by Paul Sweeney.

I recently posted just a few of the hundreds of photos I took over a period of years at Ian Hope's British Car Museum in New Zealand and was pleasantly surprised by the level of interest and positive reactions, which made me think.

Ian was keen to leave a legacy for future generations after he had passed on, so it feels right to share my pictures with you. All of these were taken by me - in most cases while wandering around the collection with Ian happily chattering about the cars as we moved around the building. Most of the photographs eventually wound up on Ian's museum website but as that's no longer online I have decided to put them here on our club website instead.

​Ian knew of our club and was delighted when I used to tell him about it and how his cars were being admired from across the world. Several members even visited his collection and one - Daniel Bysouth - had a particular connection; the photograph shown above is Ian himself pointing to a highly prized RAC badge kindly sent to him by Dan. Ian was delighted with it and was very keen to show Dan where he had put the badge - "in pride of place", as he told me. To the best of my knowledge it remains there on that beautiful Alvis to this day.

There are several pictures of Ian himself around the museum (he lived on-site) and ​I hope you enjoy seeing them - the collection meant everything to Ian and I am sure he would be happy to know that people can at least enjoy his collection online here, even if most of you can't currently visit in person.

To make it easier to find what interests you most, I have created filters across the top of the page so that with a single click you can view the images you want - usually by selecting a marque.
​
Finally, I want to tell you all that whilst his knowledge was extensive, Ian was most definitely not an anorak. He had a wicked sense of humour, loving nothing more than to sneak up on unwary visitors and set off an air horn right behind them, only to whizz away on his mobility scooter cackling like a madman - so whilst browsing the gallery if you should imagine you can hear the ghostly echo of a horn followed by a good-natured chuckle, don't be alarmed. It's only Ian, happy to see you taking an interest in his life's passion.

​Click on the button below to begin.

by Paul Sweeney

by Paul Sweeney

I have news for those interested in the fate of the late, great Ian Hope's amazing British car collection. I was contacted this week by Perry, one of Ian's nephews.

Perry is one of three trustees appointed by Ian to manage his affairs. Perry told me that whilst the museum is currently closed to visitors, he and the other trustees intend honouring Ian's memory by doing their best to preserve his collection intact.

There is much to do - not least making the premises safer for the public - and there are already generous offers of help and support coming in from the classic car fraternity. One very caring individual has even offered to buy the entire collection and maintain it as a museum in the same location in the event the trustees conclude that running it is too much for them.
​
Currently there is no timeline for reopening, but whilst there is much to work through, it's looking a little more hopeful. Watch this space - I will post updates as and when I hear more in the coming weeks and months.

We have once again been offered a club stand at next March's Restoration Show at the NEC. It is easily our largest stand to date at a whopping 142 sq mt, which means we should have room for up to 8 display vehicles. On top of that we are right next to the live action at the Sporting Bears Dream Rides in Hall 5, stand 060.

We are looking now for members' classics to display on our stand.
​Here is the deal if yours is selected:

• You must make your own arrangements to transport your vehicle to and from the NEC at your own expense
• You must be present to help set up on the Thursday and close down on Sunday
• You will be rostered to man the stand for at least one day of the show 
• You will receive 2 free entry wristbands for each day of the show
• You will receive a free parking pass for your modern vehicle (if required)
• Insurance cover for your vehicle whilst at the show (if required) is your own responsibility
• Enthusiasts of British Motor Vehicles Built Before 1985 cannot accept liability for loss or damage to your vehicle during the event however caused - participation is strictly at your own risk

We realise this is a major commitment in time, money and effort but will do our best to make you feel welcome and part of the team. Those who have displayed previously tell us it was a great experience.

​If you are happy with the terms above, please complete the form below including at least one high quality photo of your classic. Make it a good one as its likely to be "make or break" in terms of whether your classic is chosen.

ENTRIES CLOSE midnight GMT 31 December 2018

The Jaguar Spitfires to Sports Cars Tour provides a unique insight into the operation of Castle Bromwich during the '40s and you will learn the secrets of car and airplane manufacturing, visiting many areas of the factory that are being opened to the public for the first time.

Over three fascinating hours learn the secrets of car and aeroplane manufacturing at Jaguar's Castle Bromwich home.
Castle Bromwich has a rich history and it's a history that's still being made as the manufacturing base of Jaguar cars. From the high performance F-Type to the advanced XJ, nearly all of Jaguar's luxury and performance cars have their home at Castle Bromwich.
​
It is at Castle Bromwich where Jaguar continues to develop its unparalleled expertise in advanced aluminium manufacturing, a skill which also served the nation during the war years, when the factory was a primary location for building Spitfire fighter aircraft.

An exclusive group visit to the Jaguar factory in Castle Vale, Birmingham where the XE, XF, XJ and F-TYPE models are built. Numbers are strictly limited, so it's "First come, first served". The intention is to enjoy lunch together at a nearby hostelry straight after the tour (not included in the tour price);

If you decide to cancel your booking:

• Within fourteen (14) days from the date of your booking confirmation, we will refund you the full price paid for the Experience;
• Twenty eight (28) days or more prior to the Experience, we will refund you the price paid for the booking by the method you used for payment, however, we may deduct any sums, including expenses, which have already been paid by us or our suppliers in relation to the Experience and which are non-refundable; or
• Less than twenty eight (28) days prior to the Experience, you will be charged the total price for the Experience.
• We will make any refunds due to you as soon as possible. If you are exercising your right to change your mind your refund will be made within fourteen (14) days of you telling us that you have changed your mind.

by Paul Sweeney

Those of you who like the monthly Facebook stats might be interested in something I recently found - its possible to download the stats into Excel.

So, I decided to take a look at the countries we all live in - and guess what? The stats went way beyond the "Top 10" FB usually gives us. I then began looking at the data in Excel and found a nifty little thing where instead of drawing a graph or bar chart, it would plot our membership on a world map.

So here it is - click to enlarge.
Key:

• Grey = no members
• Pale blue = small number of members, graduating to
• Dark blue = lots of members

by Paul Sweeney.

What does it mean? Well, in essence it means any information sent back and forth across the world wide web between your device and the machines where this website is hosted (which can be anywhere in the world) is now scrambled or encrypted - meaning any bad people intercepting it en route wont be able to read or re-use it.

Only your device and the machines at the other end can do that - so if for example you decide to make a purchase from our shop, your name, address, payment information etc are all protected from prying eyes - making you safer.

Or to put it another way:
"Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is sent between your browser and the website that you are connected to. The 'S' at the end of HTTPS stands for 'Secure'. It means all communications between your browser and the website are encrypted."

Most of all we all owe a debt of gratitude to Gar Cole, without whom none of it would have happened. Gar is our very own Energiser Bunny and deserves a huge pat on the back for organising our part in a very successful show.

In one week's time, we will stop taking orders for our very popular grille badges and the order will go to the manufacturer. This may very well be the final batch, so we suggest everyone treats this as the last chance to get one of these high quality badges - once the order's gone in, we cannot add more.

​Not only do we have our own club stand, but our members are making a mark elsewhere, too! Group member Paul Clappison is displaying his awesome white MGB GT on the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership stand at this weekend's Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show at the NEC, Birmingham.

​We wish Paul good luck for a successful weekend - that MG looks just stunning! 

by Paul Sweeney

Gar and the guys have worked hard and the Club stand is ready! Member and proud exhibitor Mark Smith said excitedly:

Here is a short video clip filmed by the guys when they were done preparing the stand.

As always, all the best photos posted in the group throughout the show weekend will be collected together on the official Photo Gallery so keep coming back to see more.

by Paul Sweeney

Here is a reminder of the products currently available in our official club shop:

It is a fact that around 30% of our membership lives outside the UK and for most of them, attending the major shows on the UK Classic Car calendar is unlikely - and making their cars available to exhibit on our club stand would be even less likely.

​So, we asked ourselves - what could we do help non UK-based members get involved and also demonstrate to the show-going public that we are in fact a global group? The answer? An International Members' "Brits Abroad" Cool Wall on our stand at the NEC this month, displaying photos of overseas classic Brits! (with thanks to Top Gear for inspiration).
​

The call went out and numbers of you responded. We are now very proud to unveil the gallery here for those unable to attend the show at the NEC in person. Thanks to all the members who submitted their vehicles for display - I'm sure everyone will agree they did us proud.

Special thanks to Dominic Coleman for preparing the photographs so professionally. The original prints will be displayed on the club stand at the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show at the NEC Birmingham March 23-25, 2018.

Call 0844 858 6758 or book online at www.necrestorationshow.com
​
Club Members benefit from discounted tickets on Saturday 24th or Sunday 25th March if booked in advance – see the show advert for promotion codes and T&Cs on our Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/events/108847486491129

For a taste of what to expect on our club stand in Hall 5, just click here: www.britishmotorvehicles.com/events-archive/practical-classics-classic-car-restoration-show-with-discovery-march-2018

We are delighted to announce we have not one, but two brand new sponsors on board for the next 12 months. We are very excited about the opportunities that this will open up as we look to continue driving the group forward, offering you more and enhancing the overall membership experience.

MG Insurance Services Ltd was formed as the insurance division for the MG Owners Club in 1984 and specialised in providing MG Insurance for members of the MG Owners Club. As the popularity and demand for classic car insurance grew, it was decided in 1989 to arrange insurance for a wider variety of classic cars. This resulted in the MG insurance division becoming Lancaster Insurance Services Ltd.

In addition to being an insurance broker, Lancaster are perhaps best known in our group as headline sponsors of LANCASTER INSURANCE CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW, WITH DISCOVERY, billed as 'the biggest and best classic motor show in the UK'. Watch this space for some very special club offers and competitions with great prizes from the team at Lancaster coming soon.

Services offered include insurance cover for:

• Classic Cars
• 4x4 vehicles
• Motor Homes
• Campervans
• Vans
• Kit cars
• Modified cars

Company website: 
www.lancasterinsurance.co.uk

As established auctioneers in the world of vintage and classic cars and motorcycles, Richard Edmonds offers the complete auction service with an impossible-to-beat seller’s commission of 0%.

​In addition they are Europe’s leading specialists in selling automobilia and petroliana.  The auction business grew out of a lifetime’s passion and the team takes tremendous pride in offering both buyers and sellers as enjoyable an experience as possible. If you would like to discuss buying or selling a classic vehicle or a treasure from the corner of your garage, then please don’t hesitate to make contact. In the first instance you can discuss your requirements with Admin team member Andrew Tanner, who is a Consultant to the company.

The Richard Edmonds team has wide experience in dealing with deceased estates and is well qualified to handle large collections. They have been selected by several significant motoring museums of late in selling their contents but also are very proud to have been regularly selling on to existing and new museums opening across the United Kingdom.

We are taking orders now for the 2nd (and possibly final) batch of our high quality grille badges. An order will be placed at the end of this month and there may well be no more after that, so if you want one - get your order in now before it's too late!

With typical and admirable British humility and reserve, the single line above was all that appeared on his social media feed about this remarkable recognition.

​Yes - our very own Paul Berman has been honoured in the utterly British way by making him a "Member of the Order of the British Empire" and we think that's brilliant news for a thoroughly good chap.

by Paul Sweeney

If not, that's because you haven't signed up to receive it yet! Let me share with you why we decided to set up a club mailing list. Take a look at the infographic below - does it sound like you? If it does - you're not alone. ​