24 replies to this topic

[RTH]

Hundreds of very high quality classic cars and many thousands of spectators totally free to roam around the display, on beautiful common land next to the splendid Harpenden Cricket ground in Hertfordshire , where a match was in progress , on a warm and balmy mid summer Wednesday evening.

Amazing and delightful spectacle, the truly astonishing turn out , shows government alienate the car enthusiast at their peril.


Jaguar XJR9LM

Lotus 11 just back from this years Le Mans Classic race

C-Type Jaguar



Nice to meet TNF's Gregor Marshall and his 1974 Vauxhall Firenza

1930 3 wheel Morgan Sports

1935 MG KN saloon with 6 cylinder supercharged racing engine



1982 Delorean





Edit: Actually we now know there were 1300 cars on display and a crowd certainly in excess of 10,000 people attended on this warm mid week summer's evening.

[HFJ Drifter]

Does anyone know the story behind the XJR12, is it a kit car?

[Gregor Marshall]

Originally posted by HFJ Drifter
Does anyone know the story behind the XJR12, is it a kit car?

It does a few local shows (normally with a middle-aged man and young boy - not sure how they both fit in it!!), I've seen it at the Luton Festival of Transport too and I looked up it's registration on the DVLA website and it is suspposed to be a 1975 5 litre plus Jag, so I'd assume it's a kit based on an XJS but it does look good and I'd love to see it next to the real thing to see the actual differences.

[Gary C]

Very nice photos!

[Gregor Marshall]

Originally posted by RTH

Nice to meet TNF's Gregor Marshall and his Vauxhall Firenza

Hi Richard - great to meet you too and sorry I couldn't spend more time chatting, I eventually got to wander around about 7ish!! It was great to meet Trevor Scarborough too, lovely guy and what a coincedence about being a neighbour!!

According to Peter Madden there were over 1,300 vehicles and over 10,000 visitors, pretty good for a little town show, plus it certainly felt like that many, if not more, reminded me of the Friday at the Festival of Speed!!

I didn't get as many photos as I wanted but here a couple that go nicely in TNF (I also posted two Frogeyes in their thread too) :-

Not sure if Kevin K still owns, but I know he's a Luton lad so local for him


This Audi certainly looked the part and all the right plaques and stickers but I wouldn't know if real or not

I think a Prince Henry Vauxhall but am happy to be corrected


Fantastic Bentley and certainly not over-restored!!


A special one for our American friends - I loved this Camaro, sorry!!

[Paul Parker]

Nice to see Aubrey Finburgh's real C type (XKC 043) in suitably realistic used condition (i.e. not glass case).

[RTH]

Originally posted by Paul Parker
Nice to see Aubrey Finburgh's real C type (XKC 043) in suitably realistic used condition (i.e. not glass case).

Ah , I wondered if someone could tell us all about that Paul do you know more about it, looked as if it had come off the Mulsanne and had really nothing done since , quite amazing.

In light of that D-type making £2.21M last week, if this C-Type has some good history ?? what I wonder might this make !!

Lovely photos Gregor by the way, nice to meet you too !

[RTH]

[RTH]

Originally posted by Gregor Marshall


It does a few local shows (normally with a middle-aged man and young boy - not sure how they both fit in it!!), I've seen it at the Luton Festival of Transport too and I looked up it's registration on the DVLA website and it is suspposed to be a 1975 5 litre plus Jag, so I'd assume it's a kit based on an XJS but it does look good and I'd love to see it next to the real thing to see the actual differences.

I wonder if it was a show car with all original bodywork that has been turned in to a road legal car ?

[john ruston]

Aubery's car had come from Mulsanne Straight as it raced at LMC.Last weekend at Silverstone

Value,it doesn't matter he's not selling it but it is used most weekends.

He enjoys it!

Your price on D type made it cheap considering the amount they and C's are changing hands for.Lets hope the new owners of the C's and D's will use them but they own the cars so its their vote.There has already been some amazing colour changes

[Allan Lupton]

That Vintage Vauxhall is a 30/98 so far as I can see. Probably someone I know, but the modern registration no. rings no bells.

[Gregor Marshall]

Originally posted by RTH






I wonder if it was a show car with all original bodywork that has been turned in to a road legal car ?

Sounds like a good theory and whatever it is it's definitely very good and out of all the cars I did get to see it had the biggest crowd round it. I think next time I see it I'll search the owner out.

[Rob Ryder]

Originally posted by Gregor Marshall


It does a few local shows (normally with a middle-aged man and young boy - not sure how they both fit in it!!), I've seen it at the Luton Festival of Transport too and I looked up it's registration on the DVLA website and it is suspposed to be a 1975 5 litre plus Jag, so I'd assume it's a kit based on an XJS but it does look good and I'd love to see it next to the real thing to see the actual differences.

It gets about a bit! It was at the Silverstone Classic on 27th...

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[Alan Cox]

Looks like quite an amazing gathering, and mid-week, too. By the way, Richard, was anyone watching the cricket?

[RTH]

Originally posted by Alan Cox
Looks like quite an amazing gathering, and mid-week, too. By the way, Richard, was anyone watching the cricket?

Yes indeed they were Alan. It is a beautiful ground which has had a great deal of money spent on it getting it all absolutely flat and level in recent years and was in just perfect condition. my late father was a keen club cricketer and I am sure played there in the late fifties....no doubt as a small boy at the time I would had spent a lot of time looking around the car park !

In the Delorean photo you can see the sight screen at the edge of the ground.



You can see the cricket ground at the tree line.

[Gregor Marshall]

Originally posted by RTH


Yes indeed they were Alan. It is a beautiful ground which has had a great deal of money spent on it getting it all absolutely flat and level in recent years and was in just perfect condition. my late father was a keen club cricketer and I am sure played there in the late fifties....no doubt as a small boy at the time I would had spent a lot of time looking around the car park !

Agreed on the cricket pitch, it is very good, well, it must be, even I managed to take three wickets the last time I played on it and as amazing as it might sound my Dad was a keen cricketer at school and I still have his bat!!

[RTH]

This delightful MG gives an outward appearance of being a racing J series

A Supercharged 1933 MG J4 - only 9 of these were made? I suspect it did not start life with an FS registration number ?

Or might it be a supercharged C-Type, the Evans brothers were well known with this type of car .... either original or a replica ? The cut down sides do look type C, rather than J type ?
43 C-Types were made 1931/2

Nowadays you hesitate to say anything is what it appears to be ! So much re-bodying and adding extra features goes on . Perhaps someone knows the car, its history and owner, certainly a very desirable car I thought.

[Trevscar]

Just managed to get registered and logged in. Modern technology - pah!!
Great to meet up with Gregor. What a coincidence to park up right next to each other. Good luck with the season this year in the Droop Snoot. I scuttled off in such a hurry that I forgot to get your contact details, Gregor, so if you want to keep in touch my mobile is 07850 968165.

Good to meet Richard again - last time our paths crossed must have been at one of the Willhire 24-hours in the 80's. And I didn't know you hailed from Brookmans Park as a lad, like me. Small worlds!

TGS

[RTH]

Welcome to TNF Trevor you are most welcome and I am sure you will find it a fascinating place, especially if you go through the archives by using search BB , type in a key word or phrase and check ' The Nostalgia forum'.

Amazing we all lived within 1/2 a mile of each other as children, went to the same Primary school and then some 25 years later were all in the paddock in all those Willhire 24 hr races at Snetterton throughout the '80s.

I well remember your Letchworth Roofing Ford Capri team with your brother Graham Scarborough ( who I think was in the same class at school as my sister )

No doubt someone reading may be able to find some photos ?

Do please chip in with anything that interests you. You can contact other people on the forum by either clicking the PM ( private message) or e-mail buttons.

[MCS]

Richard

This is absolutely terrific. I was away when it took place (typical), but is it an annual event?

I've played cricket there a couple of times but don't remember any mention of a Classic Car gathering.

[RTH]

Originally posted by MCS
Richard

This is absolutely terrific. I was away when it took place (typical), but is it an annual event?

I've played cricket there a couple of times but don't remember any mention of a Classic Car gathering.

Yes Mark it has been going now for many years , but particually it has got a great deal bigger in the last 2 years with 1300 exhibits and over 10,000 visitors on just one afternoon/evening mid week in mid summer.
It is all free to visit and mingle amongst the cars and their enthusistic owners.
I am not suprised no one knew about it it has almost no publicity and has largly grown by word of mouth. It will be there again next year.

[Dutchy]

Originally posted by RTH
This delightful MG gives an outward appearance of being a racing J series

A Supercharged 1933 MG J4 - only 9 of these were made? I suspect it did not start life with an FS registration number ?

Or might it be a supercharged C-Type, the Evans brothers were well known with this type of car .... either original or a replica ? The cut down sides do look type C, rather than J type ?
43 C-Types were made 1931/2

Nowadays you hesitate to say anything is what it appears to be ! So much re-bodying and adding extra features goes on . Perhaps someone knows the car, its history and owner, certainly a very desirable car I thought.

It's no J4 - for a start the brakes are too small.

Ss far as I can see it's a C Type (Montlhery Midget) but whether genuine or replica I cannot tell you

[Bloggsworth]

When I moved to North Finchley 30+ years ago, in the garage at the end of my garden there were 2 cars for sale, a Chevron B8 for £1,200 and a D Type for about £2,000, unfortunately I had spent all I had on the new house...

I lived in Stanstead when I left school in 1963, and at the airport there were 3 ex Swiss Air Force Spitfires for sale at £1,500 each - If we knew then.

[Bloggsworth]

It's on again this Wednesday 28th July:

Classics on the common

[chdphd]

A few photos from the 2010 event

Edited by chdphd, 30 July 2010 - 21:11.