The Allure of Restoration Perfection – The Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show

Time to top up the fluids and dust off the boots for the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration show. Held every year at the end of March, it fires up the start of the 2023 Classic car season.

Housed within the vast halls of the National Exhibition Centre, the Practical Classics event is something of an institution in the UK Classic Car calendar, which brings in over 1000 cars, over 150 clubs and over 250 exhibitors.

Acting as a social event, it offers a perfect opportunity to explore the hands-on world of Classic Car ownership. Serving as an impetus to encourage enthusiasts to demonstrate what they can achieve. With almost 27,000 people visiting the 3 halls over the 3 days, the NEC offers a paradise for those motivated by the world of restoring cars.

So why do people choose to restore a car? Often carried out against the elements of time and money, the unexpected pitfalls and hidden costs should be enough to put people off. But the positive aspects do tend to outweigh the negatives and the desire and achievement to challenge yourself to attempt to improve both your car and yourself should never be underestimated.

The spirit of a restoration could be summed up by not buying new parts from a catalogue, but indulging in the pleasure of the hunt, the graft and the satisfaction. The motivation is partly due to memories and a sense of pride once you reach your goal, but there is also the chance to learn and share skills.

Considering the obstacles and the diminishing joys of modern motoring, the opportunity to get back to basics with the elements of oil, leather and the tactility of the combustion engine, the need to enjoy the Classic Car has never been more important.

As a form of recognition, the National Car Club Awards presented 13 awards this year. This covers lifetime achievements, stand awards, as well as the best clubs and cars. We’ll go through the winners after we take a walk around the event, and highlight a few of the cars and clubs that motivated us.

In 1966 57 Wolseley Hornets were converted into cabriolets by Crayford and given away in a competition presented by Heinz. Over a million entries were received, and the majority of successful applicants were ladies – perhaps the original fitment of a Max Factor make-up tray and picnic set may have encouraged that. All 57 cars sported the LLH xxxD registration and were sold in either Toga white or Birch grey finish. Quite a few have since been privately exported, but the Crayford Convertible owners club have documented that 41 cars still survive.

Despite the comparatively low weight of an Imp engine and gearbox (roughly the same as the weight of an average man) we still wouldn’t recommend it as a one-man job. However, dropping an engine can be done in under 30 minutes if you know what you’re doing. The smooth and lively 875cc Coventry Climax overhead cam unit had connections with the Lotus Elite and was considered a far better-balanced car than its arch-rival the BMC Mini.

A fascinating collection of the Mini-based Stimson kits car were seen on the Minikits stand, which is believed to be the first time that a Minibug, Scorcher, Trek and this Safari Six have been on display in one place. Barry Stimson, the designer of these imaginative cars sadly passed away last year, so the selection was very much in tribute to his talent. Around 20 Safari Sixes were produced between 1972 and 1973, all were initially powered by the 848 cc A-Series engine mounted in a glass fibre body on a steel tubular-frame chassis.

A recently completed project, this is a one-off special TR7 commissioned by BL dealer Page Motors Limited by Crayford in 1978. Placed on the Triumph Drivers club, this shooting brake version of the TR7 is known as the Tracer is currently owned by Club secretary Chris Turner. Crayford did not include a sunroof when they built it but it was added by the second owner, who had also painted the car red. Chris has restored the car to its original finish but chose to retain the Tudor Webasto Riviera roof.

Talking of obscure BL metal, there was another one on the Rover Sports Register stand at the Practical Classics show, with something that forced several casual observers to double-take. Made specifically for the Australian market, Michelotti had a hand in its styling but the Leyland P76 bears no visual clues to its BL heritage, other than the badging. There was a proposal to sell the P76 in the UK under the Vanden Plas name, but the slowing demand for large thirsty cars and plenty of in-house competition put those plans to rest. This is the V8 Targa Florio model, a limited edition model in tribute to the P76 winning the Targa Florio section of the 1974 World Cup Rally.

Paul’s South African market Opel Rekord on the Vauxhall Bedford Opel Association stand might also have misled a few people. A quick chat cleared up the slight misdirect, especially as it appears to have had a Vauxhall Magnum grill fitted. It was imported into the UK in the mid-80s and has seen a fair amount of modifications over the years. Paul has just sold his Series-A Opel Manta to help fund this car. He has a few interesting plans for this car and promises that it will be worth the wait. The VBOA is the official Vauxhall Motors recognised coordinating body for clubs catering for owners and enthusiasts of Vauxhall, Bedford and Opel vehicles.

The Historic Marathon Rally Group were proudly displaying a selection of British rally cars on their stand at the Practical Classics event and were eager to tell us about their busy schedule for 2023. Andrew Bradbury hopes to celebrate Brain Culcheth’s remarkable career in racing Triumphs, who sadly passed away last year. The HMRG are at several events the year, but the one to watch for will be in November at the Classic Motor Show where they hope to display a collection of Brian’s former cars.

These delightful ladies are Fiona, Anne and Judith and are all members of The Riley RM Club. Fiona Linney, the club’s promotions officer told us that they cater for the executive RM Series cars built between 1945 and 1957, but it is also open to pre-war models as well as the later Healey-based cars. All the cars on the stand were pre-BMC models, celebrating the company’s heyday as a maker of luxury and sports cars.

A healthy number of clubs specifically catering for more recent cars were on show too, and it is surprising how rare some variants have now become. This Astra estate on the Astra MK2 Owners Club appears to be in a good working state, despite it being an unrestored garage find. The 1.8-litre estate with the LXi trim signifies that it was the top-of-the-range model of the estate models, mechanically and spec-wise the equivalent of an SRi. The classic car market has always been slow to appreciate Vauxhalls as practical classics, so a clean MK2 could certainly be a perfect and affordable entry point to a 1980s modern classic.

Neatly displayed on the Metro owners club, this 1981 Metro had been left in a field in Cornwall for several years. Bought unseen via eBay, its owner bought it to serve as a donor car but rather than scrap the shell, it was turned into a display piece to demonstrate the media blasting process. While this car’s current value is likely to be low, perhaps in 10 or 20 years, there could be enough justification to give the car a full restoration.

On the Ford Granada MK1 & MK2 Drivers Guild, this pre-registered Copper Bronze 1976 Ford Granada 2.0 GL is something of a genuine rarity. Recently discovered with just 129 miles on the clock, it was pristine when it had been originally placed in storage but suffered damage when a fire broke out. The rear of the car bore the brunt of the damage, but thankfully not beyond saving. Club members were busy stripping the car down in preparation for its eventual resurrection. Hopefully, we shall catch up with it when finished.

A regular at the NEC, the Simca Club UK, always has several beautifully presented cars, including this Simca 1204 Special, a sporting version of the 1100. The car had previously been stored in a corner of a Ford dealer in Norfolk for 38 years after being part-exchanged for a new Ford in 1978! Surprisingly intact despite its lack of use, the owner still stripped down the car for a thorough restoration. The owner has added a few tasteful modifications and is now one of three surviving 1204 Specials known to the club.

Another regular at the NEC, flying the flag for the appreciation of Japanese cars is the long-established Toyota Enthusiast Club, with a line-up that covered four decades of the brand. Serial Celica collector Malcolm Graham-Jones displayed one of his first-generation Celicas at the Practical Classics event. While the original incarnation of the Celica is a rare sight these days, only 100 of the long-nose TA23 GT models were imported. Brought in to support Win Percy’s success in the British Touring Car Championship in a TA22 GT, this car was used as a daily driver by its previous owner until 1999. Malcolm stored the car for another 18 years and then set upon recommissioning the car in which it only needed a superficial restoration, mostly bolt-on parts, to get back on the road.

Kirsten, the wife of the chairman of the Tatra owners club and Practical Classics contributor Ian Tisdale couldn’t resist taking up an offer of this rather special and unique Honda. After deliberating over an advert spotted in a classic car magazine, being Tatra owners, they were undaunted by the prospect of taking on a car with no UK presence and obtained the latest member of their niche collection late last year. Typically for a Japanese car, the engine, a novel air-cooled 1.3-litre block was sound, but it needed minor running gear components to drive correctly. Kirsten has tirelessly roamed the internet for contacts and parts and was rewarded with plenty of promising leads, from Australia to Latvia. Seldom seen outside its native Japan, the ambitious and expensive 1300 was the last Honda to be officially signed off by founder Soichiro Honda.

Tucked away on an attractive stand in the corner of Hall 5 was the Enthusiasts of British Motor Vehicles built before 1985 stand, a facebook-based group with a membership of 29,000. The focal point of their stand at this year’s Practical Classics show went to this 1960 Facel Vega HK500. Kept in a garage for the last 5 decades in North Wales, it is a UK spec RHD car and is up for sale with no reserve via Pavilion Gardens. A rather daunting prospect to restore, but appears to be complete and the engineering and engine setup is standard American practice. Because of the French car’s exclusivity, it is believed that more than half of the original 98 cars imported into the UK still survive.

As mentioned already, a vital element of the event is the opportunity to buy cars at the show. Several specialists and dealers were on hand with a selection of temptations looking for new homes. This stunning mediterranean blue 1971 Lancia Fulvia 1.3 S Rallye might just have been the one for us. Imported via South Africa in 2019, it has since seen a considerable amount of work to bring it up to this standard. As a late series 1 car, it retains much of the features that were lost after the Fiat take-over including its aluminium doors. The sale is being handled by Hurst Park Automobiles.

Silverstone Auctions have been established with NEC Classic Car events for decades, and their offshoot company known as Classic Car Auctions trades in everyday classics. They presented 118 cars for sale, many of which could be ideal for those with a lower budget. This one-owner 17,000 miles Ford Fiesta 1.1 Popular Plus has been subject to a light body renovation including new front wings. The final bid went for an attractive £2,025, making it a shrewd starter classic with plenty of investment potential.

Visitors to the excellent Atwell-Wilson museum in Calne, Wiltshire may recognise this 6,768-mile 1965 Datsun Fairlady 1500 as one of their long-term exhibits. Believed to have been imported from the US by Standard Triumph for evaluation, this is about as close as we’ll get to the true predecessor of the Iconic Datsun 240Z. Never officially imported into the UK, quite a few have found their way here and despite its MGB-like appearance, it is accepted that both cars were independently designed. It sold for just under £15,000 which is a relative bargain when you consider the price of a similarly aged MGB Roadster or Datsun 240Z with the same mileage.

What do you have lurking in your garage? Sometimes that pipe dream of buying an old car with the best intentions of restoration becomes nothing more than a whim of fancy, as life and priorities take over. However, if you’re shrewd and see the potential then the dividends can be rewarding. Early Mini’s tend to do well as investments and that collectability has also shined upon its younger siblings. This 1970 Austin Mini Clubman 1275GT has been in storage in a garage in Aylesbury for 33 years, having been taken off the road with just 11,836 miles on the clock. Structurally in sound shape, it will still need a fair amount of mechanical intervention, but the task of recommissioning the oily bits of a Mini is something that shouldn’t cause problems for its new owner. This early example sold for an incredible £38,250, thanks to a considerable amount of pre-sale interest.

Continuing on the theme of unearthing long-lost treasures, the Footman James Barn stand is one of the best-known attractions of the show, and the romanticism of discovering a car and bringing it back to health is the very heart of the event. Footman James works with the show organisers to create the UK’s biggest display of ‘barn find’ vehicles. An award presented by Ant Anstead was given to the car that won the most votes as the Best barn find.

This year’s selection was fielded by 20 unearthed classics of a varying state of decay, with an overwhelming British theme. We’ve picked 5 of the cars that caught our eye. This 1971 Austin 3-litre was once used by Lockheed Industries as an ambulance, it is likely to have been re-used after its initial purpose for the UK arm of the American Aerospace and Defence corporation. The RWD Austin 3-litre was a comparative failure when current, with buyers preferring in-house rivals by Rover, Triumph and Jaguar. It was to be the last large executive car built with an Austin badge.

Practical Classics Danny Hopkins 1977 Scimitar SE6a acquired the car from its previous owner, Brian Kent, who did much to ensure the car would survive. Thanks to his attention to its storage, the chassis appears to be sound, the glass fibre shell is free of crazing and the 29,000-mile Essex V6 engine still turns over. As an updated version of the SE5, the SE6a is wider with a stiffer chassis and improved brakes and suspension. While only 3,887 were built between 1975 and 1980, these cars are still relatively cheap to buy, so Danny’s intervention to save the car could coincide with a long-overdue appreciation in value.

Fun fact: Did you know Harry Enfield used to tear around in one of these? First seen in 1985, they were built by Belgian specialists Hammond & Thiede and only 1,283 were imported into the UK. Vauxhall had the upper hand over its arch-rival Ford, as it never took the roof off the Sierra but in truth, most people preferred the smaller Astra rag-top. Sold with the 1.8-litre fuel-injected engine option, this is a mid-term facelift model, which was only sold for two years. It looks like it’s going to need a fair amount of attention to get up to scratch, but with only 40 or so known survivors and the increasing interest in all things 1980s, there are plenty of reasons to get it back up to glory again.

This 1952 Jowett Javelin Deluxe is something of a dream find for owner Hanne Taylor. Originally purchased new by Cyril Taylor, it was used for 14 years until parked up in the family garage and seemingly left. Having covered 60,000 miles over that period, the ensuing years have been remarkably kind to the car. The family stated that the car has not seen the welding torch, and comes with plenty of evidence of servicing when it was in use. The Jowett Car club assisted in the recovery of the car and remarked that it is one of the most solid undiscovered examples they’ve come across and they plan on getting the engine running before the car finds a new home.

Close to the main stage, there was a neat but unassuming display of three well-restored cars. They are part of the Barn find revisited and consisted of a 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Volante, a 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 and Keith Buckley 1952 MG YB. Having discovered that this car was the first YB to be built when he took the car on in 2016, he embarked on getting the car back to its former glory, but not after changing its white paintwork to the original silver as part of a ground-up restoration.

A public vote was held for the best Barn find and it was won by Andy Longfield’s 1960 Mini 850, having discovered the car only a few miles from the NEC. Last taxed in 1995, this car has a rather unique accessory in the form of a glass-fibre boot created by LMB Components of Guildford. Andy, who has experience in previously restoring a Jaguar E-Type admits that the car needs an extensive renovation, and has placed the car for sale. A potential dilemma for the next owner, after welding, is whether the car will be restored with its unusual bolt-on or taken back to its original factory state.

Another aspect of the Practical Classics show that offers a wealth of information and entertainment is the live stage. Several practical demonstrations as well as questions and answers allowed visitors to make the most of the expert advice. You’re also treated to informal chats with celebrity panels featuring Wheeler Dealers Mike Brewer, Mechanic Ant Anstead, and Car SOS’ Fuzz Townshend. Actor and Classic Obsessions host Gary Mavers made his show debut by appearing on stage as well as having two cars on the Footman James Barn Find display.

The stage was hosted by Practical Classics Danny Hopkins and the audience was offered opportunities to ask the panel questions about their favourite cars, life experiences and the ongoing issues of the environmental aspect of classic car ownership. Did you know Fuzz Townsend has drummed for three well-known music acts after starting an apprenticeship with the local bus company? We also discovered that Mike’s very first profit on a car was made by selling a Mini Cooper as a teenager.

To recognise the determination and passion of the owners, who selflessly run their clubs and organisation from their own means are rewarded with the opportunity to win one of 13 different awards given on Saturday. Martin Lilley of the TVR Car Club received the Lifetime Achievement award whilst the Jowett Car Club were presented with Best Live Working on Vehicles at the Show and the coveted Car Club of the Year award.

Other winners included Klasyczna Polonia UK and Racing-Puma.co.uk for the Best Stand at the show, in the large and small sections respectively. The Klasyczna Polonia UK was formed in 2016, focusing mainly on Polish-built cars, the organisation has created a huge amount of interest amongst the Polish diaspora in the UK and are active regulars at Classic car shows.

The Best Restored Car at Show was won by Andy Mason’s 1939 Series III Wolseley 12/48 on the Wolseley Register stand. Andy’s progress on his car has been ongoing since 2014 and was previously exhibited at the 2019 Restoration Show as a work in progress. It’s now 99% complete apart from some paintwork touch-ups and dash gauge refurbishments.

A well-deserved award went to the Ford Corsair Owners Club for Best Live Demonstration on a Car Club Stand at the Practical Classics show, who were flat out all weekend. Formed in 1985, the club’s chairman is Charles Thompson, the designer of the Corsair, who was also responsible for the distinctive ‘CND’ rear lights on the MK1 Ford Cortina.

The Sporting Bears Motor Club topped last year’s ‘Resto Show Record’ raising nearly £22,500 from operating Dream Rides throughout the weekend. The Bears also picked up the trophy for Charitable Endeavours in this year’s National Car Club Awards. Sporting Bears are a dedicated group of classic car and sports car enthusiasts with the primary aim – to raise money for children’s charities through our own social, dream rides and touring events, and to support other charitable events, and have raised over £3,000,0000 in donations.

Best Barn Find/Unrestored went to John Reed’s Austin A70 Hereford on the Austin Counties Car Club Stand. He bought the car almost 50 years ago as a winter runabout but after replacing it with an A60 Cambridge placed it in a barn in the 1980s. This is the first outing for the car since then. John has suggested that he would love to see the car back on the road.

Classic Car Weekly’s Club Hero award, voted for by the readers, was presented to John Simpson of the Boston Classic Car Club for continuing to be the driving force of the club. John Simpsons displayed his very clean and original Citroen Saxo 1.1 SX on their stand, which is one of the original Citroen UK 1995 launch demonstrator cars. There was one Saxo allocated to each Citroen dealer, and all sported the SAX suffix on the registration plate.

The award for Support of the Next Generation was presented to the Morris Marina Owners Club for restoring and presenting a car to the Classic Car Loan Project. The Classic Car Loan Project is to encourage the next generation of classic car owners by giving younger drivers the use of a classic car for up to a year as an extended driving experience.

The Celebrities Choice Award was given to the car that turned the most heads at the Practical Classics event and stole their hearts. It was won by Stuart Waldron’s 1966 Mk1 Transit day camper van, who displayed his van on the Transit Van Club stand. Stuarts van is powered by an Essex V4 1.7-litre engine, a compact and easy unit to work on, they still served the British Ford range well into the 70s.

More awards were generously given out, as Mike Brewer presented three voted winners out of 20 finalists for the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership competition. In third place came Alex Mills from Wrexham, who at 16, unfortunately, couldn’t make use of the additional prize of a year’s free insurance, but his 1998 Rover Mini was indeed a well-deserved finalist.

In second place was Jas Duley’s 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E. Motivated by his positive experience with the 190 when he was 21, he managed to track down the very same car but it was far beyond saving and chose to buy this example instead. However, as he dug deeper into the renovation, he soon discovered that it also needed extensive work. Justifiably happy with the outcome, he said that driving the car brings back many happy memories.

The first place honours went to Paul Clappison and his Porsche 944. A tale of another formative memory in his mind, he found this 1989 car only 12 months ago. While the car had a lot going for it, including a comprehensive 31-stamps in its service book, the ageing process had caught up with it and it became his latest project. He won the same award 5 years ago at the same show for his 1972 MGB.

Steve Brown and his impeccably finished 1980 Land Rover Series III. It was almost certainly the best Land Rover restoration we’ve ever seen. Steve discovered it in 2014 just a mile away from where he lives and trusted the specialist work with local body shops, but he was motivated by the fact he wanted to restore the car himself, rather than buy new off-the-shelf parts. Finished in 2021, his skill and tenacity over the 7 years of graft saw Danny Hopkins present him with the Practical Classics Magazine restorer of the year.

We’ll wrap up this review of the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show with the regret of not being able to go through every car in detail, as the standards were possibly the best we’ve seen at the event to date. It is can be summarised as a genuine owner’s show, with next to no input from the manufacturers who made these cars, the onus is on their dedication and hard work.

The Practical Classics event’s vibrancy, supported by the numerous companies, publications, and charities who too deserve credit for keeping these machines on the road, helps cement a community in which long-life friendships are forged. And that is exactly what classic car ownership is about.