It's that time of year again and we have already started thinking about next year's club calendar. Valued sponsor Phil Allin of Alvaston Press Ltd did such a great job producing the 2021 calendar we have asked him to do it again for 2022 and happily he agreed!

​So, now it's time to dig out your very best British classic photos. To give you an idea of what we're looking for, here are some of the successful entries for this year's calendar:

We always receive more photographs than we can use, so only the best will make it. Follow these tips to improve your chances:

• MUST be Landscape format (wide and low, NOT tall and thin)
• High resolution is required for printing - 1024 x 768 pixels minimum
• Fuzzy or out-of-focus images will be rejected
• Must feature a pre-85 British motor vehicle BELONGING TO YOU as it's main subject
• Pay attention to the surroundings and background visible in your shot - ugly backgrounds don't work
• Photos do not have to be Summer - photos from all four seasons are welcomed

Phew it's a scorcher so check out our Enthusiasts Duo Car Window Shades, priced at £10.99 + shipping per pair.

Perfect for keeping the interior cool on hot Summer days or just to fly the flag when you're out and about - and what better way to show your support for the Group at classic car events?

Offer is for a pair (2 shades). Please check sizes and details before ordering.

A bear is not just for Christmas - Barney, our gorgeous and slightly grumpy Enthusiasts Teddy Bear is dressed in a white t shirt with the group logo printed in full colour.

​Barney sits 20cm tall and is silky-soft - just made for cuddling! He can sit as comfortably at home as in the office or car, and is priced at a very reasonable £6.25 + shipping.

Important

• Because Barney is hand-made, his appearance and colour can vary slightly.
• This long pile (haired) soft toy is recommended for children of 12 months and over with parental discretion advised, is CE marked and conforms to the European Regulations EN71.
• We accept PayPal and most major debit/credit cards
• Shipping rates will be displayed after you enter your delivery address and before you commit to buy.

At Lancaster, the insurance policies we can arrange for Buildings and Contents mean you can be safe in the knowledge that your home and belongings are covered.

All risks are considered and policy benefits may include; buildings cover up to £1m, contents cover up to £100,000, alternative accommodation cover as well as accidental damage cover, bicycle cover and cover for your
possessions whilst away from the home*.


​To find out more information and see how we can help you, call the team today on 01480 400903 or visit www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk
​*Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may vary between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. An additional charge may be payable.

We have some fantastic quality branded items to tempt you including headwear, car sun shades, badges and even an ever-so-slightly-grumpy teddy bear for that someone special in your life. All are quality items as you'd expect from your favourite car group.

​Check out the online store now (click on the image) - everything is available for immediate despatch from stock.

Please give a warm welcome to Peter Iddon - the latest club member to join our Group Experts team.  Like all our Group Experts, Peter has kindly agreed to help other members by sharing his accumulated knowledge and expertise of British classics, so please don't be afraid to ask for his help if you need it. 

We're looking for more members with expert skills or knowledge that's relevant to our group to join our new team of Group Experts. The aim is to help increase general levels of knowledge within the group and also to help facilitate more quality discussions.

We will contact applicants within 48 hours of receiving submissions.

Another selfless member has kindly agreed to be identified as a Group Expert - i.e. a member who is willing to share his accumulated knowledge and expertise in relation to British classics with others.

Welcome Leonard Edwards and don't be afraid to ask for his help if you need it. As you can see from the photo, Len has a keen interest in motorcycles as well as car and commercials.

Congratulations to all the owners whose cars were featured on our 2021 calendar for the month of August:

• Mark McClelland - 1984 Vauxhall Astra GTE
• Nick Arthur - 1963 Ford Consul Capri
• Martin Piggin - 1978 Ford Escort RS2000
• Terry Price - 1965 Morris Minor 1098

We are delighted to announce that Toby Bruce has agreed to join our Group Experts team. As many of you will know, Toby has more knowledge and experience than most in an area many of us are not so clued-up about - pre-war British motors.

Please welcome and congratulate Toby and utilise his knowledge when you need it - he'll be happy to help wherever he can.

If you're unsure what a Group Expert is, here's an explanation from those nice people at Facebook:

by Admin

We are pleased to announce the launch of a brand-new group YouTube video channel. The idea is to share video of our activities at various events both as a record for members and also to encourage new members to join us.

Currently there are fifteen videos live filmed over the last few years, including a new one from the 2021 Staffs Oatcake Tour and another from way back in 2017 at the Bubble Car Museum in Lincs.

We will add more as they become available.

Making it over the 28k members line is surely worth a moment's pause to reflect.

It was a little over 7 years ago on 1 February 2014 that John Simpson decided to set up a Facebook group exclusively for lovers of classic British motors. John didn't know how it would work out, but accepted my offer to help run things quite early on in 2014 after the original Admin team members had departed for various reasons. 

​As a result John soon found himself very stretched; with multiple other Facebook groups and also the much longer established Boston Classic Car Club all requiring his precious time, I took on the challenge of running the group with John's blessing and set about gradually building today's Admin team from very carefully selected members.

​The Admin team has grown in experience and capability, maturing as the group itself grew over the years, remaining strong and constant throughout some pretty turbulent times of very rapid growth. Back then we used to jokingly refer to the group as "The Wild West" which gives you an idea of how things once were.

Huge gratitude and appreciation goes to my friends and colleagues who continue to make up the Admin team (in no particular order);

• Zebidee Habib
• Mike Peake
• Gar Cole
• Steve Favill
• John Simpson
• Edwin Feenstra

The group has over the years matured into a calm oasis of fun yet civilised enjoyment and mutual respect despite our relatively large numbers - these peaceful waters are rarely troubled by the irksome antics that plague other online communities and when trouble does strike it is invariably dealt with swiftly and effectively by the experienced team.
​
Not only has the Facebook group grown in size beyond all of our wildest expectations, but our online presence has over the years spread onto various different platforms including our own website www.britishmotorvehicles.com which is designed, built and run by yours truly and also our own Instagram page www.instagram.com/enthusiasts_of_british_motors/ which is looked after brilliantly by Emily Fleur-Peake.

In addition to these online activities, we have also developed a vibrant 'real world' side to the club driven tirelessly by Gar and ably assisted by Mike. Their achievements include running several official club stands at the Practical Classics Resto Show and the Lancaster Classic Motor Show, both held annually at Birmingham's NEC as well as numerous static shows and driving tours. Oh, and did we mention we won a Judges Choice Award for our stand at the NEC in November 2019? Do join us at a future event - new folk are always welcome! The current list of planned official events can be seen here

I'd like to thank my fellow Admins for all their time and effort and also all the members who make the group worth visiting again and again with so many interesting, informative and enjoyable contributions.

​Hopefully we will continue to grow and develop in the years ahead.

Available now in our online shop, this traditional but trendy unisex headgear is a stylish and comfortable way to keep your bonce warm in winter and also protected from unexpected seagull attack in Summer. 

Designed and embroidered in the UK by Beechfield Original Headwear, this is a quality unisex item made of Herringbone weave fabric (100% washed cotton). The vintage styling features a stitched-down peak and elasticated crown and is available in two sizes. Our Group logo is embroidered in very high quality (10,000 stitches) on the rear panel.

The Enthusiasts Vintage Flat Cap is now available from stock for immediate despatch.

One of our all-time best-sellers, the Enthusiasts Grille Badge is now held in stock & available for immediate despatch. 

​New for 2021
For the first time, we can now include on request a stainless steel badge bar clip with fixing screws.

Our Grille badges are a bit special, being manufactured by a West Midlands-based company with 35 years’ experience. Each badge is handmade and finished, the body is steel. After being cut out they are stamped with the logo designed by our own Gar Cole in 2017. The red, blue and white enamel paint is added by hand, then after heat treatment in the furnace they are plated with rose gold. Each badge is then polished using a finishing wheel.

Official Press Release from Beaulieu, National Motor Museum.

We are pleased to announce that we will be reopening our grounds and gardens to local visitors from Monday 29th March. This will include access to the grounds, gardens and wider parkland including Little Beaulieu, our adventure play space. Visitors will be able to purchase takeaway food and drinks from the Brabazon Restaurant & Café.

​For further information including details of our full reopening or our event calendar please visit our website: http://bit.ly/3q2QuMr
We can’t wait to welcome you back to Beaulieu for a great day out together.

It's great to have the encouraging news we wanted! Following the Government announcement in February, we are hoping to open again from Monday 17 May when restrictions allow. We are finalising our reopening plans to share them with you soon. Your support is greatly appreciated.

After an extensive consultation process, the Department for Transport has announced that they will legislate to introduce E10 petrol as the standard 95-octane petrol grade by 1 September 2021. They will also require the higher-octane 97+ ‘Super’ grades to remain E5 to provide protection for owners of older vehicles. This product will be designated as the ‘Protection’ grade.

The introduction of the 95-octane E10 grade and the maintenance of the Super E5 protection grade will be reviewed by the Government after 5 years to ensure they remain appropriate to the needs of the market. In relation to the E5 protection grade, such a review will examine market developments over the period. HM Government have sought to reassure FBHVC members and historic vehicle owners that, without a suitable alternative becoming available, it is highly likely the Super E5 protection grade would continue to be available.

Filling stations that stock 2 grades of petrol and supply at least one million litres of fuel in total each year, will need to ensure one product is the Super E5 protection grade. While not all filling stations meet these criteria, almost all towns across the UK will have a filling station that supplies the ‘Super’ grade and currently one major retailer, a national supermarket group, has committed to offer the product. The main exception to this is in certain parts of the Highlands, north and west coast of Scotland, which will be covered by an exemption process and allowed to continue to market the 95-octane E5 grade.

The Federation therefore recommends that all vehicles produced before 2000 and some vehicles from the early 2000s that are considered non-compatible with E10 - should use the Super E5 Protection grade where the Ethanol content is limited to a maximum of 5%. To check compatibility of vehicles produced since 2000, we recommend using the new online E10 compatibility checker: https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-e10-petrol 
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It should be noted that some Super E5 Protection grade products do not contain Ethanol as the E5 designation is for fuels containing up to 5% Ethanol. Product availability varies by manufacturer and geographical location and enthusiasts should check the situation in their location.