• Classic Motor Cars Ltd., a successful classic car restoration company in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, UK, which last year turned over £5.2 million, has been given to the staff by its owner. CMC employs more than 60 staff and has restored some of the world’s most important cars including many famous Jaguars. The company has now become an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), which means that the staff will own and run the business themselves. The company is currently working on more than 22 classic car restorations, including many famous marques such as Aston Martin, Jaguar and Lancia.
• Chris Jaques, owner of the 1934 Maserati 8CM driven at July’s Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb Classic Nostalgia event, was selected by watch sponsor Omologato to receive its “Spirit of Shelsley” award. Jaques’ 8CM was purchased new by Whitney Straight, who then broke the hill record at Shelsley Walsh with it, posting a time of just 40 seconds. The Maserati has been raced extensively over the course of its impressive history, and in 1936 it was bought by Prince Bira of Siam, who campaigned it for more than a decade, and it remains today in his racing livery, known as “Bira blue.” Jaques purchased and restored the celebrated car in 2007, and Rob Newell drove it at Shelsley Walsh this year.
• Dodge, America’s mainstream performance brand, and Mecum Auctions announced that Dodge will be the exclusive automotive sponsor of Mecum Auctions, the world’s largest collector car auction company. As part of the sponsorship, Dodge branding and vehicles will be featured at Mecum Auction events, and some events will include thrill rides in the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat, the fastest, most powerful muscle cars ever, and in the legendary Dodge Viper. In addition, Dodge branding and advertising will run in Mecum Auction properties, including television, print publications, mecum.com website and Mecum Auction catalogs.
• The Art of Motoring Exhibition will include the work of some 15 artists at the Royal Opera Arcade Gallery at 5b Pall Mall, just a stone’s throw from the Club’s Pall Mall premises, from Monday October 31 until Saturday November 5, 2016. The exhibition is free to attend. This year is the 40th anniversary of James Hunt’s 1976 Formula One World Championship victory. To commemorate this anniversary, award-winning artist Jeremy Houghton was commissioned by the James Hunt Foundation to produce an official collection of 10 paintings depicting each of the races that Hunt won that year. These paintings will form a special feature to the iconic racing driver. Displayed over the two floors of the gallery will also be paintings by many of Britain’s leading motoring artists, including John Ketchell, Barry Rowe, Tim Layzell, Gary Whinn, Roy Putt, Geoff Bolam, Richard Wheatland and Rob Ijbema.
