As in previous editions of the show, the feature and dealer displays were located either side of the Grand
Avenue, whilst this year the Grand Avenue Club and Premium Ticket Holders Gallery moved from the end of
the avenue to a more central location. Replacing its location at the end of the avenue was the Historic
Motorsport International paddock, where there was a display featuring amongst others a Jaguar XJ220C, a
Brabham BT 33 F1 car, and probably the most famous racing Jaguar saloon car in the world, the ex-John
Coombs racing team’s pale grey 3.4 litre Mk I, with its promotional licence plate “BUY 1”. Due to the
popularity of the main paddock area for vehicles participating in the demonstration runs with visitors last year,
it was once again open to the public between runs this year, and at the same time crossing points were
opened across the avenue, so that one didn’t need to circumnavigate the perimeter to get from one side to the
other.
Amongst the wide range of cars participating in the demonstration runs were a replica of the twin engine Mini
Cooper S that ran in the 1963 Targa Florio, rallying legends like the Ford Escort RS 1800, Lancia Stratos, MG
Metro 6R4 and Renault 5 Maxi Turbo, together with F1 cars like the Benetton 193B and the Dallara BMS 190.
It doesn’t take much imagination to think of the sound of their engines screaming up the avenue’s closed
environment, with the exhaust notes bouncing off the walls and ceiling. The vendor displays also provided a
vast array of classic and modern cars, ranging from a barn find Austin Healey 3000 Mk III needing plenty of
TLC, through work in progress restorations, a few replicas of iconic Ferrari models plus a number of the
genuine article, to supercars like the Gumpert Apollo and Koenigsegg, with a spectacular metallic red
McLaren P1 hypercar gracing the stand of Howard Wise. The show also featured the debut of the Jaguar
F-Type based Lister Thunder, which was launched on the opening evening of the show, looking menacing in
metallic black with green accents. There was also a Coys auction, featuring a wide variety of vehicles all
being offered at no reserve, amongst which was a very attractive gunmetal Ferrari 512 BBi and a 360
Challenge Stradale, unusually in plain red without the “go-faster” stripes.
One of the show’s feature displays was called “The Great Escape” which had a range of vehicles made
famous, either because they were used in real life crime, or in films. These included the likes of the Mini from
The Italian Job, a Ford Transit van which was a favourite of real criminals in the sixties, as was the Jaguar Mk
II saloon, and a Ford Lotus Cortina first registered to Bruce Reynolds, one of the infamous 1963 “Great Train
Robbers”, which was being shown for the first time on public display. The show’s “icon” was Nigel Mansell
CBE, winner of 31 F1 Grand Prix, celebrating 25 years since he won back-to-back the 1992 F1 Drivers’ World
Championship and the 1993 CART IndyCar World Series, still the only driver ever to have achieved this feat.
Still immensely popular with race fans, he was interviewed on the Supaguard theatre stage during the show,
and also did demonstration runs on the Grand Avenue on the Sunday, burning rubber much to the delight of
his fans. There was a selection of the cars of his career on display, including the Crosslé Formula Ford in
which he won the 1977 British series championship, and the Williams FW14B that took him to the 1992 F1
World Drivers’ Championship.
Related Material
... Ferrari Models on Display >>>
Keith Bluemel
02/2018
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