The Vintage Racecar/Vintage Roadcar European office took to the road in mid- November, exhibiting at The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at England’sBirmingham National Exhibition Centre (NEC). The show is recognized as one of Europe’s premier classic motor shows and attracted some 65,000 visitors over the weekend. The VR stand exhibited the Minolta Toyota 87C Group C car that competed at the 1987 Le Mans 24 Hours. The car was driven by former F1 World Champion Alan Jones, Britain’s Geoff Lees and Swede Eje Elgh. It also competed in the All Japan Prototype series. VR‘s European Editor, Mike Jiggle, said, “Phil Stott Motorsport very kindly provided this car, it really is a head-turner and has drawn many people to us. I invited artist, Uli Ehret, renowned for his Le Mans and sports car paintings, to join us on the stand to paint the car live. It’s intriguing to watch a master at work. What started the weekend as a plain sheet of paper is now another magnificent piece of work. As for the show, this is just the second year we have exhibited here, and the organizers have certainly had their work cut out delivering a massive 82,000-square meters of exhibition space showing over 1,700 vehicles. We are certainly happy to continue to support this event as it grows year on year, attracting over 250 car clubs and the cream of the classic motor industry. An event like this is a great way to meet both the trade and the general public to show what VR has to offer, it also presents an opportunity to meet some of our very valued subscribers.”
Event Director Dan Nwaokolo added, “It’s been another amazing weekend, and huge thanks to all the clubs for the hard work and dedication that makes this Europe’s biggest classic motoring event. For 2015, such is the demand from clubs and the industry that we’re going to make the show even bigger by moving across to the biggest halls the NEC has to offer.”
Silverstone Auctions had a record-breaking £4.5million of sales with an 81 percent sale rate with a 1994 Jaguar XJ220 taking top bid. The car, once owned by the Royal Family of Brunei, sold to a buyer from Singapore for a premium-inclusive price of £247,500. Silverstone Auctions managing director, Nick Whale said, “These are another great set of results for our vendors, and are a fantastic way to end what has been a very exciting year for us.”
The 2015 NEC Classic Motor Show will be held at the NEC on November, 14th and 15th. Further details are available at www.necclassicmotorshow.com.
