Classics swarm to Warden Park

| 11 Jun 2012

More than 100 classics attended Sunday’s classic car show – at Warden Park – attracting everything from supercars such as a Ferrari 348 to Morris Minors and Ford Capris.

One of the most effortlessly stylish cars on show was this Renault Caravelle. Also known as the Floride, because it was conceived at a Florida convention of North American distributors, the rear-engined convertible used the same floorpan as the company’s Dauphine saloon.

At 2.2 tons, this heavyweight Packard 1103 Super 8 with a 6.3-litre straight-eight engine provided style in a completely different manner. The car had been imported from Rhode Island, USA, in 2008 and restored sometime before that.

British saloons were there in force was, this completely original 1947 2.5-litre Jaguar was on only its second owner and had covered a mere 51,000 miles.

Perhaps not as illustrious, but just as imposing on the day was this razor-edged Triumph saloon.

British Sports cars were doing their bit too, with these two Jaguars – an XK120 and an XK150 – starring in the commentary arena. The aluminium-bodied XK120 could reach 120mph, although the all-round drum brakes probably wouldn’t encourage it. Meanwhile, the XK150 was rare for the time with disc brakes on each corner.

There were a number of more modern sports, cars including a sports-exhaust equipped Ferrari 355, but prettier still was this Porsche 912.

A limited number of trade stands offered various parts and products, and of course the opportunity to walk around the beautiful grounds.

Chris Barrie rounded off the day nicely as he talked visitors through his interesting mechanical encounters while presenting his Massive Machines, Massive Speed and Great British Machines TV Programmes.

He reminisced on flying in a two-seater Spitfire, cranking up the engines of Britain’s Cold War nuclear Bomber – the Vulcan – and explained why he chose to buy and run an armour-plated Daimler Dingo WW2 reconnaissance vehicle.