THE 2024 PRACTICAL CLASSICS RESTORATION SHOW

The Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show was an electrifying event, drawing 26,912 attendees to Birmingham’s NEC over the 22-24 weekend. Witnessing over 160 car clubs come together to showcase restoration demos was truly heartening. It's a testament to our community's dedication to preserving automotive heritage and inspiring future generations.

Highlights included captivating interviews and expert panels featuring renowned personalities like Ant Anstead, Richard Hammond, and others. The Footman James Barn Find display showcased 20 unearthed classics, with Derek Drinkwater’s 1950 Cadillac Flower Car stealing the audience’s hearts.

In the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership competition, Colin Fidler's 1956 Austin A35 clinched the top spot, while other remarkable entries graced the event. The Sporting Bears Motor Club raised over £19,000 through Dream Rides, and the National Car Club Awards honoured outstanding contributions to the industry.

The show celebrated excellence across various categories, recognising the dedication and innovation of car clubs and individuals. It was a momentous occasion that highlighted the spirit of camaraderie and innovation in the classic car community.

So, what is next?

Well, buckle up your seatbelt’s classic car enthusiasts, as the UK's biggest and best classic car show is on the horizon! We are talking about 3,000 classic cars, the world's largest gathering of car clubs and 350+ exhibitors and traders.

The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show 2024, 8-10 November and taking up 7 halls of the NEC!

Tickets go on sale May 8 - mark your calendars!

Andrew Roberts recounts his experience at The Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show in the following article.

It is a considerable challenge to summarise my experience of the 2024 Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show at the NEC. For a start, there was the 1956 Austin A35 owned by Colin Fidler that won the ‘Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership’ competition to huge acclaim – and that is before we mention:

1. That remarkable green Austin Metro that looked as though it should glow in the dark.
2. An equally green Jensen Interceptor.
3. That bright yellow Austin Maxi Series II.
4. The array of magnificently orange Bond Bugs.
5. The Tickford display with its tempting array of Ford Capris and Sierras, plus a pre-war Rover tourer.
6. The Princess-Ambassador Club, with not one but two Wolseley ‘Wedges’ - a very fine car that British Leyland only offered for seven months in 1975.
7. Riley RMs that epitomised the word “dashing”.
8. Lewis Buchan, the three-wheeled vehicle expert, restoring a 1963 Regal 3/25 - one of the most essential products in Reliant’s history.
9. The grey Wolseley 6/90 Series III – surely one of Gerald Palmer’s most stylish creations?
10. On the Lancaster Insurance Stand, ‘Vivian’ the blue Viva HC that immediately transported my mind to 1975 – a time when such Vauxhalls were ubiquitous sights as driving school cars and police Panda cars.
11. The chance to appreciate just what a handsome a car the Vauxhall Victor FE Estate truly is – a five-door fastback launched some years before the Audi 100 Avant.
12. The 1966 Ford Transit motor home that looked as though it had strayed from the set of Carry On Camping.
13. A green Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire in ‘four window’ form – a car that truly belongs in a Margaret Rutherford film.
14. Finally, I saw a Colt Sapporo – a car I can barely recall seeing on the road when new – and could marvel at its pan-Pacific elegance.
15. Sean Mooganx’s 1989 Fiat Panda 4x4 – one of the very few still on the road in this country.
16. The yellow Triumph 2.5 PI Mk. I was not only extremely handsome but also owned and enjoyed by a 21-year-old enthusiast.
17. The white Volvo 145 Estate – smart, solid and ready for a trip across the country.
18. A Ford Capri Mk. II with Ferguson four-wheel-drive. I’ll repeat that – a Ford Capri Mk. II with Ferguson four-wheel-drive.
19. ‘Sven’ the 1964 red Saab GT850 owned by Jon Bentley - watch out for the special blog very soon.
20. Back on the Lancaster Insurance stand, the Peugeot 205 Dimma.
21. The actual Volvo P1800 from the early editions of The Saint starring Roger Moore.
22. The 1962 Alfa Romeo Romeo 2 – an A-R light commercial that was nearly unknown here in the early 1960s.
23. The Granada Ghia Mk. II Estate owned by Alex Sebbinger-Sparks – so smart it could have emerged from a Ford brochure.
24. The oldest UK-registered Fiat 128.
25. The Rover 200 SD3 – can the design really be approaching its 40th birthday?
26. The mesmerising array of Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership entrants.
27. Klasyczna Polonia UK reassembling a RHD FSO Polonez – one of the rarest cars in the UK.
28. The 1926 Ford Model T owned by Rosie Hodgson-Jones, the winner of this year’s Lancaster Insurance ‘Bright Young Sparks’ award – proof that the future of classic cars is in very safe hands.
29. A 1983 MG Maestro that reminded me I was aged thirteen on their launch.
30. And finally, the chance to meet the many people who are responsible for making classic cars one of the world’s finest pastimes – including the opportunity to meet some friends for the very first time.