{"id":9697,"date":"2021-06-02T06:12:55","date_gmt":"2021-06-02T06:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=9697"},"modified":"2021-06-05T09:04:36","modified_gmt":"2021-06-05T09:04:36","slug":"retro-rides-weekender-2021-living-for-the-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/retro-rides-weekender-2021-living-for-the-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"Retro Rides Weekender 2021 \u2013 Living for the Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

OK, this is a bit weird. Actually being at a car show, a real and proper one, after so many agonisingly endless months of yearning? It\u2019s like a madman\u2019s fevered dream. And yet here we are, in our favourite little corner of West Sussex, drinking in the atmosphere we\u2019ve craved so long and so hard. The Retro Rides Weekender<\/a> \u2013 a full-sized event, packed to the rafters with old-school modified cars. So, so<\/em> many cars. And Goodwood\u2019s airfield is live, so there are random biplanes buzzing about. And best of all, the weather. Oh, the weather! Baking, blazing, glorious sunshine for the entire weekend, reminding us all what sun cream is for and how doughy and pale we\u2019ve become under lockdown after lockdown. This new-found lobsterfication is a splendid and welcome release.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s this all about? Well, the Retro Rides forum is a global behemoth, pulling together enthusiasts of modified classics from across the planet to share their stories, build threads and inspirational photos, and generally revel in the mutual enthusiasm of, let\u2019s face it, pretty much the coolest hobby a retro kid can have. The all-encompassing nature of the forum has led to a blossoming real-world scene too, as evidenced by their huge annual show \u2013 The Gathering \u2013 as well as any number of garage communities and countless regional meet-ups.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,
\nWith the ever-growing scale of the forum, it was inevitable that it would spawn a show, and the Retro Rides Gathering has been running for years, growing from the \u2018Retro Rides Show\u2019 at Mallory Park, through its inauguration as the Gathering at Gaydon Motor Museum, over to the historic Prescott hillclimb, and into its current guise at Shelsley Walsh. But what we\u2019re seeing here is something else\u2026 debuting in 2018, the Retro Rides Weekender brings all of that sepia-tinged splendour to the fabulous environs of Goodwood. The two days have a distinctly different flavour; the track is open on Saturday for anyone who fancies to sign up for some hot laps; on the Sunday, there\u2019s an autosolo set up while the rest of the track is used for static show parking. And of course the paddocks and parking areas are positively brimming with show cars of mind-boggling variety.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

This year should have been the fourth running of the Weekender\u2026 but of course, thanks to that spiky little virus, nothing happened in 2020. But if we can winkle out one tiny silver lining, the hiatus means that the enthusiasm is ever-stronger in 2021; this year\u2019s show featured some frankly remarkable builds, with people evidently having been very busy in their garages over the past year or so. But even better than that, it\u2019s just so nice to have a glimpse of normality. We\u2019re not out of the woods yet, but we\u2019ve tasted the future, and it\u2019s sweet and divine.
\nWhat was really noticeable, more than anything else, was how much everybody was smiling. For us, and for many, this was the perfect car show. And here, after a lot of head-scratching and narrowing down, we\u2019ve whittled down our ten favourite cars of the weekend\u2026  <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

Bonneville A2<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

This is the kind of car that Retro Rides is all about. It\u2019s weird, it\u2019s different, it\u2019s polarising, and \u2013 most importantly of all \u2013 it\u2019s unique. Now, there will always be naysayers who argue that a particular car is too new to be defined as \u2018retro\u2019, and really life\u2019s too short to worry about that sort of nonsense; what\u2019s important with the A2 in general is that it\u2019s a) a bona fide modern classic and b) undoubtedly a proper future classic. And this A2 in particular? Well, just look at it. Never seen anything like it before, have you?<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

The brainchild of forum stalwart Dan Haines, whose history of creating belligerently weird automobiles is long and distinguished, his rationale was clear and his logic faultless: the A2 was designed to be extremely aerodynamic, and what else is extremely aerodynamic? Salt-flat specials. So here we have the Moon discs and aluminium spoilers straight from Bonneville, plus the eye-candy colour and retro graphics. So simple, so clever, so beautifully executed.<\/p>\n

Rotary Escort<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

We could bicker all day and all night about what constitutes a \u2018sleeper\u2019. Traditionally, we\u2019d be talking about a car that looks totally unassuming, most likely a lowly-spec base model, that hides surprising firepower in the form of a massive engine that oughtn\u2019t be there, upgraded brakes and suspension, and thus the power to relentlessly surprise people at the traffic lights. Now, in light of this you might say that this Mk3 Escort isn\u2019t a true sleeper, in that there\u2019s a whacking great exhaust poking out of the front wing and the car\u2019s hunkered down over some sparkly oversize steels.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, it would present a gentle image to most, looking for all the world like a 1.3 GL that\u2019s been well looked after. But in fact, this car was built by the ingenious brothers at Stolton Engineering (whose recent CV includes a Sapphire Cosworth track car with a Lexus V8, and a Mk2 Fiesta with aero addenda that\u2019d stabilise a Piper Cub); it\u2019s got a Mazda 13B rotary brap-brapping<\/em> away under the bonnet \u2013 so you could argue on a technicality that it\u2019s still a 1.3, sort of \u2013 and it\u2019s been converted to rear-wheel-drive. Utterly magnificent.<\/p>\n

K20 205 CTI<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

In a rather different way to the Audi A2, this is also the sort of car that Retro Rides is all about: taking a base car that most people would probably overlook, and turning it into something absolutely hysterical. You see, while the Peugeot 205 GTI has gone down in history as one the world\u2019s favourite hot hatches of all time, its drop-top sibling, the CTI, has always been rather side-lined as a soft option. People mutter things about scuttle shake and torsional rigidity. But take one look at this car and you\u2019ll see that the solution is clear \u2013 you just need to brace the whole thing with a colossal roll cage!<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not the whole story. Oh no. You see, this splendid lunatic has seen fit to install a K20 engine \u2013 that\u2019s the 2.0-litre VTEC unit as found in the Honda Civic Type R in its EP3 and FN2 generations; a rev-hungry monster that howls like a banshee when the racier cam profile kicks in at 5,750rpm. And that\u2019s not all. Look closer, and you\u2019ll see that they\u2019ve turbocharged it for good measure. That\u2019s the sort of Kool-Aid we want to be drinking.<\/p>\n

Camber Micra<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

Camber cars aren\u2019t really a thing over here, but if you look to the tuning scene in Japan you\u2019ll find that this niche sub-culture is surprisingly broad in its reach. The essence of its roots was to take the slight negative camber of race cars and apply it to road cars, but then to keep making it less and less slight (that is to say, more and more extreme), until the whole thing spiralled into a sort of arms race of angles. Feeding into the VIP (\u2018bippu\u2019) scene but also really going its own way, the enthusiasm for camber has become a way of life for many. Yes, it\u2019s deliberately ridiculous, and yes, driving around on the road like this would have you wearing out a set of tyres on a weekly basis, but the point of it is the challenge: engineering the car to actually work properly even though the wheels are at obscene angles.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

The fact that it\u2019s not really a thing in Britain makes it all the more brilliant that someone\u2019s opted to do it to a K11 Micra. Camber cars are usually big luxury saloons, so the caricature is all the more splendidly bizarre on a grandma-spec shopper hatchback. And yes, before we get a bulging mail-sack of complaints \u2013 it was built for the show, it was trailered to Goodwood and trailered home again. Don\u2019t think of it as a car, but a moving sculpture; something built just to prove it can be done.<\/p>\n

Kaido racer<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

You may be familiar with the term \u2018b\u014ds\u014dzoku\u2019<\/em>. This is a subculture that often takes a lot of explaining; literally meaning ‘reckless tribe’<\/em>, the ethos traces its roots back to illegal motorcycle street-racers of the 1950s, their outrageously styled bikes tearing up the streets of suburban Japan with little regard for safety or the law. Fast-forward seventy years, however, and the modern b\u014ds\u014dzoku car actually owes a lot to the styling treatments of the 1980s, which are enjoying a huge renaissance of late. We’re talking sump-clattering ride height, surreally caricaturised body kits, jutting sharknoses, comically extended exhausts, in-your-face retro colour schemes – a deliberately jarring aesthetic. Imagine a Group 5 racer from the 1970s, if it were animated by Marvel Comics. It’s the kind of vibe that makes the majority of onlookers laugh and scoff. Which is just what the b\u014ds\u014d<\/em> driver wants.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

The car you see here is perhaps the purest iteration of street b\u014ds\u014dzoku<\/em> without the crazy takeyari<\/em> exhausts; a GX71 Toyota Mk II, built in Japan and recently imported from New Zealand, sporting all of the genre touchpoints: the sharknose bonnet\/wing extensions, the insanely deep-dish wheels under aggressively flared arches, the lurid race-car-on-acid graphics. A genuine slice of modding culture, unexpectedly teleported to Goodwood.<\/p>\n

Laddie Capri<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

Many years ago at the age of sixteen, Andy Bower bought a Mk2 Escort. He learned to drive in the 1979 two-door, and then to paint, weld, swap engines, modify and customise; this car was instrumental in him becoming an engineer. Andy and his Escort were inseparable \u2013 it served for harsh winter commutes, pan-European road trips and countless track days; it kissed the Armco at the N\u00fcrburgring, earned 40,000 miles in his tenure, and received a few miles of welding wire over their eleven years together.<\/p>\n

\u2026and then, at the 2009 Retro Rides Gathering, the car rolled on track and it was all over. Which came as a bit of a surprise.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

Andy, however, is always focused on solutions. In 2011, he bought himself a Capri \u2013 this Capri \u2013 which had already been prepped as a race car. Ish. But it was a bit ropey, so he stripped it all the way down and built it back up properly, borrowing specs from Group 4 Escorts. In a flash of inspiration he formulated this fabulous blue aesthetic, paying homage to the racer liveries of yore and using the Bruichladdich name simply because he likes the whiskey; the distillery loved the idea and even sent him a bottle of Laddie Classic \u2018to get the right colour from\u2019. The car is now a dedicated track machine, getting its neck wrung as often as possible, and we just love it. Form and function in perfect harmony.<\/p>\n

Grey 2002 Touring<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

Back in 1971, BMW released a hatchback version of the popular 02 saloon series. Designed by Michelotti, it was substantially different in construct to its three-box brethren; the Touring was a fair bit shorter, had a steeper windscreen, and initially entered the market in 2000Tii form. The range then grew to include 1600 and 1800 models, and the \u201902 suffix was added to the model designation in 1973. Being L-registered must make this gleaming grey example among the first to be badged \u20182002\u2019, and it\u2019s a truly astonishing build to boot. We\u2019ve seen a number of extremely high-end 2002s on the scene in recent years, as the growing enthusiasm for classic 3 Series stretches backward through the E30, the E21 and back into this genesis line of 02s, and the artisan behind this particular car has evidently followed a no-expense-spared approach. The bodywork is faultless and arrow-straight (just look at the reflections in the paintwork), and the more you look, the more custom details you find. The twin headlights are a neat touch \u2013 these were a period aftermarket accessory, sometimes installed by European dealers \u2013 and the stance is spot-on with those Turbo-style arches filled out by wide BBS splits. The interior treatment is glorious, retaining the period style but tastefully upgraded with sumptuous modern trim. We like this car a lot.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

Shorty DS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

Given its uber-squishy interior and pillowy ride, people are often surprised that the spaceship-like Citro\u00ebn DS has a decent history in motorsport. It does make a lot of sense when you think about it though; that clever hydropneumatic suspension is excellent at smoothing out bumps, and if you\u2019re spending a long time crossing harsh terrain, that\u2019s what you want \u2013 so the DS was an offbeat but pleasing choice in period for endurance rallies. Indeed, a DS won the 1000 Lakes rally in 1962, as well as Monte Carlo back in \u201959, and these wonderful machines were competing in long-distance events right up to the mid-\u201970s.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

What\u2019s particularly interesting about rally DSs is that they weren\u2019t always strictly based on production shells. Much like with the Maserati-powered sister car, the SM, rally cars often got shortened and bobtailed, which paid dividends when it came to handling and weight distribution. And that\u2019s the treatment you\u2019re seeing here: the once-four-door DS has had a chunk scythed from the middle, making it into a diminutive two-door. It looks like a full-sized Citro\u00ebn that\u2019s been shrunk in a hot wash. And that\u2019s a very good thing.  <\/p>\n

Mini on hydros<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

There are certain touchpoints that have become integral to lowrider culture over the generations: the vivid paint, the flawless finish, the in-your-face interior with the chain steering wheel\u2026 but one undeniable fact is that these cars are invariably big-body American cars. Chevrolet Impalas, Cadillac Coupe De Villes, that kind of thing. So it\u2019s off-the-charts fantastic that all-round nice guy Paul P has opted to apply this iconic treatment to a Mini, of all things.<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

The plan was to squeeze as much hardware as he could into the smallest car possible, and the unsuspecting Mini found itself stuffed with a proper 4-pump\/4-battery hydraulic suspension build. It bounces like Tigger on speed, and the best part of all is the custom hydro controller he\u2019s made, which is itself a little orange Mini.<\/p>\n

V6 Bedford<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\"Weekender,<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be gla-a-a-ad when you\u2019re dea-a-a-d, you rascal you.\u201d<\/em> So sang Hanni El Khatib back in 2010 (or, since we\u2019re following a retro theme here, Louis Armstrong in 1931), although this killer tune misses a fundamental point: rascals don\u2019t die, they shapeshift and evolve. Anyone who\u2019s driven a Bedford Rascal will be equally aware of how they cunningly pack a huge amount of cargo into a teeny-tiny footprint, and how they\u2019re a little bit scary to throw into corners. Well, how about if the cargo in question was a huge Ford V6? That\u2019s a magnificent way to really amp up the scary, putting the Ford in Bedford and, er, making sure you\u2019ve got nowhere to sit. Presumably there\u2019s some manner of engine cover to perch on, thereby ensuring toasty-warm cheeks on even the frostiest of winter mornings. And this project, perhaps more so than any other, serves to summarise what the Retro Rides Weekender represents: cool things, created simply because they can be.<\/p>\n\n\t\t