Some months ago, the then Graham Adams and Sue Clamp (now Mr & Mrs!) very kindly organised a driving tour for the group, which they named, "The Staffs Oatcake Tour" - no, I didnt understand it either.
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Anyhow, the tour had an excellent turnout and was a huge success. I've been sitting on the photos from the tour ever since, and only just realised I also had a nice little video clip someone (perhaps Tosh?) had filmed as the gang were sitting around on the campsite enjoying a hearty meal that I suspect may have been the work of a certain Mr Gar Cole (does anyone else cook for everybody on tour?). Organiser Graham also turned up trumps with two previously unavailable video clips that I was keen to share.

So anyway ... it was too good to miss, so I've put it all together in a video that you can view below (and please please remember to comment, Like and Subscribe on YouTube!). I hope those who were there will enjoy it as much as the rest of us who can only imagine being able to take part. Someday I'll make it!

We are however hopeful of recovering some if not all of the lost footage with a little help from our friends and will keep you posted on that over the next week or so.
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In the meantime we've done the next best thing and put together this short video from the clips we HAVE got hold of - with thanks to Mike and Sophie Peake.

Yer 'tis below - and please remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

The 2022 Duran Duran calendar is on sale now at £12.50 + VAT + £6 UK shipping - and features NO PRE-85 BRITISH MOTOR VEHICLES! Not even one!

.. whereas ours is just £8.99 including VAT and free UK shipping. It's also chocka bloc full of great British classics! Get yours now!

The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with discovery+, made a ‘triumphant’ return to Birmingham’s NEC over the weekend after last year’s postponement due to Covid.

A 1969 Triumph TR6 owned by Gary McVeigh won the coveted Meguiar’s Club Showcase trophy, while Jake Clappison followed in his dad Paul’s footsteps to win the public vote in the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership competition with his 1979 Triumph Spitfire. John and Jackie Cotterill won the Bike Pride of Ownership award with their Triumph Speed Twin motorcycle.
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Show Director Lee Masters said: 

With around 3,000 cars on show across seven halls, 270 car clubs showcased various marques and models ranging from the AC Owners Club to the XR4 Register, celebrating milestone anniversaries that occurred in 2020 as well as 2021. 

Silverstone Auctions had sales throughout the show, securing a whopping £8.3million worth of car sales and £550,000 of motorcycles in its first dedicated sale, both hammering away 81% of the respective catalogues. There was an additional £180,000 in automobilia sold with an 84% conversion rate.

The Sporting Bears Motor Club raised £28,913 from its popular Dream Rides. The ‘Bears’ gave ten-mile passenger rides to visitors in exchange for a charitable donation. The charities benefiting from this year’s show include Together 21, Keech Hospices, Derian House and Beaulieu Respite care unit.

A new feature for 2021 was ‘Our Friends Electric’ which put the spotlight on electric classic vehicles. Sceptical enthusiasts were thrilled to see a 1911 Baker Electric actually drive around the arena. This was followed by Richard Morgan of Electric Classic Cars’ converted VW Beetle from the TV show Vintage Voltage. EcoClassics’ 911, Westfields’ new prototype Sports and RBW Electric Classic Cars’ Roadster were also in motion along with Mike Brewer’s own Porsche Taycan.
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Andrew Evanson, Senior Operations Manager of headline sponsor Lancaster Insurance, said:

​Other show highlights included the discovery+ Live Stage, where host Mike Brewer was joined by his Wheeler Dealers co-stars Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley and Ant Anstead. Other stars appearing included Jimmy Doherty and Jimmy De Ville from Jimmy Doherty’s Dream Builds, Paul Cowland from Salvage Hunters Classic Cars, Helen Stanley from Motor Pickers, and Ant Partridge from Goblin Works Garage.
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The Practical Classics team was joined by the Morris Marina Owner’s Club and Ital Register to frantically revive a 1971 1.3 Coupe which hadn’t run for 30 years, restoring it in front of the live audience. There were huge cheers when it fired up and drove off the stage at the end of Sunday’s show.

Thanks as always to member Anthony Osborne for sharing with us the FBHVC Position Statement in relation to the DfT's Future of Transport Regulatory Review.

​The FBHVC (Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs) has been in dialogue with the Department for Transport regarding the recently released proposals within the DfT’s Future of Transport Regulatory Review.

​In particular, there were concerns raised by the historic vehicle community around the implied intent of the review to make it an offence to modify, remove or reduce the effectiveness of an existing vehicle system. 

The statement appears in full below; you can either read it here or download to your device to read later.

The 2022 Enthusiasts Calendar is now available to order (below). It's the culmination of a significant collaborative effort involving a number of rightly proud members plus Phil & his team at Alvaston Press and also our own Admin team.

​Some really great photos of interesting classics we've not seen before were submitted and we are very pleased with the results. They are available to order online now and will also be sold from our stand at next month's Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at the NEC.

Priced at just £8.99 including UK shipping, the design is printed on quality A4 paper and hangs with 2 sides visible - a full A4 side for photos and a further full A4 side for dates, providing plenty of space for all those important dates in your schedule. 
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Our grateful thanks to all the members who sent in their photographs - we were able to use most of them. A small number couldn't be included due to quality issues (print is more demanding than displaying on-screen) and we're sorry if you were disappointed this time.

If you'd like to see all of the pages before ordering, you can do that below; there is a photo gallery visible by clicking on the thumbnails under the main image. Calendars will be despatched directly from the printers in batches.

Good members of this fine parish, one of our fine members David Burke asked if we could promote a worthy cause. Its not something we usually do but after reading up its history its a charity close to many classic vehicle lovers hearts and the entire Admin team immediately wanted to support this one.

Here's a quick overview of the 'Ben' charitable organisation 
Ben was founded in 1905 by A J Wilson while he was working for Dunlop tyres, and was originally called the Cycle Trades Benevolent Fund. At the time there were only a few hundred cars on the road and the automotive industry had yet to be born but by 1908, recognising the unstoppable rise of the car, ‘Motor’ was added to the fund’s name and in 1924 it became The Motor and Cycle Trades Benevolent Fund. The fund’s original aims were to provide help to people who fell on hard times (there was no welfare system until after WWII) by handing out grants via a network of local offices.

Over the years various other benevolent funds were amalgamated into Ben, including coachbuilders and agricultural engineering, and the charity ​now supports people from right across automotive and its allied trades. In 1947 Ben bought the Lynwood site for £16,000 and opened a care home there in 1948. The fund moved from its London W1 HQ to Lynwood in 1972 and they’ve been there ever since. Ben now runs three residential care centres and a day centre and their support services deliver far more than just grants, but the central aim – to help those in need – remains true.

So here's the pitch bit! Click on the button just below and choose from a range of classic car Christmas cards - send them off to the classic car lovers in your life and feel the festive felicitations sprinkle stardust on thy soul (yes we know it's only September but it will be almost November by the time you have read this)!

The team is in place, the stand is set up, the cars are looking great and Press Day was a roaring success - we're at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show with Discovery all weekend!

There's a huge buzz about the place for this, the first Classic Motor Show since 2019. Come and say hello.

It's the first Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at the NEC since 2019 and we're there in Hall 5! As usual we are building our photo gallery as pictures become available and you can see them any time here on our official website. Keep checking back as more will be added through the weekend.

We are very excited to get back onto the indoor show scene at last and think you will agree that we have four fantastic members' cars lined up to display that should really draw in the crowds

​Congratulations to the proud owners whose cars have been selected:

• Ford Consul Capri - Nick Arthur
• Austin A35 - Alison Brooks
• Austin 12/4 - Anthony Osborne
• Range Rover - Lincoln Hunt

If you are visiting the show, please stop by our stand in Hall 5 and say hello; there will (usually) be cake, and who knows you might even wind up appearing in our next official video!

Having accepted the offer of a stand from the organisers of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show with Discovery to be held at the NEC in November, we have now confirmed the members' cars that will form the centrepiece of our first display at the NEC since the pandemic started.

Congratulations to the proud owners whose cars have been selected:

• Ford Consul Capri - Nick Arthur
• Austin A35 - Alison Brooks
• Austin 12/4 - Anthony Osborne
• Range Rover - Lincoln Hunt

More news about our stand and the show will be published as it becomes available. We hope to see many members at the NEC - do come along to see us in Hall 5, Stand #140. Say hello; you never know, there just might be cakey! 
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To get your club discount tickets, use the club code CCM200

​Each and every club, along with its members, brings so much joy and knowledge along with a display of their beautiful vehicles.

The clubs are the heart of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with discovery+. 

Here we share some of the attending clubs' news with you. To see the cars that will be on our own club stand, click here.

​60th birthday of the Riley Elf

The Riley Elf celebrates its 60th birthday with the launch of 12 pre-production cars to the press in October 1961. The Riley Motor Club will be displaying, what it believes to be the only surviving pre-production car which, after the launch, was returned to Longbridge and used as a development car. 

​Your safety at the show

Whilst all government restrictions have been lifted, we're doing all we can to ensure you have an enjoyable and safe visit to the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery.

The NEC is undertaking Covid pass checks as attendees arrive at the show, so make sure you are prepared. Read our Safety Measures page to see how and find out what steps we are taking to look after our attendees wellbeing.