NEC SHOW REPORT

It is always a pleasurable challenge to encapsulate the experience of attending this years’ NEC Practical Classics Car & Restoration Show– especially after such a long absence. Here are just a few impressions but there could be so many others –

• Jake Clappison’s Triumph Spitfire at the entrance to Hall 5, in all its Inca Yellow magnificence.
• A Wolseley ‘Landcrab’ in need of TLC.
• Plus, a beautiful 1965 Austin 1800 – they are such underrated cars.
• A Jowett Bradford ice cream van – incredibly, these were still being made as late as 1953.
• A Renault 21 – a car that I have not seen In use since 2005.
• Some truly imposing Ford Sierras.
• The array of MG Metros - the fact they are celebrating their 40^th birthday this year makes me feel extremely old.

• A limited-edition Saab 99 GLE – I genuinely did not think any remained on the road in this country.
• A 1972 Volvo 145 that looked ready for another five decades of service.
• A Wolseley 6/80 that looked as though it had just emerged from a Scotland Yard B-feature.
• Those rear-engine Simcas, as a reminder of how the 1000 saloon was once seen all over France.
• A Maestro Van – once as much part of 1980s life as early Goths congregating at the local Wimpy bar.
• An Irish built Wolseley 6/110 hearse that looked as though it had recently encountered Father Dougal McGuire.
• The ADO16 display, including a very desirable 1300GT.
• The wonderfully diverse line-up at the Gay Classic Car Group, including a Renault Espace and an MG Maestro.
• Early BMW Minis to remind just how remote the early 2000s now seem.

• The same applies to an immaculate looking 2003 Rover 25.
• A BMC J4 Van, a form of automotive life that was once as familiar as Michael Fish on the BBC Weather Report.

• A splendid array of very imposing Rover 800s.

• And, on the Lancaster Insurance stand, that Fiat 127. Any of these is now rarer than your average Bugatti in this country and, more incredibly still, it was a last-of-the-line third-generation mode.

These are but a few aspects of the event. Naturally, there will be a full blog later this month on Laura Godtschalk’s 1992 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet that is the 2022 winner of the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership award. For now, I would just like to pay tribute to the owners, clubs and organisers, without whom there would be no Show – and to say how good it was to meet with so many old friends. In fact, this year saw the first gathering of Facebook’s Classic Cars Enthusiasts’’ Forum – and let’s hope it will be one of many.