Tonbridge, Kent, 11 June, 2016

The annual Barkaways Open Day was held on Saturday 06 June at their premises near Tonbridge in Kent, and attracted around 300 clients and friends on a warm and predominantly bright and sunny day, fortunately contrary to the weather that had been forecast. This ensured that many came in their Ferraris and a variety of other exotica, and were able to socialise in the large parking area enjoying the assembled machinery, in very amenable conditions. Amongst the client’s cars in the parking area there were examples of 250 GT Lusso, both 330 & 365 GTCs, a number of Dino 246 GT & GTS models in a variety of colours, a 365 GTB4, a pair of F40s and a Lamborghini Miura.

There were also a wide selection of current projects in the workshop and body shop, in various stages of repair or restoration, with a further selection of cars in the showroom and storage building. The latter was where Ian Barkaway and staff members gave a welcome address, together with an update on the company’s record and achievements over the past twelve months, concluding with the presentation of three recently completed projects, a lustrous metallic red Iso Grifo, a Dino 246 GT, resplendent in period metallic purple, and a spectacular rally liveried Lancia Stratos.

Amongst the cars on display in the workshop were a very pretty pale blue Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider approaching the end of a lengthy bare metal restoration, and a 250 GT S2 Cabriolet, which was elevated on one of the pillar ramps so that people could see the underside of the car, and the detail that they go to in their restoration work. There was also the MG Metro 6R4 rally car, in which the late rally legend Colin McRae won the National Category in the 2006 Donegal International Rally partnered by Nicky Grist. Whilst a lot of attention focussed on the colourful livery of an ex-Nelson Piquet Benetton F1 car, which was started and run after lunch, the whooping Cosworth V8 engine symphony proving a great hit with everybody – ear plugs were available for those who wanted to suppress the shrill sound!

 A symphony of another sound, one could say more classical, was provided by a string trio who played adjacent to the workshop entrance, providing soothing background music to the proceedings. The gathering is always family orientated, and they always try to ring the changes with peripheral entertainment, so to this end there was also a Scalextric track to be enjoyed by young and young at heart alike, together with a wandering magician, who always had a crowd of interested, and baffled, people around him. Then there was the always eagerly awaited splendid buffet lunch (for many the high point of the day!), and if you still had space for more, there was the ice cream man, ready to help you fill that little void.

Keith Bluemel
06/2016