29 February, 2012
There’s plenty going on with Classic cars, motorcycles and at shows, showrooms museums and other “magnets” for owners, collectors and professionals.
In the winter months it may be colder, but the weekend roads are much clearer for you and your loved ones to enjoy!
The Mini Fair show at Stafford - sponsored by Footman James - was a real cracker, bursting with enthusiasm and enthusiasts! Well done Dave and the British Mini Club team and all the participants who were there.
Footman James Ford Show and the Great Western Auto jumble in Bristol; 50 years of the Cortina and it’s never looked better. This included the winning Mark 1, as well as immaculate examples of the 1600e.
Good to see a Jeff Uren Cortina Savage Mark 3 getting the recognition it deserves. The owner had a great story, of the original buyer offering his wife that car plus a fur coat, or a Mercedes! She took the Ford and the coat, so they both got what they wanted. Plenty more of note with the winning RS Capri 3100 and Escort RS1600i, especially as I used to drive one!
The Norton Radstock Classic Vehicle Club opposite the Footman James stand, proved to be very good and entertaining neighbours indeed!
Many of their members visited our stand for classic car insurance quotations, in readiness for their policy renewals. Also, 5 members won at the Footman James Ford Show & Great Western Auto jumble.
The RS Club were out in force – went all over the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, as I was on the marketing team at Ford when it was launched!
Brian Cottle was another happy customer, who treated himself on the Eve of Valentine’s day, by purchasing a 1977 Ford Capri GL at the auction. He then came back to the Footman James stand to take out a policy on the spot, following an earlier quotation.
The 2012 Motor Sport Hall of Fame on February 16th, inducted four more racing luminaries; John Surtees, Adrian Newey, the late Colin McRae and the brilliant Giacomo Agostini. This brought the number of Hall of Fame members up to 20 at the Roundhouse in Camden. Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart and many others were all in attendance.
Great to meet the Wells Motor Cycle Club at the Bristol bike show; out in force with the winning display of two bikes in a living room!
We were also able to agree the value of a beautiful Sunbeam, which a customer added to his FJ policy, taking his cover to 5 bikes in total.
Elsewhere there was a wonderful Velocette with a good story. A model designed and built for the police with a part-fibreglass body that originally included the fuel tank. It would not hold the fuel now, so the owner/restorer had done a very neat job building in a new tank. Can anyone remind us what the model was?
Lamb burger from the barbeque off the farm next door was very welcome indeed. I only gave it a try because of the popularity and the queue for the pasties! Salt Marsh Lamb from the Thoroughly Wild Meat Company – I think they actually knew my burger by name...
Dropped in on Beaulieu Motor Museum on the way back, for a quick look at the new “Bond in Motion” display in their main building – it’s marvellous! It would be worth it just for the film clips, so I will be going back their soon for a much longer look around - plenty going on down there with much more to come. Also a new display of a Silk Cut Jaguar that triumphed at Le Mans – could be a good year to get some of that team back together with some Jaguar drivers and enthusiasts.
Just had time for a look in at Beaulieu Garage, which is just down the road. Very neat Spitfire out front while inside, what may just be the ultimate VW camper at £50,000 attracting plenty of interest – check out the pictures on the website and tell us if you know of a better one!
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