The NEC show organisers plan to showcase the women involved in the classic scene – both past and present at this weekends Birmingham’s NEC event from 13th to 15th November.
Event Director Dan Nwaokolo explains: “The classic motoring scene is no longer a man’s world. Each year we have more and more women who are on club committees organising stand displays, young ladies enrolled on classic restoration apprenticeships, and female classic collectors joining us at the show.
The Bentley 4.5-litre entered into the Benjafield 24 by the Bentley Belles will take pride of place on the feature display stand, along with Bentley Belle Katarina Kyvalova. The team, which also included Gillian Carr, Georgina Riley and Georgie Brewster, only met for the first time the day before the endurance event, and entered the record books as the only all-female team to campaign a Bentley in a 24hr endurance race, ever. Since then, they have added the same accolade to their list for the Spa Six Hour Race. Katarina also competed in the Flying Scotsman Rally and at Spa, as well as finishing third in a Cooper Jaguar at Goodwood Revival.
Jessica Harvey will be bringing her MGB GT, built for hillclimbing. A ‘Café racer GT’, it’s driven hard, but is also a show-scene classic, to the point where it’s received paint rectification for showing three times this year. She won “Best modified MG” with the car at MG Live in June, a testament to the uprated 2.0 B-series producing 150bhp, the race cam, the fully adjustable suspension and the uprated brakes.
The Whyte sisters are the world’s youngest all female endurance historic rally team, and compete in HERO’s Austin Seven. Seren, 23, and Elise, 25, have been competing in historic endurance rallies since their first Le Jog in 2012, and show no signs of letting up yet. They’ve used a variety of cars from the HERO fleet, including a BMW 1602 and a Triumph TR4.
For The Love of Cars workshop ace Ant Anstead and Car SOS presenter Fuzz Townshend will be appearing at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at Birmingham’s NEC from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th November.
Both are long time friends of the show, but will be involved this year on the Live Stage with demonstrations and Q+A sessions on offer throughout the weekend, as well as being on hand for photographs, autograph sessions, and meet and greet opportunities.
“It will be good to be back on the stage,” said Fuzz, “I was here last year with Car SOS to hand over one of the cars we had restored, but it will be great to be involved and work with the rest of the guys!”
The Meguiar’s Club Showcase celebrates its tenth anniversary at this year’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show by bringing 14 of the UK’s finest classic cars to battle it out for the auspicious winner’s title at Birmingham’s NEC from 13-15 November.
Having all won their own marque events throughout the year, chosen for their immaculate presentation and condition, the cars will be displayed as the centrepiece of Hall 1, where the overall winner will be announced on Sunday afternoon by Mike Brewer of Discovery Channel’s Wheeler Dealers.
The cars range from Chris Penny’s modified Ford Escort to Alexander Louden’s 1939 MG TB. Ian Kimpton is also bringing his MG Maestro but insists it’s not a concours car.
Don Townsend has owned his Mazda MX-5 since 2002, though it’s only really been a concours car for the past 12 months. “It’s only really taken off this year, when I won best Mk1 at a local show. It’s also won the “Best kept Mk1” award at the club national. Now Mk1s stand out, it’s only right that we keep it as nice as we can.”
Mark Stewart’s Austin 7 van is one of those classics that makes your heart swell because you can see the stunning attention to detail. “It’s as original a spec as I could get it, and is full of tools and parts not in case of breakdown, but as part of the period display. It used to belong to an Austin garage in Edinburgh, so it’s appropriate. It took two years to restore it. I’m glad I did it but I’m also glad it’s finished!”
A 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL ‘Pagoda’ once owned by noted London fashion house proprietor Joan Burstein is one of the stars at this year’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, held 13-15 November at Birmingham’s NEC.
Joan Burstein CBE, also known as ‘Mrs B’, is well-known in couture circles, opening her shop, Browns, in London’s plush South Molton Street in 1970. Browns later expanded from a small basement to occupy more space as her name – and discovery of designers including Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, and Donna Karan – developed.
To celebrate the business opening she ordered the dark blue/red interior Mercedes, taking delivery of it in January 1971.
Maintained by Hampstead-based Otto Schmitt, whose business carried out servicing for main dealer Alan Day, Otto’s son Robert looked after the car for the next 42 years and was promised first refusal if Mrs B decided to sell it.
With ‘Pagoda’ SLs currently one of the hottest tickets in classic circles, this model is certain to receive plenty of attention when its displayed at Birmingham’s NEC, not only from long-term Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts but hobby newcomers too. Robert Schmitt will also be present at the show on Friday 13th November.
See this amazing car on stand 615 in Hall 3 of the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, held from 13th to 15th November at Birmingham’s NEC. For more information ticket prices and booking details, visit www.necclassicmotorshow.com.
