NEC Classic Motor Show

[Pete]

I think the NEC might just have priced themselves out of the market this year @ £34.50! This show has been a good day out in the past especially for crate digging for bits and especially when Ted Walker was there with all his motorsport photos!! Considering the how much the event has shrunk since those days the price could well be a deal breaker for many, you’d want to see some special cars really!

[diz]

And to make matters worse they have the cheek to charge an additional £2.50 ‘fulfilment’ fee to send a barcoded ticket by email. But despite that it’s still a good day out with a huge array of cars and stuff to look at.

[Pete]

You’re into well over £50 then with parking or take the train. For me I want to see interesting stuff for that money that I wouldn’t normally see anywhere else. Each to their own though and yes it’s a good day, albeit expensive day out.

[Polarsilver]

NEC Classic Car Show the Parking charge is a Rip Off .. how come on some NEC Shows for example Caravan & Camping Show then the NEC Parking is Free & the Bus to/ from the Halls is still running.
Maybe the Classic car owners are seen as Loaded & can afford their day out at the NEC

[woodypup59]

A few pictures from yesterday.

[woodypup59]

And a prototype Moke

[AndyPen]

I've had my RS500 on show there a few times and enjoyed it immensely, but wouldn't want to go every year.

[peasantslife]

I do both CC and Resto Shows, so here are just a few simple options.
Every club is given a discount entry code, so its not hard to get a discounted entry. (if you know a trader they can also buy a few additional staff wristbands ahead of time.)
Parking - if you intend to leave early ish, park at Birmingham International and walk in via the link. Its under £10 for the day.
If you plan to be there to last knockings, then go to Weathespoons in the concourse for an hour...By the time you get out to your car park the attendants will have gone and the gate will be up.

As for the cost, well of course it could be cheaper, but I bet that place costs some and a bit more to run! Dont forget its just the traders and visitors who pay for the whole show, which is what percentage of the used floorspace?
OK so £34 sounds painful to me also but footy fans pay quite a bit for 90 minutes of pain, I bet there are plenty in motorsport who pay £hundreds for a couple of half hour stints on the track in a weekend. This hobby aint cheap.
If you plan well, be in at first knockings, know where you want to go - as you cant do the show justice in a day, dont buy from the tied food vendors and are there till chucking out time you will have spoken to plenty of new contacts, seen more interesting cars and stuff than at a dozen wet summer shows in a field and entry will have worked out at under a £pint an hour...

As an exhibitor, they usually tell us what the headcount was for the weekend. I'll tell you when that email lands - reminding us to book our pitch for next years CC Show.
A typical event for us sees prep building up about a month ahead, to ensure we have the right stock and items to show, then I was planning to load on Weds evening, but actually loaded Thur morning, got there mid afternoon. just before our second vehicle carrying the stand and more stock. We'd had enough by 19:30. the final effort was from 08:00 when we are let in each morning - Friday is when we do business, though the headcount is probably lowest - serious people who know what they want and prepared to dip into their pockets for it.. Saturday we do 50% of friday with greater throughput on the stand. Sunday - simply not worth being there, just tourists. We were knocked down and loaded by 19:30, which meant I got home at 22:00. I've only half unloaded so far..

[Exminiman]

Never been, but looked a few YouTube vids this year, so think will give it a whirl next year, thanks for the insights Peasant life, sounds like its Sunday afternoon to get a deal

[Pete]

Interesting to see the ex Leggate Mini Challenge car was there…

[maxidave]

Amazing picture leaning on the car with the late much missed Steve Harris wondering which way to go. Steve drove this car as rapidly on the road
as he did on the track.

[Costafortune]

I got in FOC with a press pass.

No, it's not worth the money. Add £18 for parking plus fuel and gruel and you're knocking on the door of 80 quid.....if you go on your own.

It was averagely okayish but I arrived at 10 and was done by 2. Some nice cars amongst the usual Minis/Minors/E Types.....zzzzzzzz - a 1949 Cadillac Club Coupe DeVille, 1976 Rolls Royce Corniche, three factory TR7 Sprints - the best cars were in the auction. For a 1972 Ford Capri 1600 'L' to sell for £34,000 it has to be special. Probably the finest restoration I've ever seen.

[peasantslife]

The Leggate Clubman was restored by CMC Motorsport - well certainly had it in work back in spring '19. The boss Dan was a Rover Motorsport apprentice at Longbridge. Runs about 20 customer cars up to National level. Used to be sited inside the proving ground at MIRA, about 50m from my office.

[Pete]

The auction looked bereft of ordinary stuff and 60s cars. Loads of sports, supercars and fast Fords. I think it’s all going elsewhere, like Mathewson’s who have a raft of Minis and Metros currently.

[Costafortune]

The auction looked bereft of ordinary stuff and 60s cars. Loads of sports, supercars and fast Fords. I think it’s all going elsewhere, like Mathewson’s who have a raft of Minis and Metros currently.

I think this NEC auction was for absolute top quality stuff. Mathewsons don't have so much of that.

The dark blue 1973 Ford Escort 1100 6CWT Van was just lovely and almost cheap at 21 grand.

https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1974- ... 7-nec-1124

[woodypup59]

Some of you good people may have seen the GPO mini van on the MCR Stand at the NEC, or at Stanford Hall.

Its being looked after by a friend who is keen to contact the owners of other GPO telephone engineer mini vans.

We have an old article from the GPO vehicle club, which mentions a chap in Northern Ireland having one, as does someone in Bradford.

But this info is at least 10 years old, and we haven't been able to track them down.

If anyone can help we'd be grateful.

Obviously discretion is assured.

[hanlminiman]

Probably a stupid comment but have you spread the net wider with Google searches. The reason I ask is that I remember visiting a GPO museum in Essex many years ago but having looked on line it was phone boxes rather than vehicles. Perhaps the CSMA might be able to help as one of my friends was an GPO engineer when Mini Vans were being used. I've also found aa few PO vehicle sites but not sure how up to date they are.
As an aside on a PO vehicle site I discovered this gem "Golden Yellow 356 was originally specified to British Standard BS381C." for the yellow vans. Didn't someone once sugggest the Cooper garage borrowed yellow paint from a neighbouring PO garage?
Cliff
Added
Try this FB page link
www.facebook.com/groups/190746398148369/

[woodypup59]

Thanks Cliff, we have joined that f/b page and the PO vehicles club too.

[hanlminiman]

Good luck with your research.