Saturday 17 December 2016

EXHIBITORS RACE TO TAKE SPACE AT EXPANDED LONDON CLASSIC CAR SHOW


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).
 

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