We have just returned from a fantastic four days at The London Classic Car Show!
Invited by ERS, Specialist Motor Insurer, we were lucky enough to have a prime position stand and our ClassicLine branding around the show’s main runway parade, the Grand Avenue! Thanks to ERS, our team were able to provide live, bespoke, insurance quotes at the show giving visitors to our stand the chance to discuss their quote and policy benefits there and then.
We were also fortunate to have a newly restored 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint on our stand all weekend. Many stopped to admire the restoration work put in by owner Mark Robinson – even Quentin Wilson came over to give his seal of approval! Thank you very much Mark.
So, what were our show highlights?
Thursday evenings VIP reception got the show off to a great start. Our Managing Director, Ian Fray, and Insurance Advisor, Matthew Mcguinicle, had an opportunity cruise the Grand Avenue in a 1958 Studebaker Golden Hawk. Then, we raised a glass to toast Ian Callum whose prolific automotive design career was honoured with The London Classic Car Show Icon Award. A celebratory exhibition of his work featuring the Aston Martin DB9, Jaguar i-pace, F-Type and XK and the Ford RS200 rally car was also worth a visit during the weekend.
We are sure that Ian Callum will agree that cars are designed to be seen moving and the shows Grand Avenue gives you just that! As the place to see all the action, it was a chance to spot rarer classics such an early 1967 Jensen FF with chassis number 6, a legendary ‘Blower Bentley’ – a 1931 4 ½ litre Supercharged Bentley, and a fully road legal Porsche Icon 917K.
Another stand that you could not help but admire was the Edd China curated aero-engined cars! Featuring four ‘specials’, the most famous being the 27-litre V12 Thomas Special ‘Babs’ – yes, 27 litres! Babs, together with racing driver John Parry-Thomas broke the land speed record in 1926 at 171.09mph.
It was also great to see any array of car clubs showcased at the event. Special mention goes to the Corvette Appreciate & Preservation Society who put on a great display of American classics – good to meet you all!
Other great stands were the Capri MKI Owners’ Club who were celebrating 50 years of the Capri with a limited-edition model in Daytona Yellow. Plus, the Karmann Ghia Owners’ Club had a very smart selection of Classic VW’s on show – we had trouble deciding which cars we would like to take home…
On Friday and Saturday ERS held their Big Electric Classic Debates. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and at times heated, the show is a great platform to discuss the future of electrification. If you want to join the debate, click here.
Finally, one little car was the BIG star of the show…the Mini! Among the 60-odd cars taking part in the Grand Avenue demonstrations were a rare collection of Mini’s. Including, a 1966 Broadspeed GT Mini Coupe that was one of the first built, Quentin Wilsons very own 1959 Austin Seven DeLuxe and the second oldest surviving estate, the 1960 Austin Seven Countryman.
If you are a fan of the original The Italian Job, you could have even caught a glimpse of the surviving cars movie cars. A pair of Jaguar E Types – the dark blue Fixed Head Coupe (619 DXX) and the red 3.8litre Roadster (848 CRY). Plus, the Aston Martin DB4 Convertible (163 ELT) that was supposedly tipped over the cliff but was in fact switched for a Lancia Flaminia during filming allowing the DB4 to survive.
If you enjoyed the show too, we would love to hear from you!
Related Pages:
2019 will be big for one small car
Round Britain in 48 Hours – A Triumph TR4A & 1,950 miles!
Specialist Classic Car Insurance
