, a car company customer operations team leader. "It was a talking point."

Ellison, a car company parts advisor, remembered thinking Montague was "stunning" when he first laid eyes on her at the Shell station.

"I saw her car first and thought it was cool. I noticed she was wearing a Volkswagen jacket, which I thought was interesting," he said. "I thought, 'I have to speak to her as she's stunning.' "

The two found themselves lost in conversation about their shared passion for cars.

Before Ellison, 26, left the gas station, he and Montague exchanged their social media details so they could keep in touch.

At the time, they were both in relationships, but they would check in with each other occasionally. Then, in August 2024, they both found themselves single.

"I messaged him and asked him how he was and what he'd been up to. That same day, he asked me to go for a coffee, and the rest is history," Montague shared, remembering, "When I first met him, I think there was an initial connection. He was a boy of a similar age to me and a good-looking bloke."

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Their romance quickly developed, with many dates spent attending car shows together. Thinking that the way they first crossed paths was "quite romantic" and "like something out of a movie," Montague and Ellison had the idea to commemorate their meet-cute by getting matching shell tattoos on their forearms in July 2025.

"We met at a Shell station, and we both really wanted a shell tattoo. We told the tattooist about how we met, and they thought it was a really sweet story," Montague said.

Ellison said they are thrilled with the results. "I love [the tattoos] so much," he shared. "I was super excited to have something matching with my girlfriend."

Montague posted a video on social media of the pair showing off their new ink and sharing how they met. One person commented, "Shell should give you a discount," while another wrote, "V power running through your veins."

The couple said they feel lucky to have found a partner with whom they have so much in common.

"It's nice having someone to share my passion with and having her to talk to about cars," Ellison said of Montague. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

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