The annual NEC Classic Motor Show is a mecca for all classic car enthusiasts. To get the most out of the show, you really need to make a weekend of it. With around 3,000 vehicles on display across six halls, and 270 classic vehicle clubs, it seems almost impossible to see everything in a single day, but we certainly gave it a good go!
As we moved around the halls, we were on the lookout for the interesting and exceptional. There were so many vehicles to see and appreciate, so here are just some of our highlights.
Starting in Hall 8, which this year was dedicated to all things Ford. The coral colour MKII Ford Consul Hi-Line Convertible on the Ford MKII Consul, Zephyr, Zodiac Owners Club really caught our attention. Another interesting vehicle in the ‘Ford hall’ was a 1962 Ford Saxon on the Ford Classic & Retro Sports Cars stand. The Ford Saxon was a British designed and made prototype, mainly aimed at the American market. Ford100e.com had a great display featuring a mixture of stock and modified vehicles. The fresh out this year, fully race-prepped 300e Van on the club’s stand was a real crowd pleaser.
Moving into Hall 4, we loved the colour-themed display of Morris Minor Millions on the Morris Minor Owners Club. Launched by BMC in 1961 to celebrate the millionth Morris 1000, 350 Morris Minor Millions were made, and they were painted in a jubilant shade of lilac.
Also sporting a pastel paint scheme was the fun Austin ice cream van on the Austin A30-A35 Owner’s Club stand. A 1939 Morris 8 Series E Tourer also caught our attention on the Morris Register stand. This car is being used for the club’s own young enthusiast’s car loan scheme. There was a lovely display of classic Wolseley’s on the Wolseley Register stand; the Wolseley 21/60 ‘County’ was particularly interesting with the built-in luggage boot. The standout car in Hall 4 for us, had to be the pale blue coach built 1954 Riley Royale on the Riley R M Club stand, this car was absolutely stunning.
More car clubs were to be found in Hall 5, as well as the motorbike showcase. On two wheels, a 1968 Lambretta 150 caught our eye, and after a quick chat with the owner, it transpired that this scooter was making its debut at the show! We were also drawn to a smart 1961 green Vauxhall Cresta on the Vauxhall Cresta Stand, a yellow Triumph MKII GT6 on the Triumph 2000, 2500 stand, and a 50th anniversary display of Toyota Celica’s on the Toyota Enthusiasts Club stand. The Triumph Sports Six Club had a great display as usual, including the only factory produced Triumph Vitesse 1600 Coupe.
The Classic Corvette Club UK featured a mix of Corvette models spanning the decades, and the NSRA was joined by their Hot Rod Supernationals Participants Choice winner, the outstanding Matford Woodie. It was also great to see a traditional style Ford Model A on the stand which won the young rodder award at the same event.
The Rootes car clubs were to be found in Hall 3, as well as a unique display of DeLorean’s on the DeLorean Owners Club stand. Over on The Imp Club, we loved the rally look 1976 Hillman Imp Caledonian, and the outstanding 1939 Sunbeam proudly position on the Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register stand.
Another exceptional vehicle was the Sunbeam Harrington Le Mans display on the Sunbeam Alpine Owners Club. The MG Octagon Car Club had the world’s first MGYB on show, and Hillman Owners Club was celebrating the 90th birthday of the Hillman Minx and the 60th birthday of the Hillman Superminx.
Hall 2 hosted the auction zone. It was the first time that Silverstone Auctions had hosted a dedicated motorcycle auction at the show which included a mixture of bikes, scooters, café racers, and sidecars. It was also great to see a 1979 VW Type 2 Camper Van auctioned for charity on Saturday, and a 1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth with only 5,545 miles on the odometer sold for £103,500! We also found our friends at The Bug Club, who’ve recently celebrated 50 years of the Bond Bug, and Middlebridge Scimitar in Hall 2, both clubs had great displays.
Last but not least, Hall 1 – yes, we did walk the halls in reverse order! The TVR Car Club was encouraging the next generation of enthusiasts with the 40% scale TVR Chimaera. This child sized TVR was built during the Covid lockdown from December 2020 to spring 2021. Another vehicle that caught our eye in Hall 1 was an early 1922 Aston Martin ‘Sajito’ on the Vintage Sports Car Club stand. This heritage racer had an interesting ownership and competitive racing history. The cars featured on The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club were a credit to the club and we particularly enjoyed the 1992 Porsche 968 Coupe on display.
Finally, we get to our car of the show. Our 1934 Mercedes-Benz 130H (W23) on The Mercedes-Benz Club stand. This vehicle was the smallest production passenger car of the time, and also the first rear engine, four-cylinder car from Daimler-Benz A.G. You’ll also notice that this car has something in common with the VW Beetle; both cars share the same designer and have many similar design characteristics.
So, these were our 2021 NEC Classic Motor Show highlights and a snapshot of just some of the interesting and exceptional vehicles on display. We hope you enjoy the photos, and if you attended the NEC Classic Motor Show, we would love to hear your highlights too.
