A better life – The Retro Rides Weekender

How would one describe the Retro Rides Weekender? Perhaps that’s the secret to the success of the event. Difficult to describe in a succinct sentence and nearly impossible to describe in a photograph. Perhaps its grassroots beginnings in the early 2000s might give away a clue to its endearing success. Car and Classic had a quick conversation with Hotwire, AKA David Murphy to hopefully get this cleared once and for all.

His original concept was simple enough, set up an online forum for like-minded retro car fans. The word retro can be interpreted in many ways, depending on your vantage point, and that’s the flexibility that made it so accessible in the first place. So we have the content in place. David tells us ‘There was actually never a core objective other than to have cool cars on the forum. We didn’t really care about the people, as such. If you owned, posted or fancied to create a thread about cool cars, then that really was it. Obviously, a sense of decency and decorum goes a long way but the main thing is the car.’

Influenced by Japanese car magazines, with show event reviews of Custom and Hot Rod shows, he fixed an idea of how he wanted to recreate the quality and vision for the Retro Rides events. As an enviable fact-finding mission, David and his team went out to Japan in 2006 and filled the next step to David’s concept for a Retro Rides live event. The web forum worked well in conjunction with the actual Retro Rides shows, particularly before the days when the internet was there for the leaving meaning that you could easily walk away from the digital world after getting a fix of pictures and projects. David admits that organising the events was so much easier back then in many respects. The forum was a lot smaller, and questions about the shows were generally answered within the forum, more often by other users. As the progression of the way we interact with each via social media has increased, the methods of communication are now so vast, convoluted and unique in such a rather messy way, that it becomes far more stressful to deal with the important logistics’.

However, the negatives are outweighed by the desire to create a show that has yet no one else has been able to recreate in the UK. Quite a statement, but perhaps that is the essence of Retro Rides. Never complacent, he is acutely aware of ongoing issues, with camping facilities, flourishing numbers of attendees, the ever-increasing costs of car ownership. New elements and ideas are rolled into the shows each year but as long as there are cool cars, then David will continue to create the legendary Weekenders and Gatherings.

The Sprint action kicked off early on Saturday morning, with a pleasingly eclectic selection of cars ready to try their luck on the circuit. Bruce Maitland’s daily driver, a 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider had been converted into a track day car some 20 years ago but this was to be his first time on the track.

Another Italian gem, that was game for a morning dash around the 2.3-mile circuit was Justin Shiers’s 1976 Fiat 127. As one of the first supermini’s, it was one of a number of FWD Fiats that hit the market at precisely the right time. Given Fiat’s reputation for positive responses to tuning, the 127 is an excellent candidate as a track car, thanks to its balanced handling and ride.

Have you always wanted to watch BTCC cars? David’s logic was to bring the cars over to his events allowing the opportunity for others to watch the experience. Fully tuned and prepared, these cars did not hang around and were part of the live entertainment on Saturday. All three generations of the Capri were regular participants in the Touring Car Championship, with this garage44 prepared MK3 gracefully demonstrating its prowess.

With BTCC cars spanning 4 decades, these were the cars that played a part in the nation’s car-buying habits, making that vital connection the potential to win races with the car that would serve as the family runabout. Super Touring formula was new for 1990, with John Cleland racing for Vauxhall over a period of 10 years.

Retro Rides has a deep connection with Japanese modified vehicles and were one of the early adopters of appreciating the scene in the UK. Sharing a passion to push boundaries with a link to motorsports, the JDM myriad of sub-cultures offers plenty of influences that continue to have a far-reaching appeal.

While the cars are fairly well documented, customised Mopeds are likely to be only in the peripheral vision of most people. Thanks to this remarkable collection of Honda Mopeds, this well-received collection would have certainly opened a few eyes. Typically lowered, with over-styled exterior cowling and some charming detailing, Honda’s range of 50cc Mopeds are the most common candidates for customisation, although several Yamaha’s are also picked as subjects. Before you dash off into your grans shed and start ripping her old bike apart, you’d do well to watch ShootAll Ballers’ informative and well-presented YouTube channel first.

A more recognisable icon of JDM Culture comes courtesy of Nissan and their 4th generation Skyline. This GTR Heritage Centre prepared Skyline 2000GT-R replica is known as the ‘Kenmari’ due to the combined names of the actors who appeared during the advertisement campaign. Faithfully reproducing the Skyline 2000GT-R Racing Concept which made its first appearance at the 19th Tokyo Motor Show in 1972, the original car was never actually raced in anger.

Parked in a prime spot at the Jackie Stewart Pavilion, the car was brought into the UK by Tyneside based ‘replicakenmeri’. The car was sourced via Lithuania in 2017 but had been initially imported to the UK from Japan in the early 2010s. Originally finished in white, it has undergone an extensive ground-up restoration and following its completion in 2019, has been picking up admiration and awards ever since.

Still with Nissan, to rather Datsun, the Datsun Club UK filled their customary stand with an excellent selection of cars spanning over 60 years. But we’ll just focus on a couple of cars here. Simon Frith Nissan 300C estate was an ideal car to travel from his native Peterborough, as he and his partner revelled in its comfort and relaxed cruising ability. As often the case, he wasn’t specifically looking for one of Nissan’s flagship cars, but two came along at the same time. He decided to take both as they were reasonably priced but after a little rationalisation decided to keep just this one.

Paul Woolley brought along his first Datsun, a rare 2-door B110 1200 Sunny Saloon. Believed to be a Japanese built African import which ended up in Portugal, it has been in Paul’s possession for a year. The wheels and suspension have been sorted, and to further flex his mechanical confidence, the aim is to present the car in a year’s time as Toyota powered retro mod.

Mini’s have been a staple for the modded car scene for well over half a century, so one might wonder if there is still anything left out there to still inspire? Of course, there is. The Mini Minus. A GRP creation with a proven record in rallycross, hill climbs and circuit racing. Rebuilt by Jonathan Faulkner, this 1968 car has been in his cable hands since 2010. Powered by a 1293cc Turbo engine, it is said to produce 175bhp.

The 10x7j SSR FL2 Wheels were sourced courtesy of the internet-time vacuum that is known as Yahoo Japan. Another car with some beautiful touches, including the novel Innocenti grille, the car has seen a feast of further revisions and upgrades in recent years and is expected to be used on various track days this summer.

YouTube channels have become instrumental for classic car fans, with self-build and review channels offering an alternative viewing opportunity to the usual TV suspects. Adam Ivell’s Build Create channel is a talk through of his transformation of his Subaru Brat. The car has some beautiful details, including hand-made carbon parts, vacuum air bagged suspension and two-piece BF Goodrich off-road wheels.

Volkswagen have long been a stalwart of the modded car scene, and fans of both air-cooled and water-cooled modified VWs were not disappointed with the vast array of modified cars at the Weekender but in keeping with the diversity of cars, there were plenty of unmodified gems too. Presented in 1996 as a marketing exercise, the VW Polo Harlekins caused a little frisson of excitement in the VW dealers, and customer demand eventually dictated that 3,800 examples found homes.

Next to it, is the VW Golf Country. Produced in conjunction with Steyr-Daimler-Puch. It primary catered for customers in central Europe with a penchant for Alpine driving. They are scarce in the UK as its off-road snow climbing abilities were rarely needed but it strengthened an already talented Golf line up.

A neat touch to reflect the brand’s roots, Volkswagen Heritage displayed their Vancouver sourced 1956 pick spilt screen single cab. Believed to have been obtained in the early 2010s with just 4,800 miles on the clock, it serves as a distinctive promotional piece for the VW Heritage parts supplier.

Another form of Motorsports that Retro Rides were quick to appreciate was the Drift Scene. In the early days of the forum, BMW E30s, S13 Silvia’s and RWD Fords were still plentiful and more importantly affordable. Those days are now sadly long gone, but an impressive selection of cars with a set of equally impressive drivers put together by Drift Matsuri As the organisers of the largest UK drift events, the crowds were treated with a series of demonstrations on Saturday.

After a few pearl-clutching reports of the dangers posed by the art of drift, the sport has settled down and attracted a loyal following. Drift Matsuri caters for both competition as well as providing opportunities for those who are curious and would like to learn the skill of oversteering with full control.

The paddocks were full to the brim with curated displays and show cars, with plenty to see on the outer perimeters. Furthermore, sections of the track were also opened up for car displays on Sunday.

A pleasant walk up a boulevard of cars was like no other seen at Goodwood. The gentle breeze, cloud-filtered rays with the occasional sound of a propeller aeroplane taking off cannot distract you from a tatty but very appealing Triumph Herald (belonging to a long time forum member Seth Kennedy) rubbing shoulders with a Renault Avantime. It is simply a normal day in the world of the Retro Rides Weekender.

Plenty of stalls too with several well-known show organisers placing stands with merchandise to help promote their respective events. We caught up with the hard-working Lee from Oh So Retro, who found himself at home in the varied mix of cars and chilled out atmosphere. He particularly liked the concept of the Red Room because it appealed to his sense of simplicity and innovation in show events. Keep your eyes online for the Oh So Retro show in Margate on Sunday the 29th of September.

In a tribute to the Red Room at the Haynes Motor Museum in Sparkford, Paddock 2 was set up as a temporary museum. The logic is simple enough to follow, as it opens up a prime opportunity for those with a red retro vehicle to be included.

The definition of classic is always subjective and often a source of animosity. The ever shifting timelines means that every car will eventually have its day here. Different reasons for different cars, the novelty of owning something completely unique without sacrificing reliability, pace, comfort or practicality was the foremost thought of Jake Steward when he bought his 2002 Toyota Mark II Blit. Not officially imported by Toyota into the UK, the mid-sized luxury estate is kitted out with a twin-turbo engine pumping out 276bhp. Jake told us that while the mechanical parts are fairly straightforward to source, he may need to rely on Japanese suppliers should the car need exterior panels.

Five awards were given out on Sunday, feed through a robust and simple yet unbiased selection process, a delegation of David’s team use their experienced eye for talent and simply pick a car. This year’s Cool award was won by Ralph Whitehead and his neatly detailed 1970 Porsche 911E adorned by a set of Torq Thrust wheels. The dare to be Different ward was taken by Tom Mercer’s Austin A35 Speedster Fitted with a tuned 1098cc engine. Painted in a custom mix based on British Racing Green, the stripped-down roadster was simply built for speed but the results has created something utterly unique with beautiful finishing.

The Truck Van Wagon award was won by Stylecraft Coachworks 1968 MX5-powered air-bagged Volvo Amazon. Owner Mike Wareham suffered a series of setbacks involving a handful of recent minor prangs while the car was in storage, but as a bodywork man, he did a sterling job in getting the car back up to scratch in a very short time. The Engine award was given to Phil Armitage’s Nissan 370Z GT powered 1955 Ford F100, another car with some very neat detailing. It sits on a bespoke chassis and he refers to as the one and only F170Z in the world. The overall winner of the show was a 1977 Chevy G20 Caravan Custom owned by Steven Morris. Complete with shag pile carpets and a brick fireplace, he has done a stunning job of replicating a ’70s van to this level of detail. The paintwork is phenomenal. A worthy winner.

The success and appeal of the Retro Rides events are based on David’s wide and varied interest in car culture and trends. But let’s not forget, that the Retro Rides event’s lack of pretension and open-minded attitude is due to those who attend their events. The Weekender represents a way of life for many of its followers, along with the camping camaraderie, a DJ booth set up and the legendary Kev’s Charity Tat auction. Long affirming friendships are made, simply due to our collective love of cars.

As a closing statement, David sums up Retro Rides like this. ’It appears that many attend the event to see other cars, possibly to get ideas, influences, or to simply socialise, rather than to show off their own vehicles’. A refreshing attitude which underlines why the Retro Rides Events is the best Forum based shows in the UK. Want to see what the fuss is all about? Retro Rides return to Mallory Park on 18th September 2022, as a homage to their first event back in 2007. Otherwise it’s back to Goodwood in 2023. It promises to be a good one.