Everyday Classics the Focus at the NEC Practical Classics and Restoration Show

Our man in Britain needed this after a long Winter: A Great British Classic Car Show! Join him via his report and almost a hundred photos.

The weeks of seemingly constant rain (in Britain, that is! ED. ) that caused the cancellation of last month’s Race Retro event fortunately had no impact on the UK’s first major indoor show of the year. Last weekend’s Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show, to give it it’s full title, is the other major classic event held at the NEC near Birmingham.

It’s not as big as November’s NEC Classic, but it’s still a pretty big show, filling three of the NEC’s larger halls with over 1,000 cars on show compared to the Classic’s 3,000. The emphasis here though is, as per the show’s title, on the more practical aspects of classic car ownership and maintenance, with parts of the show covering live restoration demonstrations and barn finds as well as almost 150 car club displays, an autojumble, dealer stands and an auction, hosted by CCA Auctions – more on that later.

I drove up in my C123 280CE on the opening day, Friday, which was pretty well attended without being crowded – perfect. I also manged to catch up with my old ViaRETRO International colleague Dave Leadbetter – it was good to see him again, as contrary as ever! 

Let’s take a look around…
There’s much less focus on exotica at this event, more on the kind of cars that most of our parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts used to drive, in the UK at least, many of which would make excellent entrants for the Festival of the Unexceptional, which incidentally is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year; a pity it’s not closer to me.

In fact, let’s start with that connection. We older classic car enthusiasts have occasionally ruminated on the future of our hobby once our generation moves on to that great car park in the sky. Well, it lies with the likes of the Young Retro Club; I spoke to a couple of the club’s 15,000 (yes!) members and their stand included a white VW Scirocco Mk II, as well as a 90’s Kia, a Wolseley 16/60 and a Citroën Saxo VTR, perfectly unexceptional classics. I also chatted to the young owner of no less than three Nissan Bluebirds, including the immaculate black one in the photos. All three loved their classics, and did much of the work on them themselves – meeting young folk like this makes me think our hobby is in good hands, but with a different era of cars, mostly – but not exclusively – from the 1980s and ‘90s.

It’s not often you can say that your classic is the only one on the road in your country, but Ian Tisdale of Practical Classics magazine and his wife Kristen run three cars that are unique in the UK; the two-tone brown 1934 Mercedes 130H and the 1972 Honda 1300 Coupe 7 GT. They also own the only Tatra T97 in the UK, which I found myself parked alongside at an event at Caffeine and Machine a couple of years ago – it’s a small world sometimes!

With regard to the auction the show’s focus on the more everyday classics was reflected in the lots on offer. There were some interesting lots at the auction, which was split across two days, with the second day featuring no fewer than 16 Range Rovers of varying vintages from a single collection. CCA focus largely on the sub-£50,000 market, with several cars available for less than £10k, including quite a few projects – otherwise known to most of us as money pits and time vampires. This raises the question of whether projects are worth the time, effort and cost of bringing up to a good standard, especially if you’re paying a professional to do the work. The other equation here is: A project on a more exotic or upmarket car vs an already restored or excellent more everyday classic for the same money?

For instance, one garage find on offer was a 1973 Jensen Interceptor III that fetched £5500 (against an estimate of £10 – 12,000), which was going to need a substantial five-figure sum spending on it to bring it up to scratch. On the other hand, £11,000 bought a near-perfect 1975 Rover 3500S in Monza Red – for all the (potential) glamour and style of the Jensen, I think I’d rather have bought this superb P6 which could be enjoyed immediately and would probably need little expenditure for at least a couple of years.

Other lots that caught the eye included a very pretty 1968 Lancia Flavia Vignale Convertible in navy blue, one of only 40 UK-supplied right-hand drive Flavia Convertibles, yet bidding stopped at just £28k – indeed, this was typical of what was a difficult sale for the auctioneers. Other disappointing performers included a tidy 1976 BMW 2002 in Polaris Silver that could be used regularly while being upgraded reached only £8,000 (estimate £10-12,000), and a lovely 27,000-mile BMW 635CSi stopped at a mere £25,000 against an estimate of £32-36,000.

I really liked the 1974 Vauxhall Magnum Estate 1800 – single family-owned from new, very rare and in good shape, yet bidding peaked at £8,000. I have a feeling that this will have been one of CCA’s more difficult weekends, with 75 of around 225 lots unsold, and many of those that did sell had no reserve.

Heading back out to the general display areas, I’ve never been a member of the cult of Morgan, but I did quite like this very rare Morgan +4+. Despite sharing the plywood chassis of the traditional Morgan +4 in the 1960s this +4+ (a strange name) looked very different – in my view, better, albeit still a little awkwardly styled – and had a fibreglass body that was a first for the Malvern-based company. Only 26 were built and the pale blue one pictured is one of just 9 RHD examples made, making it a genuine rarity. I would certainly take one over a regular +4.

Most absurd car of the show? The white “Lamborghini Countach” lookalike using a Mirage bodykit incorporating Citroen 2400CX GTi Turbo mechanicals. Built between 1989 and 1991, I struggle to see the point – am I missing something? The other contender for this very unofficial award went to the Bedford Rascal van-based Cadbury Crème Egg car, a famous promotional vehicle, but this at least had a point to it. Note the Citroën 2CV headlights!

I have always been a little sceptical of the “opportunities” offered by barn and garage finds, and there was a special display of such projects. One of the most interesting was a genuinely rare 1978 Chrysler 180 – only four remain on UK roads – but the history behind this one epitomises the barn find problem. It was bought in 2008 (!) for £300, but has been left outside since; so 16 years later the car is in worse condition than ever, which begs the question when it will ever be finished – 2040? And will it be worth it? And some of them were surely completely beyond any kind of hope…such as this Triumph Stag, which I was told actually broke in half on its way to the show…

Other classics that caught my shallow eye included some very sharp Vauxhall Calibras. I’m finding these ‘90s wedges more to my liking than ever, despite their humble Vectra underpinnings. Indeed, coupés of this generation have become more and more appealing to me, such as the VW Scirocco and Corrado, the Rover 200 coupés, even the Ford Probe – a car neither I nor the markets was very impressed with back in the day – is looking better to me, and there were fine examples of each of these on show.

Other favourites? I loved the superb 1984 BMW 323i that was entered in the Meguiar’s Pride of Ownership competition. It was not a trailer queen, having been driven to the show, unlike many other entrants. I’m a big fan if the Audi 100S coupé as well and this gorgeous example came with a perfect number plate. And a Renault 5 Gordini, one of nine on UK roads, and the cheerful orange wedges on the Bond Bug display always raise a smile – how could they not?

There was much more to enjoy in this relatively compact show, and its emphasis on more affordable, everyday classics and maintaining them is its strength.

Check out the gallery below for more from the NEC and maybe find your own favourite: