From Morris Minor to Raleigh Chopper – What We’re Building Live at the NEC Stand 580, Hall 5

At last — the show season is nearly here! Dust off your enthusiasm and possibly your comfortable shoes, because we’re back at the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show at the National Exhibition Centre from 20th–22nd March. Amazingly, this will be our 8th year in a row, which either shows dedication… or that nobody has figured out how to stop us yet.

This year we’ve got a cracking line-up of six displays, and the brave (or foolish) among us will be working on them live over the weekend. What could possibly go wrong?
On the stand you’ll find:

• A Morris Minor 1 Million tribute — and not just any tribute, but the only 4-door of its kind. Rare enough that people may start asking if it’s real.
• A custom-built Jaguar D-Type child’s car, recently treated to a new chassis, dashboard, paint, and electric conversion — because even small racing drivers appreciate a proper upgrade.
• An early Austin Metro L receiving new interior parts — giving it the sort of makeover most of us can only dream about.
• A Ford Mondeo Mk1 undergoing a full front suspension rebuild — because sometimes the best entertainment is watching someone wrestle with stubborn bolts.
• An Austin J40 pedal car, proving that classic motoring fun starts before you even have a driving licence.
• And a restored Raleigh Chopper being reassembled live at the show — which will almost certainly trigger a wave of nostalgic “I had one of those!” moments.

​So if you’re at the show, pop over to Stand 580 in Hall 5. There’ll be plenty to see, plenty going on, and with our track record… quite possibly a bit of improvisation too. 🚗🔧

Gar Cole
Events Coordinator

Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show from 20 – 22 March 2026 at the NEC Birmingham. 
Quote CCEBRMVM6 at www.necrestorationshow.com to save £3.50 off single-day adult tickets or £2 off family, child & multi-day tickets. 
Club discount applied to advance prices before midnight on 19 March and show open prices thereafter, full ticket information: www.necrestorationshow.com/ticket-information