Lakini Bolton and her partner Jerry Chalupnik had left their black Ford Fiesta, nicknamed Vader after the Star Wars character, at the garage on Bothwell Road on Monday afternoon, just hours before the building went up in flames.
After an anxious wait to learn the car’s fate, the garage owner confirmed to the couple that the vehicle had still been up on a ramp inside when the blaze took hold.
Lakini told the BBC: “It’s gone. He told me the good news is it will be paid for by his insurance but the bad news is he doesn’t know how long it will take.”
Lakini said she had been getting a lift to the railway station to pick up Jerry after work when she spotted the garage on fire.
By the time the couple had finished shopping nearby, the blaze had grown dramatically.
Jerry told the BBC: “It was like ten times bigger than it had been originally. It was huge with thick black smoke, the thing you see when a lot of rubber tyres burn.”
Vader belonged to Star Wars fan Jerry, but Lakini relied on the car to drive to her shifts at her Glasgow hospital.
She said: “My mum’s on holiday so I’m able to borrow her car just now but she’s back on Thursday and I haven’t yet got a plan.”
The car also held sentimental value for the couple, with Lakini having used it when she passed her driving test four years ago.
She said: “There are a lot of memories attached to that car.”
Others were also affected by the blaze, including mechanic and MOT tester David Mills, who lost his entire collection of tools in the fire.
Friends have set up a crowdfunder to help the father of three, who had spent years building up his expensive equipment.
Firefighters worked through the night to stop the blaze spreading to an adjacent petrol station and nearby supermarket.
One person was treated at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation but there were no other casualties.
Police Scotland said: “Bothwell Road, Uddingston has reopened following a fire reported around 6.55pm on Monday, 27 April, 2026.
“One man was treated at the scene. There were no other reports of injuries.
“The fire is not being treated as wilful.”
