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

​The clubs are at the heart of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery. ​​​​​​Over 160 car clubs have already confirmed their stand location to showcase their superb cars, vans and motorbikes. 

Representing a broad range of marques and models, you can be sure to find your favourites on display. 

The Enthusiasts of British Motor Vehicles Built Before 1985 stand will be in Hall 5 Stand #140 - click here to view our listing on the official site. 

Don't forget you can save £4 on the published ticket prices, and get your tickets at the 2019 rates, by quoting CCM200 when you buy your tickets online.

​So if Jaguars get your motor running you will have plenty of opportunity to chat with many like-minded owners and enthusiasts. 

But we will also have over 260 clubs at the show presenting a fantastic line-up of marques and models, so whatever your passion you will find someone to share it with at the show!

Exciting news! We've just had official confirmation from organisers Clarion Events Ltd that we have been allocated an excellent stand space in the main hall at the NEC for this year's Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show with Discovery. 
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We will be in Hall 5 (the same hall as the main stage) nestling cosily against a wall adjacent to our good friends from the Boston Classic Car Club.

Now the preparation work really starts. We are of course accepting the offer of a stand, which will trigger the flurry of paperwork (contracts, T's & C's, insurance etc) that is always required for these major public events.

We will also be working on the design and layout of our club stand, working out what we will display and all the associated logistics around that. Expect announcements fairly soon from Bosun Mike Peake who is lead organiser for this show - Gar having deserted his post muttering something about being away in the Med on a luxury cruise ship. 

Anyone interested in viewing the full floor plan for the show can view it below.

The Government's announcement this week, that England will move to the final stage of easing Covid restrictions on 19 July, has got us even more excited about the show we will be able to bring you in November.

While we understand some people are cautious about what this actually means, we want to reassure you that we will continue to take measures to keep all our visitors, clubs and traders as safe as possible while they enjoy their time at the show. Details of what measures we will be taking will be announced in due course.

​Don't forget you can save £2 on the published ticket prices, to get your tickets at the 2019 rates, by quoting EMAILSAVE when you buy your tickets online.

Headline sponsor Lancaster Insurance will be doing just that as its VW Camper restoration nears completion before it drives around the coast of Britain before being auctioned in aid of Prostate Cancer UK. Andrew Evanson, Senior Operations Manager for Lancaster, said:  

This year’s show is being planned with a number of Covid safety measures still in place that can adapt with any changing guidelines.
 
When booking tickets, visitors will be asked to choose a specific arrival time and entrance hall from which to enter the show. The organisers are planning the event to ensure everyone gets the best possible experience whilst keeping safety the number one priority for all attendees. More information can be found on the show’s website.
 
The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, is scheduled to be held at Birmingham’s NEC from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 November 2021. Tickets are now on sale. Check the website www.necclassicmotorshow.com or sign up for the newsletter at www.necclassicmotorshow.com/newsletter for the latest updates. 

​Tickets for the 2021 Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, are now on sale with special discount codes available to enthusiasts to help get the classic car industry moving again following lockdown.
 
Show Director Lee Masters explains: “Like everyone else, we’ve had to sit on the side-lines through the lockdown. We know some of our exhibitors have struggled without events taking place and we’re all craving to get out and about.
 
“So to do our bit to help get the classic car community moving again, for the first time ever, we are going to be releasing discount codes that everyone can use. Historically, we have only given money saving codes to our exhibiting clubs, but this year we will also be offering them to all our partners, media outlets, and exhibitors, as well as our own social media channels and newsletters.”
 
The show is being planned with a number of covid safety measures still in place that can adapt with any changing guidelines. Visitors will be asked to choose a specific arrival time and entrance hall from which to enter the show. The organisers are planning the event to ensure everyone gets the best possible experience whilst keeping safety the number one priority for all attendees. More information can be found on the shows website.
 
The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, is scheduled to be held at Birmingham’s NEC from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 November 2021. Tickets are now on sale. Check the website www.necclassicmotorshow.com or sign up for the newsletter at www.necclassicmotorshow.com/newsletter for the latest updates. 

After the government's announcement earlier this week, we are very excited about the outlook for the show in November!

Over the coming months, we will be announcing more details about what's in store. From exhibitors, clubs, car displays, interviewees and of course the final line up of owners and vehicles in the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership competition - watch this space!

​To whet your appetite until then, why not revisit the great content from our 2020 Online Edition, or this past weekend's Reis Race Retro Revisited. Read on for more details....

​Although the latest government update hasn’t changed this possibility, it is currently under review and has created uncertainty for both our exhibitors and visitors. Add to this the prospect of local lockdowns still being in place and the communities’ understandable concern about what an indoor event experience will be, even with all the precautions we’re putting in place, we have taken this difficult decision.

As a team, we are extremely disappointed having done everything within our power to try and make the show happen. We want to thank all our partners, clubs, exhibitors, visitors and suppliers who have supported our endeavours to bring the show to you this year.  

While we won’t be coming together as a motoring community this year within the halls of the NEC, to celebrate the classics we love, we will continue to share stories, memories and news across our digital platforms.
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Silverstone Auctions will also continue as scheduled with what is due to be their biggest and best sale yet.

We understand that this will be a disappointment to many people who eagerly await the Classic Motor Show each year and we look forward to when we can get together again.
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We would particularly like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the clubs and their members who, despite the current situation, were willing to support the show this November. To be fair to everyone, we will be inviting all clubs to reapply to be a part of the Classic Motor Show 12-14 November 2021. Further details will be issued later in the Autumn by Alison Judge, our club coordinator, but please get the dates in your diaries and start thinking about how to make next year a bumper show! 

There will be a time when #WheelMeetAgain

by Admin

The organisers Clarion Events have reached agreement with the UK Govt that this year's Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show with Discovery will go ahead, albeit with a raft of additional health & safety measures in place.

We feel honoured that once again we have been offered the opportunity of a club stand at the show, however after much consideration and with considerable regret we have on this occasion decided to decline the offer. Our concern is above all for the health & well-being of our team. The organisers fully understand our decision and we hope to return to the large show scene at the Practical  Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show in March 2021 - subject of course to the pandemic situation prevailing at that time.

by the Lancaster Insurance team

We're really excited to let you know that we are doing everything we can to bring the community together for the season finale in November, once the government gives the green light.

While we intend to bring you the show you know and love, some things will be a little different this year.

We're putting steps in place so you can feel confident that you are in as safe and secure environment as possible, as you immerse yourself in all things classic motoring.

​Key changes include:

• Temperature checking upon arrival and face masks recommended
• Extended opening times with dedicated entry time and hall entrance options
• Widened aisles to enable easy viewing whilst maintaining physical distancing
• Hand sanitiser stations across the show
• Enhanced cleaning regime by venue and exhibitors

To see all the measures we are putting in place, in detail, head over to our Keeping You Safe page on our website.

For those of you keen to have something in the diary to look forward to, we're pleased to let you know you can now book tickets online. The booking process has been amended to accommodate the staggered entry and tickets will be limited and released over time.

In the meantime, help us keep the community talking. Follow us on social and take five minutes to share your favourite #MotoringMemories with us. Let's fill the timelines with all things classic motoring!

All going well, #WheelMeetAgain, in a few months!

​Show Director Lee Masters said: “We are delighted to have welcomed so many enthusiasts and those in the industry to the show this year, especially in the current climate. Huge thanks as always to the motoring clubs who all put on tremendous displays, all our partners and exhibitors, and our amazing guests who brought the house down on the Live Stage."
 
This year’s show theme had been embraced by the 300 motoring clubs in attendance with many cars featuring on their own ‘Top Trumps’ card. Visitors crowded round headline sponsor Lancaster Insurance’s stand to buy their special edition pack.
 
Wheeler Dealers’ Mike Brewer hosted a wealth of motoring talent on the Discovery Live Stage with Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars’ Drew Pritchard and Paul Cowland, and the Goblin Works Garage team Jimmy De Ville, Helen Stanley and Ant Partridge appearing over the weekend. They were joined by BTTC driver Jason Plato and Shed and Buried star Henry Cole as well as fantastic car parades and the three-day restoration of a Jaguar E-Type.
 
Of the sixteen stunning vehicles on the Meguiar’s Club Showcase, it was Dave Rippard’s 1959 Morris Mini Minor that received the top honours and the crystal trophy. The judges had meticulously inspected the cars in one of the closest results to date.
 
The hotly contested Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership competition saw 20 diverse cars in the final but it was Ted Brooke’s 1961 Morris Minor Million that lifted the winner’s trophy. Voted for by the visitors, second place went to Ian Cummins’ 1991 Mazda MX-5 while Tahmid Haque’s 1988 BMW E30 325i Sport came third.
 
Andrew Evanson, Senior Operations Manager at Lancaster Insurance, added: “This year was extra special for us; with Lancaster celebrating 35 years of trading and the show enjoying its 35th anniversary. Bringing everything together was the inspired Top Trumps theme and it was fantastic to see how well this was embraced throughout the halls. 
 
“The show highlights what is so extraordinary about our community; the enthusiasm, dedication and a whole heap of passion and I felt a huge sense of pride as headline sponsor. It was great seeing the array of classics on display including Ted Brookes’ Pride of Ownership winning 1961 Morris Minor Million and as always the weekend was the perfect ‘close to the season’.”
 
It was the expert judges that decided the winners of the Classic Motorbike Show Pride of Ownership. Mark Taylor’s Ariel Square Four bike and sidecar came first with joint second going to father and son Alan and Paul Stopford with their two 1959 Triumph Bonnevilles. Third place went to Blake Hemmingway’s 1975 Honda XL250.
 
The Sporting Bears gave around 750 ‘Dream Rides’, a ten-mile passenger ride in one of over 80 cars available over the weekend. They raised just under £30,000 for various UK children’s charities.
 
A special test for the RAC Rally of the Tests brought live competitive motorsport action into the NEC halls for the first time. The crowds flocked to the barriers as over 60 cars ranging from Minis to Porsches tackled an agility test before heading back out onto the road. The event was won by Steve Entwistle and Mark Appleton in their Morris Mini Cooper S.
 
Silverstone Auctions two-day sale saw some record breaking results with the ex-works 1955 ‘Le Mans’ Triumph TR2 sold for £258,750, while the 2,000-mile Jaguar XJ220 sold for £362,812, both including premium.

A new photo gallery featuring the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show with Discovery from the NEC last weekend is now available online.

​Click on the image below to view.

by Gar Cole.

I think it's fair to say that 2019's Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show has been our most successful to date, despite having one of the smaller pitches compared to the past. We crammed it with 5 diverse and fabulous vehicles; I saw people show every emotion from surprise, delight, envy and appreciation, you just couldn't ignore the stand.

Massive thanks to the 5 vehicles owners Paul Green, John Dickson, Mick Taylor, Nick Arthur and Tosh and Gus Brooks. You guys gave brilliant support all weekend from setting up to chatting with the public, special thanks also to Phil Allin, Gill Taylor, Lincoln hunt , Ian Woodward and Bernard Owen for helping with setting up and manning the stand. It was a lovely and genuine surprise when our stand won it's first award for the collection of vehicles the judges would most like to take home. A big thanks to Dave Youngs at Lancaster for all your support.

Last but definitely not least our head admin Paul Sweeney who does a lot behind the scenes folks never see, helping me with the show forms and emails from the different departments as well as managing the website and online shop, and of course my fellow 'fat bloke' Mike Peake for his tireless support and enthusiasm for these show, it was a team effort and we nailed it!😀

Six cars will be on show and include a very rare flat nose Porsche 911 Turbo, MG Maestro Turbo, VW Campervan, Morris Mini Cooper, MK1 Escort Mexico and a Ford Mustang Fastback. The stand will also act as a collection point for attendees to pick up their Special Edition Top Trumps packs. Five of these packs will randomly feature an exclusive golden ticket and the lucky winner will receive a pair of day tickets to Goodwood Revival 2020, an overnight stay and dinner. (T&Cs apply).
 
This year, Lancaster will be displaying on two stands side by side - more information to be revealed very soon! It has also teamed up with Kelsey Media to create ‘Lancaster TV’. Over the three days, a ‘chat show’ will be hosted with special guests and the video will be uploaded onto social media daily.  
 
Andrew Evanson, Senior Operations Manager at Lancaster Insurance, comments: “The show, like Top Trumps, evokes a feeling of nostalgia for many visitors as they look back and reminisce about the cars and memories from years gone by. This special theme is a perfect one as we mark 35 years of being part of the classic car community and we can’t wait to celebrate with visitors, clubs and exhibitors alike in November.”  ​

We invited offers of British classics to exhibit on our club stand at this year's Lancaster Classic Motor Show with Discovery and you didn't disappoint!

More than 20 fantastic motors were offered by their proud owners and it's no word of a lie to say we would have been proud to display all of them - but of course we have to work with the space we have been allocated by the show organisers which has room for just 5 cars, so some very difficult choices have had to be made.

So firstly, the Admin team wants to say a very big thank you to everyone who took part - we really do appreciate it and wish we could have taken every motor put forward. Please try again next time.

So here we are - the 5 magnificent beasties selected for this year's stand are:

The restoration of the Ford Consul GT that featured heavily in the first series of the 1970’s cult classic cop show The Sweeney is to be revealed at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery.

This 1974 model was supplied to Euston Films, part of the Thames TV company, from new for use in a new TV series called ‘The Sweeney’. Ford had originally supplied a blue Consul but the producers apparently asked for it to be replaced with one painted in a brighter colour to stand out for the camera against a drab London background.

The Consul was used for the entire series one production and most of series two before being replaced by Ford with a Granada 3.0S shortly after the Consul range discontinued production in 1975.

Appearing in the opening title sequences of the first three series, the Consul was on-screen with the show’s lead actors John Thaw, who played Regan, and Dennis Waterman as Carter, along with their boss Haskins, played by Garfield Morgan.

This Consul was used in some of the most remembered 1970’s TV classic car chases around west London and consequently was fitted with some non-standard equipment including a full engine sump guard, full fuel tank shield and a bulkhead brace bar.

The current owner, known to those who have been following the build on social media as Mr Shifter, bought the car in 1988 in the Slough area and used it regularly until it was taken off the road in 1989 after failing its MoT on structural corrosion. It was placed into storage until it was finally rebuilt and the restoration completed earlier this year by the team at MBVR Ltd.

Mr Shifter said: “My thanks go to all the companies and people who have worked hard to get the car back to full health after almost thirty years off the road.”

The Ford Consul will be pride of place at the entrance to Hall 5 of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with Discovery, so they’ll be no chance of missing it. It will have security with it just in case anyone tries to slide across the bonnet in a 70s cop show style!

All you need to do is subscribe to our group email newsletters
The lucky winner will be chosen at random from the subscribers' list on 27 October
Existing subscribers will automatically be entered in the draw

With seven halls of petrol heads and friendly clubs to meet, be part of a community that joins together to share a passion. Book your tickets to the show today! ​The show is dedicated to supporting a community of like-minded enthusiasts. The 300 clubs joining us are pulling out all the stops for their stands for everyone to enjoy...

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​The Reliant Owners Club will have a fantastic guest appearance from Andy Plum, designer of the Reliant Mk3, along with the prototype body shell named the RFW9 he designed himself (left)

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​Displaying Princess Anne's car, the Middlebridge Enthusiasts Scimitar Set will also have the Cadbury's liveried race car that competed in the Birmingham Superprix (left).