Hundreds of classic motors gathered today for a sunny afternoon by the sea in the picturesque town of Clevedon, North Somerset. Organised by the Clevedon Lions in aid of various local charities, the event (which has been taking place annually for 9 years) started at 10.00am at Cadbury Garden Centre, Congresbury, followed by a 28 mile countryside drive that concluded at the Salt House Fields where spectators got up close and personal with the cars.
A particular highlight of the show was Duncan White’s Austin Healey 1006 BN4 (pictured below). Having owned the motor for 13 years, Duncan rebuilt the back half of the car while managing to retain its original appeal. It features disc brakes all around, a 2.6 litre engine and has overdrive in 3rd and top gears. It is also rumoured to be one of the run of 100 standard road cars with discs all round that was needed for the race and rally cars to be homologated as standard production. Duncan attends the car show annually, while also partaking in numerous local rallies.
Another highlight included Peter Osbourne’s 1962 Mercury Monterey S55. A beast of a car, this left hand drive automatic (pictured below) was originally painted beige! It has a 5.8 litre engine and was certainly a big hit amongst spectators.
Ken Todd’s Ford F100 was also a focal point of the day. His enormous bonnet was raised to display some interesting Jack Daniels features within, explaining that his kids’ escapades with the drink inspired him to incorporate it into the design of his car during restoration. The car had recently undergone an entire restoration from the inside out and it has been finished to an extremely professional standard.
Pat Leech arrived in his gorgeous Buick 6 (pictured below), a 3.3 litre engined classic car that spent most of its life in Australia and New Zealand before arriving in the U.K just over 6 years ago. Minor modifications have been made to the car including within the petrol pump, air filter and indicators but otherwise it remains pretty much in its original state. The foot controls are standard except for the brake which is on the right hand side, and an extra rear light has been fitted as it only came with one. Pat has taken the car to numerous rallies, including ones in Belgium and France.
Last but not least, we wanted to show you Richard Clark’s BMW Isetta (below). With only two seats compacted in a very tight space, this amazing little car actually requires the driver to climb out of the front of the car in order to exit! It features a 300cc engine with 13 horsepower and has been fully restored from the inside out.
So, if you’re looking for something to do next year, head over to North Somerset and get in on the action!
