Event report: The Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show and National Car Club Awards.
The fourth edition of the NEC based season opener, the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show enjoyed its first year spanning three days with another record breaking attendance.
With 132 classic motoring clubs displaying a mixture of stunning cars and live working on project cars, 25,128 attendees enjoyed the interactive show which had over 1,000 cars on display across six halls, totalling 42,000 square metres.
Hamilton Classic inhabited the trade hall once again with our Cair-o-Port on display complete with a rare Grinnall Cars Triumph TR7V8 within. Our Mazda MX5 displayed a selction of car covers whilst we spread the word of our new range of luxury carpet sets for all classic cars. The Hamilton Classic GP4 rally Triumph TR8 was pride of place on the TR Register car club display in their modified engines display sat alongside a Rover V8 powered Triumph TR4A and a superchraged Triumph TR4.
A highlight of the event as always was the UK’s biggest Barn Find display with the 1972 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow stealing the show from the other 24 discoveries. Found by Chris Pearson from Bolton, the Rolls was covered in moss on the outside and housed a colony of spiders under the bonnet from the amount of webs featured.
At the other end of the motoring extreme, the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership saw 20 finalists battle it out for the visitors votes. Its was Keith Edmund’s 1972 Triumph Spitfire that proved to be the crowd favourite, with Ian Mill’s 1969 Ford Cortina 1600E coming second and Michael Hawkins’ 1972 Ford Escort RS2000 taking third place.
The debut of Classic Car Auctions (CCA) and its biggest ever sale featuring over 200 cars was a huge success with 75 per cent of cars going to new homes. Total sales of £2.4million made it CCA’s highest priced sale since the auction house was founded.
There was much excitement over on the Practical Classics Live Stage with Discovery, because as well as working on two classic restoration projects over the weekend, there was also the debut of the new Wheeler Dealers line up. Show stalwart Mike Brewer was joined by his new co-host and mechanic Ant Anstead on the PC Live Stage with Discovery for a very frank interview in front of a packed crowd about the future of Wheeler Dealers and the departure of Edd China.
The duo then got their hands dirty helping Mike Coman and the Leeds City College team in the Workshop sponsored by Skill Shack with one of the many demos, which ranged from panel beating to lead loading.
The Right Honorable Sir Greg Knight also took to the stage offering words of support to the classic motoring community and advising them to be vocal about their wants and needs to keep Britain’s motoring heritage at the forefront of parliamentary discussion.
The Sporting Bears’ Dream Rides raised over £12,000 from offering ten mile passenger rides in cars from the Dream Rides Garage, which was £5,000 up on last year. Since it was formed, the Sporting Bears Motoring Club has raised £1.8million for children’s charities around the UK.
Around 350 specialist traders were involved with the show including leading dealers, parts and spares suppliers. The show also hosts the spring’s biggest indoor Autojumble.
The next Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show will be held from 23-25 March 2018.
National Car Club Awards
The winners of the 2017 National Car Club Awards, in association with Tourism Ireland, were announced on Saturday 1 April in an emotionally charged evening.
Over 230 members of the classic motoring community attended the prize giving at Birmingham’s NEC. Special guests included the Rt. Hon. Sir Greg Knight, Wheeler Dealers Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead, and Car SOS’ techie guru Fuzz Townshend.
David Boyce from Tourism Ireland, headline sponsor of The National Car Club Awards, said: “Not only do these awards recognise the amazing amount of time and effort made by the clubs but the community spirit the car clubs create as a whole. There was a fantastic atmosphere in the room and a real appreciation between all those nominated and the winners. It was a very special evening that Tourism Ireland is very proud to be associated with.”
A total of 16 awards were presented, with the biggest cheers of the night going to Rosie Hamilton of the Morris Minor Owners Club who received the Lifetime Achievement award from David Boyce.
In the Classic Car Club categories, the Rover Sports Register’s Freewheel magazine won Outstanding Club Magazine of the Year (printed), sponsored by Stena Line and presented by Dianne Poole.
Outstanding Website of the Year, sponsored by Tourism Ireland, was presented to the TR Register by David Boyce. The Austin 7 Clubs Association was highly commended in this category.
The MK1 Golf Owners Club won the Outstanding use of Social Media, sponsored by Lancaster Insurance, and presented by Andrew Evanson, while David Whale from the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs presented The Imp Club with the award for Outstanding Support of the Next Generation. The Morris Minor Owners Club Young Register was highly commended.
Classic Car Weekly Editor David Simister presented the Jensen Owners Club with Outstanding Car Club Event (Run or Rally), with a highly commended given to the Morris Minor Owners Club.
The Jensen Owners Club also won the ‘Best of the Best’ National Car Club Winners award, sponsored by Lancaster Insurance, for the most outstanding entry of all entries.
The MG Car Club was presented with the National Car Club of the Year award, by Dave Youngs from sponsors Lancaster Insurance. The Club was praised for its ability to make sure all aspects of its role are performed seamlessly as well as the new archive building that was added to Kimber House.
It was then on to the Devoted Members categories where Footman James’ Managing Director David Bond presented the Unsung Hero award to Brian Humphreys from the Rover P6 Club. Pauline Blake from the Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register was highly commended.
David also presented Graham Orchard of the Ford Cortina Mkll Owners Club with the National Car Club Ambassador of the Year award on behalf of Footman James. Wayne Scott from the TR Register was also highly commended in this category.
In the awards categories relating to the clubs’ displays at the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show, Lancaster Insurance’s Dave Young presented the Best Live Working at the Show award to the National Traction Engine Trust for an amazing display.
Danny Hopkins, Editor of Practical Classics Magazine presented the award for Best Restored Car in Show to Michael Kavanagh of the Jowett Car Club for the 1913 Jowett Tiller. The Best Car in Show was presented to Alan Buttle with the Jet 1 Replica, on Rover Sports Register, by Will Smith from sponsor Classic Car Auctions.
Best Club Stand awards went to the Allard Owners Club for under 75sqm and the Jowett Car Club for over 75sqm, sponsored by Classic Car Weekly and Practical Classics respectively.
Lancaster Insurance Operations Director Richard Morley presented the Judges Special Recognition Award to the Sporting Bears for its amazing services to charity, raising over £1.8million for children’s charities around the UK.
