This years Race Retro show had something for everyone in the classic racing world and didn’t disappoint.
Rally Legend Ari Vatanen opened the Live Rally Stage on Saturday and Sunday, as well as appearing on stage, alongside other racing guests David Brabham, David Hailwood, Norman Dewis, Barrie Whizzo Williams, Win Percy and others.
There was much to celebrate for 2015; 50yrs of Chevron Racing; 10 years since the passing of rally driver Richard Burns, plus 50th birthday of Mike Hailwood winning the 1965 500cc World Motorcycle Championship on an MV Augusta all celebrated with various displays around the Halls.
Through the main hall the regular Speed Avenue feature hosted race organisers including HSCC, CSCC, VSCC, Hero, HDI Healeysport, Tour Britannia, Bahamas Speed Week Revival, and the Classic Outback Trial.
On Friday’s Press Day, Tony Southgate (British Designer and The International Guild of Specialist Engineers, President) unveiled the Ex-Ronald ‘Steady’ Barker 1934 Lancia Astura. Steady was VSCC president as well as road-tester Editor for Autocar and contributor to CAR magazine. He turned the 1934 V8- 3-litre Lancia Limousine into an open two seater race car after the war and raced it until it was sold in 1959. Bought by the founder of The International Guild of Specialist Engineers Michael Scott, the car has been undergoing complete restoration over 2 years, based on a bespoke body modeled around sketches drawn by Steady himself almost 60 years ago. Top restorers have turned Steady Barker’s vision into a unique model which was unveiled for all to see.
One of the more bizarre cars on display was the ‘Basil Davenport GN Spider’ Hand built in1927 – with its a 1486 cc V Twin engine with chain driven overhead camshafts operating four valves per cyclinder. It cost just £110 to build and was built to break the record at the Shelsley Walsh Hill climb which it did successfully three times. The driver Basil Davenport reportedly wore the brown overcoat that was in it, whilst racing.
The show hosted its usual eclectic mix of Automobilia including models, posters, books and the chilly cow sheds full of Auto Jumble which you simply cannot resist!
