Owned by Dean Harley and featured as part of the ‘Restorer of the year’ display this once humble Fiat 128 CL now propelled by a Kawasaki Z12R Motorbike engine producing 178 bhp at 10,500 rpm.
Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp
After the somewhat exotic excesses of Paris and Retromobile in February, in late March I caught the train to Birmingham (avoiding the shutdown of Heathrow), to the somewhat grey and soulless halls of the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) for the Practical Classics Magazine Classic Car and Restoration Show.
Much smaller than the regular Classic Car show held at the NEC in November, the Practical Classics show is often described as the friendliest show and the over 26,000 who attended over the three days of the event seemed to be having a good time. (If you fancy a change and enjoy seeing stuff that you never expected (hoped!) to see in VT you will be pleased…we were!- Ed.)
Part 1 shows a few of the cars at the show in fine fettle, while Part 2 features cars in need of work or being worked on while at the show.
An Alfa Arna looks to be in fine fettle.
No work required, Alfa Romeo 146.
Ideal for taking your garden rubbish to the local tip (in utmost luxury), Rolls Royce Silver Spirit pick up truck.
A 6 cylinder 2.4 Litre Jaguar XK engine, but in what car is it in?
It’s in this 1964 MGB Roadster!
A very rare car indeed, 1961 Goggomobil T700 Royal (Isard). The Goggomobil was also part of the pride of ownership display.
Forming part of the ‘Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership’ display, a 1960 Morris Mini Minor Deluxe.
An Austin Allegro featured in VT ! Part of the Pride of Ownership display, Alexandra Phillips’ 1974 Austin Allegro 1300 Super 2dr known as “Peggy.” Why Peggy? Because the original owner, named Peggy, kept a peg on the choke to hold it in place!
1925 Daimler 16/55 Tourer
The Bond Bug owners club (The Bug Club) were out in force to showcase Tom Karen’s (Ogle Design) fantastic 70s Orange wedge 3 wheeler.
A 1969 Hillman Husky, but with a difference, namely a 130 bhp BMW K1200 motor bike engine, offering slightly more performance than the original 39 bhp 875cc overhead camshaft aluminum engine offered.
Winner of the Practical Classics Magazine Restorer of the year was Bob Medrum for his Vauxhall Viva HB Estate complete with a Lotus slant four motor shoe horned into the engine bay.
A stunner that probably goes pretty well too.
A humble 1970 Morris Minor? No, not so humble now due to the fitment of a Eaton M45 Supercharger.
1922 Gary 5 Ton Truck, Located in Gary, Indiana, the Gary Truck Company was founded in 1916 and produced various models ranging in capacity from 3/4 ton up to a 5 ton before ceasing trading in 1926.
If you are saying “what the heck is that,” as I certainly was, then let me enlighten you. It is a Status Motor Company 365, a Mini based kit car. The Norfolk based Status Motor Company was formed by former Lotus chief engineer Brian Luff, and according to Brian 38 examples were constructed.
1966 Rover P6 2000 with only 34500 miles from new.
From the ‘Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership’ display, the 1971 Citroen SM of Andy Mewis.
A MK2 Ford Escort, but this is considered to be the unicorn MK2, namely a 1975 Cosworth BDA powered RS1800, one of only 109 built.
I have seen a lot of 2CVs in my time but I have never seen one fitted with that strange type of roof rack complete with a glass sunroof.
There cannot be many left in this condition, a 1974 Ford Transit Dormobile Freeway Caravanette. Courtesy of the Transit Van club.
“The Shove it Chevette.” In period the Vauxhall Chevette was often called the Shove it! This is the ‘Shove it Chevette’, a 1977 2dr example currently being restored, and if the motor under the bonnet does not look very Vauxhall like that is because it is actually from a 1.6 MK1 Mazda MX5.
Another Dormobile product from Martin Walter (established 1773), The Morris Dormobile Junior. To quote from period ads, ‘The DORMOBILE Junior affords seating for four adults in separate car-comfort seats upholstered with foam rubber cushions on spring laced frames. For use as a sleeper the seats can instantly be folded down, by means of a patent semi-automatic action, to form a comfortable bed for two. Alternatively as the rear seats can be folded close against the body sides, the DORMOBILE Junior can carry a driver and front passenger with a full load of baggage at the rear.
A fine pair of Austin Sevens bodied by Swallow of Blackpool. As you probably know Swallow was formed in 1922 by William Walmsley and a certain Willian Lyons and later morphed into Jaguar Cars.
BMC badge engineering at its best, the Riley Kestrel, a posher BMC ADO16.
Same with the Riley Elf, a posher Mini with a bigger boot.
Not a factory conversion but I rather like it!, Saab 95 Pickup, or UTE as it says on the registration plate.
This is Saab 92 chassis 92019, the 19th Saab built and one of the 20 pre-production prototypes built at Trollhättan and registered for the road on the 31st May 1949.
Always something different to see, 1977 330 BHP Volvo N12 tractor unit.
For sure the lowest mileage vehicle at the show. Kevin Jones’ 1986 Skoda Rapid 136 has only covered 10 miles. Originally displayed at Bibsworth Garage Skoda dealership in London until its closure in 2000. Then stored under a canopy with only a sheet to cover it until being rescued.
Very rare even when new in the UK, Mike Wallis’ 1976 Datsun 330 260C.
I read the other report about the wrecks and restos first but now I have seen there was also a nice clean Alfa Romeo Arna there to you can ignore my previous plea to save the rough one. Yes rare, and it is good to see one saved, but the world does not need any more.
The Austin Allegro was often an object of ridicule in its day, but c’mon, who doesn’t think they a quite cute today?
The Bond Bug is still on my ‘wants list’, so bizarre yet they still look good today.
Those two red wagons look great and good to see they now have performance to match. This is hot-rodding with justification and imagination. Thanks guys.
The Citroën SM looks fab in that color.
And talking of Citroëns, I think I am finally going to give in to an old itch and buy myself a 2CV, I will report back if it happens.
The registration plate on the SAAB may be not noticed in England but it is obviously a reference to the Australian term for a pickup, known here as a Ute – short for utility. That Rolls-Royce also qualifies as a Ute.
And finally, there is a good reason that Datsun at the bottom is rare in the UK. There were trade agreements at that time that penalised large engined imports from Japan, Datsun Cherrys and Sunnys were everywhere by the mid-70s but the bigger cars were rare although Toyota did manage to sell a few of the Crown Custom for a brief period.
Nice choice of photos again, thanks.
Good to see a Riley Kestrel of BMC’s ADO 16 range. I used to have the ultimate version of the range, a Vanden Plas 1300, colored in peat. Originally owned by the BMC importer in Holland and restored for me by Andrew Fowler in England. It was my daily transportation in Connecticut, but a number of New England winters did not do the body any good. I used to call it my Baby Bentley [that grill, picnic tables, wooden dash and lots of Connolly leather], but in the end I had to sell it for parts. Another restoration would have been prohibitively expensive, and who in the US would have been able to cope with its liquid suspension?
The Alfa Arna has gone through an immaculate nut and bolt restoration a few years ago by Ian Jephcott. He has a great track record with restoring Alfa’s from derelict to immaculate!
Arna’s are incredibly rare to find these days, in whatever condition. Ensuring this Arna is saved for at least some decades….