Classic Car Boot Sale 2014

By James Elliott
Gallery
 | 19 Mar 2014

The second Classic Car Boot Sale took place on 15-16 March on London's famous Southbank, in the shadow of the London Eye. The Vintage by Hemingway event is backed by C&SC and drew record numbers of trunk-trading classics and bargain-hunting visitors to the Hungerford Car Park.

Although the final figures are yet to be confirmed, organisers estimate that more than 15,000 people paid the entry fee – still a mere £4 – to attend the Classic Car Boot Sale, which has become a great car show in itself.

One of the rarest cars on display wasn't even part of the main event, but parked outside as a teaser of what was to come. This Maserati Kyalami – with ’59 Cadillac Eldorado behind – looked wonderful and was an appropriate addition in the marque's anniversary year.

Most generations of Ford Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac were on show on the Southbank, including this lovely Mk2 Zephyr saloon with funky period sunshade. Its huge boot made it the ideal choice for a serious car-boot trader.

This tidy and clean early Mk2 was the oldest example of the late ’50s/early ’60s Ford – a firm favourite among fans of Americana. The old copies of C&SC pictured were going cheap!

We're huge fans of the sensational BMW E9 3.0 CSis and CSLs, and this superb example really stood out – not least because of that iconic Taiga Green paint.

This tweaked Alfa Giulia coupé and hard-working Commer camper made a bizarre couple, but the ’60s and ’70s clothing vendors' pairing perfectly sum up the variety to be found at the Classic Car Boot Sale.

Hilary Gallo's simply stunning Fiat Dino Coupé just pipped the period-rival Citroën SM of Simon and Monica Siegel to win C&SC's special award for the car of the day.

And here is the award presentation to Hilary Gallo, by event organiser and famed designer Wayne Hemingway MBE.

 

Though there was plenty of vast American iron to be found beside the Thames, nothing was able to upstage this magnificent Humber Pullman for sheer grandeur.

The quality and values of some of the cars carrying their vendors' wares came as something of a surprise, as did the generosity of the owners in talking about them and letting kids sit in. This lovely Porsche 356C was a perfect example.

This superb two-tone Humber Hawk perfectly demonstrates the sort of goods on sale at the Classic Car Boot Sale, which is resolutely not an autojumble. Old LPs and period radios were proving particularly popular.

Cars of the 1950s and ’60s were favourites with the vendors and visitors alike, and this super-cute Nash Metropolitan made colourful addition to the Boot Sale line-up.

Plenty of American cars were on view, including a superb display from specialist dealer and movie-car supplier Dream Cars, but this ’32 Ford three-window 'Deuve Coupe' hot-rod was popular with the public.

You see plenty of Rolls-Royces in London, and probably a high-proportion of the surviving Camargues, but rarely trading retro wares. The later Bentley alloy wheels gave a sporty look to this ’70s rarity.

Although the focus of the Classic Car Boot Sale was the traders and their classics, there was plenty more for the crowds to enjoy including this superb selection of Mod-style Vespa and Lambretta scooters.

American station wagons make an ideal choice as a classic load-hauler, and this massive 1961 Ford Falcon estate was probably the most practical car for trading from. We loved the 'rat look' from the combination of big wheels and fading red paint.

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James Elliott

James Elliott is a former Editor of Classic & Sports Car