Stoneleigh Park, 24-26 February, 2017

The 15th edition of the Race Retro show was held at its regular venue at Stneleigh Park near Coventry, over the weekend of 24 – 26 February. A new organisation at the helm there was the promise of an even bigger and better show, and it didn’t disappoint. One of the new features was the Motor Sport Hall of Fame around the Live Stage in Hall 3, with one of the displays featuring the 50th Anniversary of the Cosworth DFV engine, with a selection of F1 cars that had used the ubiquitous V8 power plant over the years, including a Lotus 49, the car in which it made its maiden appearance. Other F1 cars on display included Cosworth’s own 4 wheel drive offering, the first Surtees F1 contender, the TS7, and a Williams FW08 that took Keke Rosberg to the 1982 World Drivers’ Championship.

Another Hall of Fame feature was Legends, featuring the likes of an F1 Vanwall from 1957, plus a Bentley Speed 8, which took Tom Kristensen to victory at Le Mans in 2003, the 5th of his 9 wins at La Sarthe, who was also in attendance at the show on the Live Stage on the Saturday morning. There was also a Racing & Rallying Legends display, with a Jaguar D-Type, a British Touring Car Championship Rover 3500 SD1, with rally cars including a Fiat 131 Abarth, a Ford Escort 1700T and a Subaru Impreza. There were also rally legends like Markku Alen and Ari Vatanen in attendance,two times British Rally Champion Russell Brookes, together with renowned Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis OBE, “Fast” Freddie Spencer from the world of motorcycling, Mike Costin the “Cos” of Cosworth, plus other well known names from the past, together with rising stars. One of the show’s most popular features was the unveiling of the ex-Jim Clark Lotus 33, R11, which was the first time that it had been seen in public for some 40 years, and was on display as part of a fund raising venture for a new Jim Clark museum.

It was rally car heaven, as apart from all the examples on display around the halls, there was also the rally car paddock off of Hall 4, where the cars participating in the live rally stage action were housed, ranging from a VW Beetle to a Ferrari 308 GTB, with plenty of variety in between. If visitors wanted to have some action themselves then they could buy drives in a variety of classic rally cars, to drive around the grounds of Stoneleigh Park. Further action was courtesy of the Retro Classic Tour, which left on a circa 150 mile scenic route on the Saturday morning, returning in the afternoon.

Lest it be thought that it was mainly rally car orientated, there was plenty of variety of other genres of classic motor sport around the four exhibition halls, together with a an art and memorabilia gallery, numerous associated trade stands, book and model vendors, an autojumble area and expansive Silverstone Auction in another building on the complex. This had its best Race Retro sale ever, as 76 per cent of the lots were hammered, with an overall sales figure of £5.7million, over £1 million more than they achieved in 2016. Sales of note included a 1989 Aston Martin AMR1 Group C race car at £530,000, a 1961 Emeryson F1 Climax FPF at £174,380, a 1974 Dino 246GT sold for £439,875, an ex-Jensen Button 2005 Ford GT at £264,375, and a 1983 Lamborghini Countach LP500S at £378,950.

Keith Bluemel
03/2017