The People's Concours

We would like to thank the owners of the cars who took part in the inaugural Classic & Sports Car People's Concours.

C&SC rewarded the finest privately-owned classics in this new concours in memory of David Evans, our long-serving and much-missed car clubs' liaison and organiser of the annual C&SC Club Awards at the NEC Classic Motor Show. 

Dale Scutter scooped the award for the first day of the show with his 1960 Hillman Minx Series 3A, while James Howell took Sunday’s prize with his 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1. When the votes for both days were tallied, Dale’s Minx pipped the Mustang to the post to win the David Evans Trophy,

WINNER: THE DAVID EVANS TROPHY AND THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION, SATURDAY

1960 Hillman Minx 3a

Owner's comment: “My father, who owned a series 3a in his youth, bought this car in 1994 and restored it in his garage and then at his place of work. Many panels were handmade by Dad, using wood to shape the metal. The interior is original condition, except for a carpet set added by me this year. The car has been on the road in this condition for 18 years and Dad took it to many local shows and it was his pride and joy. He also restored a 1952 Hillman Minx Mk V.  My father passed away last year and I have become the custodian of his work. I am very proud to be carrying on his work for everyone to see and admire on a make of car which is very rare and an understated classic of British engineering.”

 

 

THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION, SUNDAY

1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

The owner bought the car last year and has already won two ‘Show and Shine’ awards with it.

The previous owner of the car had restored it over a period of eight years, and the present owner loves to allow parents and their children to sit in it and start the engine. He had previously and lovingly restored a Ford Capri, but that car was written off when it caught fire, so the Mustang is even more special to him.

 

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SATURDAY FINALISTS:

 

'Wilbur’ - 1962 Rover P4

Owner’s comment: “Wilbur is what you might call a 'run of the mill' Rover P4. He likes fuel and oil, doesn't like corners taken too quickly, yet is happy to plod on at 65 mph. But what makes him special is that he is our family Rover P4, and he is God's Rover P4. In my role as a Vicar, Wilbur has become a regular sight in the parish, and he has also become something of a minor celebrity - he has his own Facebook page, and has been the subject of a regular blog I write. He is out in all weathers, on all occasions, come snow, rain or sunshine. In short, Wilbur is a gift, something that reminds me of divine generosity, and whilst he may not be as valuable as an Aston Martin, a Jag, Ferrari, or even an MG - as a blessing to me he is priceless.“ 

 

 

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1930 Morris Cowley

Originally registered in Buckinghamshire, this car ended up in Scotland, where it was restored by the McFarlane estate, but has now returned to Bucks. This model replaced the ‘Bullnose Morris’ - Morris decided to introduce a more ‘modern’ appearance with a flat radiator. It had the added benefit of being more efficient at keeping the cooling water from boiling! This four-door saloon has a spare wheel on one running board and a petrol can and tool box on the other.

Owner’s comment: “It’s a great looking car, but very slow!”

 

  

 

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1966 Jaguar Mk 2 3.8

This was the last customer vehicle to enter the Browns Lane workshop before Jaguar Land Rover Classic moved to its new building at Oxford Road, Coventry, from where it was collected as the 1st customer car handover.

It featured in the publicity material for the official opening of Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works on 14th June, 2017 where it was shown alongside the first completed Range Rover Reborn to illustrate the breadth of activities planned for the new facility.

 

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1956 MGA

A lot of people comment on this car’s colour - it is a genuine original colour, glacier blue. It certainly would have stood out in the 1950s! 

In the early 1950s, MG were still producing the TD and TF Midgets, which had been popular with airmen during the war. But they saw that the competition was changing with more streamlined cars like the Jaguar XK 120, Austin-Healey 100 and Triumph TR2. And so the MGA was born.

 

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1970 MGC

A genuine University Motors special – Downton Stage 2 - it is believed to be the original road test car used by 'Custom Car' magazine in July 1970. The owner bought the car in September 1981 and first rebuilt it in 1983. In 2016 it underwent its second rebuild, this time by MG specialist Tim Kelly of St Agnes, Cornwall. 

Owner comment: “This car is in exceptional condition and is a pleasure to drive.”

 

 

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1997 BMW 840Ci Sports Coupé - R1 JEL

 

THE ULTIMATE LUXURY SPORTS COUPE OF ITS TIME. ELEGANT FORM WITH UNDATED, STUNNING LOOKS.

 

• High Performance
• Acceleration 0-62 mph 6.8 sec
• Top Speed –De-limited c 170 mph
• Torque 330 ft/lbs std @ 4000 rpm Superchipped 375 ft/lbs
• Gearbox Tiptronic Auto + Manual Sports Mode-5 Speed
• Brakes - Extra Large/Optimum Retardation
• Steering Quick/Precise/Good Feel
• Lighting Pop-up Xenon Headlights
• Totally original specification

 

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1936 MG TA

The 50th MG TA built, this car has been fully restored by its owner.

There is no vehicle history from 1936-57, but from that date the original logbook still exists. The car spent 20 years in dry storage in Denmark and returned to the UK in the late 1980s. It was put back on the road in the 1990s and the owner acquired it for a full rebuild in 2015. It has the later XPAG engine and gearbox and the later TA rear wheel arches.

 

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‘Lennie’ - 1996 Morgan Plus 8

This car will be taking part in the Morgan Plus 8 parade around Silverstone Grand Prix circuit marking the 50th Anniversary of this model on 21st July 2018. It is owned by Mike and Enid Smith.Owner’s comment: “It rarely has the hood up, as Lennie doesn’t like getting wet.”

 

 

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'Emmy', 1934 Austin 7

‘Emmy’ was bought for £20 by her owner in 1963 to go courting. She was highly successful - Poul and his wife have celebrated their golden wedding anniversary!

Owner’s comment: “When I left college in 1964 the car was stuck in a barn and left to rust quietly away for the next 50 years. Four years ago I decided to get her back on the road in time for our Golden Wedding anniversary. The ‘oily rag’ restoration was a challenging affair! I couldn’t take the body off the chassis at first because it would have folded like a piece of paper! Much angle grinding, forming, mig welding, scraping, spraying (back to her original colour) cursing and swearing got her back on the road. ‘Emmy’ is certainly not a concours car but one that has seen life and continues to do so.”

 

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1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk

This car has fulfilled its owner’s ambition of seeing a 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk back on UK roads. It gives much pleasure to those who remember playing with their Corgi or Dinky Golden Hawks.  

The top-of-the-range Golden Hawk addressed the issue of under-power with the Packard 352” engine, producing 275 BHP, and was America’s fastest 125mph family car. The owner’s father owned the only UK-imported 1956 Golden Hawk.

Owner’s comment: “Hardly a ‘Trailer Queen’, it is driven annually to shows and weddings, averaging 1,300 miles each year. It manages 16-18 mpg on the motorway!”

 

 

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1966 Gordon-Keeble IT

This is one of three that were refurbished in the early 1970s under the personal supervision of Jim Keeble. It received a few subtle upgrades that Jim had not had the opportunity to introduce while the car was in production.

With 300 bhp on tap, performance even today is impressive, with 0-60mph in under 7 seconds and 100mph just 10 seconds later. When launched, it was the world’s fastest 4-seater, ‘Motor’ magazine describing it in 1965 as ‘electrifying’. The car is owned by Roy Dowding, who has been custodian since 1989. The car’s fifth owner, he had first set his sights on ownership after reading the ‘Autocar’ road test of the prototype back in 1960!

 

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1947 MG TC

This TC was the subject of the Channel 4 series ‘For the Love of Cars’

This car was first registered in the UK on June 28th, 1947. In 1968 it was bought for use as transport during university and put into dry storage in 1976 where it remained until 2013 when it was offered for restoration. The car was rebuilt by Ant Anstead and his team at Evanta Motors, working with MG specialist Peter Edney, and was wholly rebuilt to its original specification.

 

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1953 Alvis TA21

The Alvis TA21 was a distinctly up-market gentleman's motor car, with an average sale price of £1871. Autocar magazine reported at the time that the TA21 would appeal to ‘discerning owners who appreciate quality and good handling as well as performance.’  This stylish DHC represents classic Fifties motoring. Its powerful three litre engine provides plenty of torque and a top speed of 90mph.

Owner comment: “I have only had the car since March this year. It is a good, but thirsty, runner and attracts attention wherever it goes. But, best of all, it makes people SMILE.”

 

 

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1972 Citroen SM

The owner spotted this American-specification car at a Citroen car rally and acquired it in 1993 after meeting the previous owner at Knutsford Service Station and taking a test drive.

Owner’s comment: “Since buying it in 1993 I have taken this car on a number of international Citroen SM rallies, to the Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy. It’s a great car - I will never part with it.”

 

 

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1954 Jaguar XK120 Drophead Coupé

This car was supplied new to former WW2 RAF pilot, ‘Dizzy’ De Villiers, Chief Test pilot for De Havilland in the 1950s. That decade when he became - admittedly inadvertently - the world’s first open cockpit pilot to reach supersonic speed when his cockpit canopy self–jettisoned and flew off mid-flight. In 1972 the XK120 was acquired by Cedric Thomas, who had just given up a 25-year career as a motor mechanic and bought it as a project to keep him occupied in his retirement. Something of a perfectionist, he was to spend the next 30 years in a money-no-object restoration to bring the car up to standard.

 

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2015 TVR Sagora

The name Sagora is derived from combining a Sagaris and Tamora, two production cars from the TVR Blackpool factory, and is the brainchild of owner John Waters and David Hillis, known as ‘Plasticman’ within the TVR community. It was the very first convertible Sagaris registered on the road.

Owner’s comment: “The car has had a recent engine upgrade to a 4.5 straight 6 Speed Six engine, which gives 410 bhp and an acceleration of 0>60 in under 4 seconds. It is said that prior to their closure in 2012 TVR were developing a convertible Sagaris and we are confident that M19 TVR would have been the result had the factory remained open.”

 

 

 

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SUNDAY FINALISTS

 

1971 Jaguar E-type Series 2 Roadster

This much-loved E-type has been in its present ownership for 18 years. Its previous custodian owned it for 23 years.

The owner maintains the car himself: “The E-type is used for approximately 1,000 miles per annum and there is always something to refresh each and every year.  She drives superbly and is a joy to drive.”

 

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1993 Alpine Renault A610

Number 25 of just 68 A610s imported into the UK, this bright yellow Alpine still has its original paintwork.

This rare machine’s owner is only the car’s second custodian. The A610 was a highly-specified motor car - at the time of manufacture the only optional extras were leather upholstery instead of velour cloth, and a ‘luxury’ Pioneer CD player.

Owner’s comment: “Like all older cars it is certainly a challenge to keep roadworthy but I use my car regularly and go to French Alpine events at least twice a year.”

 

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'Ernie', 1930 Ford Model A Tudor

 “Ernie is for driving, not showing! In my 2½ years ownership, we have taken part together in several rallies and tours including two weekends at KOP Hill and the North Wales ‘Brass Monkey’ and Ernie has even lapped Silverstone! 

Driving a Model A takes you back in time to a much simpler place where you slow down and enjoy the smells and thrills of driving while admiring the scenery!  Ernie is truly a people’s car.”   

 

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1969 Jaguar E-type

This car was the first E-type restored by Hutsons, the Bradford-based E-type specialists.  It appeared in their advertisements and, nearly 30 years later, is still shown in their current sales brochure.

In the 16 years that it has been in its present owner’s care it has been employed in many roles including wedding transport, navigational rallies in the UK and Europe, Kop Hill Climb, various static events, weekends away and the supermarket run.

 

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1972 Ferrari Dino

This car was imported from Japan at the beginning of 2017 and has a Maranello certificate of authenticity. It is an all matching numbers car, and original down to the radio!

“We took the car down to Corsica two years ago, without any problems at all, apart from the crowds of people that surrounded us in every town and village that we stopped at.”

 

 

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1955 MG TF

One of only 244 TF 1500s registered in the UK, this is the second last to be sold in the UK.

Its present owner bought the car in 1970: “I remember the hood flying off in a snowstorm one night on top of the Pennines and when I arrived at my girlfriend’s house the car was full of snow. In 1978 I decided to restore it and bought a new body... and then everything stopped. Good intentions, but nothing happened due to work, mortgage, family, until 2000 when we moved and the ‘biggest Meccano kit in the world’ (my wife’s words!) had either to be sold or the car restored. So I decided to have it restored by Naylor Bros in Shipley and the result is what you see here. It’s the best retirement toy you can have.”

 

 

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2005 TVR Tuscan

3,600cc straight 6 speed six TVR engine, 350bhp @ 7,000 rpm, acceleration 0>60 in 4.2 seconds 0>100 in 9.2 seconds, top speed 180 mph+. A5 GVH was first registered in January 2005 and is a very early Tuscan 2. It has had one owner from new and has led a fairly hard life, now having covered almost 80k miles without any major mechanical work. It has done many track days and has been used for continental trips to southern Spain, the Black Forest, all over France, Belgium and Holland as well as all over the UK.

 

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1955 Triumph TR3

This ‘barn find’ TR3 turned out to have a hidden and extensive rally works history.

theo wner purchased the car as a barn find in 1990 and it was then given a ground-up, five-year restoration. In 2007, as a result of a ‘Lost and Found’ article in TR Action, the TR3’s rally history was uncovered. It had once been owned by Leslie Griffiths and Norman Blockley in whose hands it took part in several major international rallies in period, winning a ‘Coupe des Alpes’ and finishing 4th in Class in the 1956 Alpine Rally as part of a top-ranked Standard Triumph  team lead by Maurice Gastonides. 5 of the 6 TR3s entered finished in the top 5 places. It went on to compete in the 1956 and 1957 Liege-Rome-Liege and Tulip Rallies.  It is still in regular use, covering several thousand miles a year.

 

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1963 Ford Galaxie

Owner comment: “We purchased the car unseen from a dealer in St Louis Missouri in late 2015. We had the car inspected in the USA and it roughly matched our expectations, a solid car, nothing missing. The inspection didn’t tell us that the car had been driven very little following the restoration. Consequently, things started to go wrong: oddly behaving wipers turned out to be because the motor wasn’t attached! The front suspension adjustment was also wildly out, with a few loose bolts thrown in, etc. 

The car passed its first MOT in time for our daughter’s wedding in September 2016 where it featured prominently. It behaved itself impeccably, only for the power steering to exhaust its fluid on the way home the day after!”

 

 

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1965 Gordon Keeble GK1

This car was completed in the buildings at Eastleigh where the prototype Supermarine Spitfire was built.

This particular car was selected by ‘Barclaycard Magazine’ in May 1972 as one of five iconic cars to illustrate that “elderly sports cars – if they’re good and rare - offer a bonus to shrewd buyers”. The others chosen were a Lotus Elite, Daimler SP250, Austin-Healey 3000 and a Jaguar XK120. Interest in classic cars was almost a novelty, and Barclaycard correctly foresaw that it would become an engrossing hobby, spawning a widespread supporting industry, and “something a lot more lucrative than Ernie’s Bonds or gilt-edged stocks”.

 

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1955 MG Magnette

This car has recently been filmed for the BBC series ‘Father Brown’. Built in 1955, it was delivered to University Motors in South London and still carries the UML metal delivery plate on the front passenger door. In 1973 its engine was upgraded - possibly to go rallying - then the car was laid up in a barn from 1977-2004.

Its owner bought the car in 2005 specifically to take to the Goodwood Revival, which he did two days later - “Four up, with luggage”. In 2014 the Magnette embarked on a 14-month restoration.

 

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1971 Triumph Stag

Exported to the US in 1971, this car is believed to be one of the launch cars used to promote the Triumph Stag’s introduction into the USA. The car underwent a total nut and bolt rebuild in 2002 with no expense spared or detail overlooked.

Owner’s comment: “The car is a regular visitor to many classic car shows in the UK and enjoys European adventures with members of the Stag Owners Club. It has clocked up 105,000 miles to date but drives like a new car and is a fun experience which we will never tire of.”

 

 

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1991 Lancia Delta Integrale Evo 1

The previous owners of this car were Ferrari and Maserati technicians, so it has benefited from the very best maintenance standards.

Owner comment: “Since owning her I have concentrated on bringing back the bodywork to its former glory, and she is now one of a rare breed of rust-free Lancias! Although high mileage she runs faultlessly and can still show much newer machinery a clean pair of heels. All integrales left the factory left-hand-drive, and although over 44,000 overall variants were produced, fewer than 300 are now registered in the UK.”

 

 

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'Jolene', 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 - ‘the doctor’s car’

‘The doctor’s Mustang’ is a real testament to the period of the time; the Vietnam war, Richard Nixon, Woodstock, the Rolling Stones, Creedence Clearwater and the man on the moon.

This car was imported into the UK in 2015 by its now owner, Peter Sargent. Up to this point it was a one-owner car, having been bought by an American straight out of graduation in 1969. It arrived in the UK with its original owner’s manual, brochure, original spare keys and even a thank- you letter from the dealer Rice and Holman of New Jersey, dated April 8th 1969. The Mustang - affectionally now known as Jolene - has every single receipt for work carried out for its entire life. Completing 50,000 miles in the first 18 months the doctor’s car travelled all over the state of Illinois as the on-call car.