Coffee & Chrome at the NEC Classic Motor Show

If you’re looking for a measure of the health of the classic car scene as the UK races towards the end of the 2022 season, the NEC Classic Car Show would be it. Even queuing for the bus from the car park you got the sense it wasn’t going to be a quiet event and once through the gate it didn’t disappoint.

Wandering through the five halls was a journey through lively owners clubs stands, cars for auction and displays from the myriad businesses that support our industry. A lap of the bustling autojumble hall served as a halfway point as you happily turned around and made your way back to the start.

The start for many was Hall 1 – and that was where Footman James made its home with Coffee & Chrome Collective. Our members cars were given pride of (digital) display thanks to a looped video wall showing the very best of the thousands of cars that joined us for our events in 2022. Alongside a special NEC edition of Ignite (our community magazine), we also served over 700 cups of coffee to those interested in discussing their classics with Footman James.

It proved the perfect opportunity to showcase what we have achieved with the Coffee & Chrome Collective this year – hosting four events across the country and building a new social media community across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. We’ve more plans for 2023, too, so stay tuned – or better still sign up to our newsletter.

We weren’t, of course, confined to our stand for the whole event. Our team are enthusiasts and each took time to stroll through the halls taking in their favourite exhibits – a selection of which is shown in the gallery below. Contenders range from an immaculate low-spec 1974 Renault 5 to rare Jaguar race cars, but we draw your attention specifically to the rally-spec Mk1 Ford Capri and Citroën SM, Richard Hammond’s beloved ex-Top Gear Opel Kadett, a Saab-engined Dolomite Sprint and jacked-up Panda 4x4.

Got favourites of your own? Tell us or show and tag us via our social media channels.