PRECISION WATCHMAKER B.R.M BACKS HISTORIC MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL • B.R.M. Chronographes appointed Official Watch Partner to HMI • Exhibitor list continues to grow and show footprint expands • Special displays to mark 50 years of Formula Ford and the DFV • Entry tickets also give access to the London Classic Car Show   The countdown to London’s newest motor show, Historic Motorsport International (HMI), has begun – fittingly – with the appointment of motor sport inspired watch company B.R.M as Official Watch Partner.   And as the clock ticks down towards 12.00pm on Thursday 23 February when HMI opens its doors at ExCeL, London, the organisers have confirmed that interest in the new show is growing rapidly.   “Due to the incredible response we have had from the historic motorsport community, we have already increased the show’s footprint to ensure we have enough space to accommodate a wide range of companies and organisations involved in this sector of the sport,” said Ian France, Show Director. “Now we are delighted to welcome B.R.M to the show as further proof of HMI’s gathering momentum.”   Specialising in custom-made, hand finished watches and chronographs, the French-based B.R.M Chronographes reflects the passion of its founder Bernard Richards.   A precision engineer, motorcycle collector and long-time motor racing fan, M. Richards has created a series of watches celebrating all aspects of motorsport. The first B.R.M chronograph, the GP-44, appeared in 2003 and by featuring ‘racing numbers’ on its face and drilled hour, minute and second hands, set the tone for all subsequent time pieces.   Other iconic watches include the legendary V12 with ‘piston’ pushers and the stunning R50 with its motorcycle cylinder-shaped mechanism.   “Motorsport is about split second timing… just like B.R.M watches. – we were made for each other,” said Bernard Richards. “We are proud and very happy to be associated with this exciting new show devoted to our favourite sport.”   With almost three months to go before the Show opens, HMI has already confirmed around 40 exhibitors from across the sport.   The names include Dunlop Motorsport, Duncan Hamilton, Taylor & Crawley, Motor Racing Legends and classic F1 promoters FORCE as well as organising clubs like the Historic Sports Car Club and the Classic Sports Car Club. They will be joined by a growing number of preparation companies and specialists providing vital services to competitors, teams and spectators.   The Historic Motorsport Conference Programme, a public forum on Thursday and Friday, will examine a wide variety of topics such as technical compliance in historic competition, safety and the promotion of historic motorsport events.    • Historic Motorsport International will be held alongside the London Classic Car Show, now in its third year and looking to build on the record 33,000 visitors who visited the 2016 event. Both shows are staged by Brand Events, the company behind a raft of successful motoring events including CarFest, Top Gear Live and the recent IGNITION Festival of Motoring.   HMI and LCCS will be held at ExCeL London, on 23-26 February, with access to both shows included in the entry price. Historic Motorsport International will open its doors at 12.00pm on Thursday 23 February, while the London Classic Car Show will burst into life at 3pm that afternoon.    Discounted advance tickets to Historic Motorsport International 2017 are now available from the show website – historicmotorsportinternational.co.uk – and start at £24 for single adult entry (£27 on the door on the day).

DON’T FORGET TO PUT TICKETS FOR 2017 SILVERSTONE CLASSIC UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE!   The perfect festive gift for family and friends Special Christmas Gift Certificates available for download Highlights of 2016 festival aired on ITV4 over the holiday break December has dawned and Christmas is coming – it’s not long now until the drummers are drumming, the lords are a leaping and the swans are a swimming.   For those still seeking something slightly more exciting than a partridge in a pear tree, tickets for next summer’s Silverstone Classic (28-30 July) are surely the perfect answer – and certainly not just for the petrolheads in your life.   With live music from headline acts, fun fair rides, air displays, driving activities, a shopping village plus a host of other great entertainment and pursuits for all ages, tickets for the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival are a godsend for all the family.    Early Bird tickets are currently on sale not only saving money but also providing the promise of a wonderful experience for lucky recipients to look forward to next summer. What’s more, a bespoke Gift Certificate can be printed out ready for personalisation for that perfect Christmas Day gift. These can be downloaded from: http://www.silverstoneclassic.com/giftcertificate.   All tickets provide access to both race assembly areas and paddock complexes as well as trackside grandstands, huge static car displays, vintage funfair rides plus the live music concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings.   “Let’s be honest, what would you want for Christmas: three French hens or tickets to the Silverstone Classic?” said Nick Wigley, CEO of Silverstone Classic organiser Goose Live Events. “Give someone Silverstone Classic tickets and they’ll spend the next seven months dreaming of the wonderful sights and sounds of all those glorious cars and the delight of sharing a wonderful family day out.”   To whet the appetites of those lucky enough to have been gifted tickets for next July’s Silverstone Classic, highlights of this year’s event will be screened on ITV4 television at 06.50am on Monday 26 December and again at 03.30am on Thursday 29 December as well as being available on demand via the ITV Hub thereafter.   Prices for Early Bird tickets start from just £35 with a three-day weekend ticket currently available for £99. Details of all ticket prices, as well as hospitality and camping options are now available on the silverstoneclassic.com website.   Full information about the 2017 Silverstone Classic entertainment programme – including more exciting new races, special car club celebrations and live music performers – will be announced in the coming weeks. All the latest news will be available at silverstoneclassic.com and via its social media platforms.

EXHIBITORS RACE TO TAKE SPACE AT EXPANDED LONDON CLASSIC CAR SHOW • More than 80 per cent of stand space already sold • Top classic car dealers and specialists confirmed • Aston Martin and Maserati to show new cars and heritage classics  • Ticket also gives entry to Historic Motorsport International   Leading classic car dealers and restorers along with top tuning and engineering firms are all making tracks for the 2017 London Classic Car Show.   With almost three months to go before the show opens (23-26 February) more than 80 per cent of the stands have been filled… and that’s despite the show having increased its footprint at ExCeL, London. It grew from 18,000 square metres in 2015 to 32,000 sq. m in 2016 and for 2017 it is growing again, to 40,000 sq. m.   “The third London Classic Car Show is going to be the biggest yet with more exhibitors than ever before,” said event director Bas Bungish. “Stand sales are well ahead of where we were 12 months ago and as well as many returning exhibitors, the success of the show has encouraged some of them to increase their presence at the show by doubling their stand space.   “We have also attracted many new exhibitors and are delighted that car manufacturers like Aston Martin and Maserati have chosen to use the show to display new models – future classics, no doubt – alongside cars from their heritage fleets.”   Among the returning names are leading dealers, restorers and auction houses such as Joe Macari, Duncan Hamilton, Graeme Hunt, Jim Stokes, Vintage and Prestige Automobiles and William George & Co while Oselli, Paul Stephens, Samuel Laurence and Total Head Turners have increased their stand size by 100 per cent.   “We have seen the London Classic Car Show grow to the point where it’s now a ‘must-do’ event for anyone serious about the classic car world. We are delighted to be taking space at the 2017 show and will have some mouth-watering cars on display,” said Justin Wilson from William George & Co.   Making their first appearance at the London Classic Car Show are Howard Wise, Warren Classics, Car Iconics, Four Star Classics, Dauntless and Icon Engineering.   A new company, Icon Engineering – led by Dave Eaton – will be displaying its Porsche 917 recreation. As a schoolboy, Eaton saw the great Pedro Rodriguez win the 1970 Brands Hatch BOAC 1000kms in a 917 in a deluge and vowed, one day, to own such a car.   Alas, with real examples fetching stratospheric prices and ‘not being a rock star’ Eaton realised the only way to own one was to build one for himself. Using body moulds from a genuine 917, he has created his own chassis which is powered by a six-cylinder engine from a Porsche 911. He is confident, however, that a proper Porsche ‘Flat 12’, as used in the real thing, would fit.   He intends to use the car on the road and at track days and hopes to build two or three replicas of his striking replicas a year for like-minded enthusiasts.   As well as hundreds of significant and highly desirable classic cars for sale, the London Classic Car Show promises several unique displays to appeal to anyone with an ounce of high octane fuel in their veins.   The show’s centre piece – The Grand Avenue – will see over 40 of the world’s most desirable classics in ‘Perfect Ten’ categories promenading in glorious style. The best saloons, coupés, convertibles, sports cars, supercars, hatchbacks, shooting brakes, sports racers, single-seater and streamliners will be driven along The Grand Avenue, a motoring catwalk inside the central hall which allows visitors to see and hear their favourite classics in action.   Other highlights include a celebration of 70 years of Ferrari road cars while the popular Car Club Square will be packed with displays from the UK’s leading one-make clubs.   The 2017 London Classic Car Show is also certain to attract many celebrities from the motoring world. The roll-call from previous years includes James May, Arian Newey, David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Sir Stirling Moss, Ari Vatanen and Gordon Murray: more big names are promised for 2017.   Tickets to the show also give entry to a sister exhibition, the inaugural Historic Motorsport International (HMI), which is being held in an adjacent hall at ExCeL. Devoted to all aspects of historic racing and rallying, among the celebrations at HMI will be the 50th anniversaries of both the all-conquering Ford Cosworth DFV Grand Prix engine and the birth of Formula Ford.   The London Classic Car Show and HMI will be held at ExCeL London, on 23-26 February, with access to both shows included in the entry price. Historic Motorsport International will open its doors at 12.00pm on Thursday 23 February, while the London Classic Car Show will burst into life at 3pm that afternoon.   • Tickets are now available from the show website – thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk ­ and start at £24 for single adult entry (£27 on the door on the day).

REVISED DATE FOR
2017 SILVERSTONE CLASSIC  

• Change necessary after British Grand Prix date switch
• World’s largest classic motor racing festival now set for 28-30 July
• Full refunds available for ticket-holders now unable to attend

With the FIA World Motor Sport Council ratifying a revised date for the British Grand Prix, next summer’s Silverstone Classic is now confirmed for the weekend of 28-30 July 2017 – a week later than the provisional date originally announced.

The UK’s round of the Formula One World Championship had initially been set for Sunday 9 July but, with the German Grand Prix no longer on the 2017 F1 calendar, the British event has now been rescheduled for Sunday 16 July.

The massive operational complexities involved in the organisation of the two major international events – both attracting more than 100,000 visitors – make it impossible for Silverstone to host its two most popular annual attractions on consecutive weekends.

“We’re sorry to have to make this change but, unfortunately, it’s due to factors outside of our control,” said Nick Wigley, CEO of Silverstone Classic organiser Goose Live Events.

Tickets already purchased for the 2017 Silverstone Classic will be valid for the revised dates, while ticket-holders now unable to attend due to the date change have until 28 February to request a full refund. Details of this process have been emailed to those who have already taken advantage of the Early Bird ticket offer.

Early Bird tickets for the 2017 Silverstone Classic are on sale, with prices for adults starting from just £35 and the cost of the three-day weekend ticket remaining at £99, making them a great Christmas gift. Details of all ticket prices, as well as hospitality and camping options are now available on the silverstoneclassic.com website.

Full information about the 2017 Silverstone Classic entertainment programme – including more exciting new races, special car club celebrations and live music performers – will be announced in the coming weeks. All the latest news will be available at silverstoneclassic.com and via its social media platforms.

TOP OF THE CHRISTMAS POPS – THE CLASSIC GIFT FOR ALL CAR LOVERS • Thrill the petrolhead in your family with tickets to the London Classic Car Show • Meet the stars with Premium Plus Tickets for gala opening night • Special Christmas gift wallet available   Those struggling to find the perfect Christmas gift for the motoring enthusiast in their lives, need struggle no more. Tickets for the 2017 London Classic Car Show (23-26 February) are now on sale guaranteeing access to what promises to be the highlight of the car lover’s year. Following the hugn of 70 Years of Ferrari where they will rub shoulders with some esteemed guests. In the past famous faces have included Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Chris Evans, Christian Horner, James May, Gordon Murray, Adrian Newey and rally legend Ari Vatanen – more big names are promised for 2017. Tickets are available at the click of a mouse from the show’s website at www.thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk – order before 19 December and you can opt for a special gift wallet in time for Christmas… so you don’t even need wrapping paper. Crammed with innovative features, mouth-watering classic cars and a long list of celebrity visitors, the London Classic Car Show is the one that’s setting the standards. Among the unmissable event’s unique features is The Grand Avenue, a highway running through the centre of the exhibition along which many rare classic cars will be driven throughout its duration. Last time around, The Grand Avenue played host to The Six Nations, an eye-catching competition to discover which country has made the world’s greatest cars to date. For 2017, The Grand Avenue will host The Perfect 10, a theme which will see the very best examples of ten different body styles – from the most desirable classic convertibles to the ultimate track-bred single-seaters racers – parading the length of the Show. Other highlights will include the return of Car Club Square featuring popular and affordable classics as well as Speakers’ Corner, an open forum where high profile and expert guests are interviewed about a wide-range of subjects. In total, more than 700 of the world’s finest classic cars will be on display making the not-be-be-missed London Classic Car Show the capital city’s premier automotive showcase of its genre. More information and ticket bookings can be accessed via the show website – www.thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk.e success of the two previous events, the 2017 London Classic Car Show show is gearing up to be even bigger and even better than ever before. What’s more, adding extra value and even more substance, next year all tickets also provide automatic admittance to Historic Motorsport International, a dynamic new exhibition championing and celebrating the very best of historic motorsport, which is taking place concurrently at ExCeL London.   Prices start at £24 for single adult entry on Friday, Saturday or Sunday while a child’s ticket (aged 6-16) costs £18; those under six years old are admitted free. For those seeking an even more exceptional gift, VIP Premium tickets are also available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at £55. These include fast track entry, a Show Handbook and access to the Grand Avenue Club with relaxed seating, private catering and a bar offering two free drinks. Next February, Premium ticket holders also will be able to enjoy the best-ever views of the unique Grand Avenue from the new Bridge Viewing Area. The real highlight for the serious enthusiast, though, will be access to the special star-studded VIP Preview evening on Thursday 23 February. For just £70, a Premium Plus Ticket includes all the Premium benefits plus access to the new stage area putting those lucky visitors right at the heart of the exclusive Gala Evening Celebratio

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity named the Official Charity of the Vintage Sports-Car Club

 

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity named the Official Charity of the Vintage Sports-Car Club

The Vintage Sports-Car Club (VSCC) is delighted to announce that the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC) will become the Club’s nominated Official Charity for the next three years from 2017. 

As regular supporters of the Club’s Prescott Speed Hill Climb events in August since 2011 – having raised over £6,100 during that time – the VSCC  will work closely with the MAAC across all the Club’s activities to help promote awareness of the Charity and raise funds to support their life-saving work. 

In addition to a continued presence at the Club’s premier Prescott Hill Climb weekend, the charity will also attend a number of other VSCC events which take place across the Midlands region, whilst collections will also be made throughout the season.

MAAC and VSCC will also host a joint fundraising event each year to further promote the association, with all of the proceeds going to the charity. 

  

Midlands Air Ambulance is the charity responsible for funding and operating three air ambulances serving the communities of six counties: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. This constitutes the largest air ambulance operating region in the UK.

Club Secretary of the Vintage Sports-Car Club, Dave Salmon says: “I am delighted that the Committee chose such an important and worthwhile cause for the Club to support over the coming three years and we very much look forward to working with the MAAC team.”

Susie Godwin, Gloucestershire Fundraising Manager for the MAAC, says: “The partnership comes as extremely welcome news to the charity, as the continued investment means we can continue to fund our extremely important lifesaving service. I have very much enjoyed working with the VSCC team for the past three years, and look forward to a close collaboration in the future.”

JUST PERFECT – THE WORLD’S TOP CLASSIC CARS LINE UP IN LONDON • Top classics in 10 categories to form the Perfect 10 • Chosen by bodystyle from single-seaters and streamliners to shooting brakes and saloons… and more • Six cars in each category – 60 in all – will be driven along The Grand Avenue ‘Perfect 10’ means different things to different people. For some it will conjure up images of Bo Derek running along the beach in the Dudley Moore film ‘10’.  Others will be taken back to 1998 when The Beautiful South sang about dress sizes, while sports fans will remember the 1976 Summer Olympics when Romanian Nadia Comaneci became the first gymnast ever to score a Perfect 10. But for visitors to the 2017 London Classic Car Show (23-26 February at ExCeL, London), Perfect 10 will take on a new meaning… for the best examples of classic cars in 10 different body styles will be paraded on the show’s ‘catwalk’ which, last year, was home the automotive The Six Nations. With three months to go before the show opens its doors, the event organisers are scouring the globe to find the world’s most desirable classics under the 10 headings: saloon, coupé, convertible, sports car, supercar, hatchback, shooting brake or woodie, sports racer, single-seater and aerodynamic pioneer or streamliner. At selected times during all four days of the capital’s premier classic car event, stand-out examples in each category will be driven along The Grand Avenue, the innovative roadway that runs through the centre of the show, allowing visitors to see and hear their favourite classics in action. Heightening both the spectacle and decibel levels, each category will include at least one competition car. What’s more, in 2017 the Grand Avenue will boast a new open paddock allowing visitors back stage access to get even closer to their favourite cars at no extra expense. “Everyone has their own ideas about their favourite classic and I’m sure there will be plenty of debate during the show about what constitutes the Perfect 10,” said event director Bas Bungish. “But visitors can be sure that the cars we put forward in each of the 10 categories will be outstanding examples of each body style. Choosing the Perfect 10 from those is not going to be easy!” Other highlights of the expanded 2017 London Classic Car Show include a celebration of 70 years of Ferrari road cars, Car Club Square with displays from the UK’s leading one-make clubs, and the country’s leading classic car dealers with hundreds of hugely desirable classic cars for sale. The 2017 London Classic Car Show is certain to attract many celebrities from the motoring world. The roll-call from previous years includes the likes of James May, Arian Newey, David Coulthard, Jenson Button, Sir Stirling Moss, Ari Vatanen and Gordon Murray: more big names are promised for 2017. Entry to the show also permits entry to  our sister exhibition, the inaugural Historic Motorsport International (HMI), which is being held in an adjacent hall at ExCeL. Devoted to all aspects of historic racing and rallying, among the celebrations at HMI will be the 50th anniversaries of both the all-conquering Ford Cosworth DFV Grand Prix engine and the birth of Formula Ford. The London Classic Car Show and HMI will be held at ExCeL London, on 23-26 February, with access to both shows included in the entry price. Historic Motorsport International will open its doors at 12.00pm on Thursday 23 February, while the London Classic Car Show will burst into life at 3pm that afternoon. • Tickets are now available from the show website – thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk ­ and start at £24 for single adult entry (£27 on the door on the day).