By Classic Yorkshire Correspondent: Tony Lofthouse

Is the Honda S2000 heading to be a future classic?

With its eye-catching lines, throaty four-cylinder VTEC engine, lightweight chassis and compact cockpit interior it is one heck of a sports car.

Now enthusiasts in West Yorkshire are keen to share their passion by being part of the UK S2000 Owners Club  – S2KUK – of drivers and form their own local group.

Launched to celebrate Honda’s 50th birthday the first of these special two-seater roadsters rolled off the production line in 1999, four years after a concept version had debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The car went on to prove a huge success for Honda and was produced largely unchanged until it was given a facelift in 2004 which combined a number of upgrades including improved suspension.

The S2000 continued in production until 2009 but declining sales from 2006 and impending changes to EU and US emission standards would lead Honda to pull the plug on the model.

To mark the end of the line, Honda would produce a special limited edition for the UK market – the Edition 100 – with only 100 built. Each one came in Grand Prix White with an all red leather interior, graphite alloys and a numbered plaque on the kick-plate.

The US versions of the S2000 included a larger 2.2 litre engine from 2004 and over the years stateside sales would reach 66,000. In Europe nearly 20,000 were sold with 8,000 making it onto UK roads.

Its loss would soon leave a huge gap in the market.

Tim Simpson, UK S2000 Owners Club representative for West Yorkshire and Member Discount Lead for S2KUK is a Honda fan through and through and bought his Berlina Black 2004 facelift model with hard top nine years ago.

He explains: “I’ve been brought up on Hondas, love the engineering and have had a Prelude VTEC, Accord and Civic.

“The S2000 was designed as a classic roadster with timeless styling inside and out. It is rear wheel drive with LSD and has a two-litre engine mounted behind the front axle. The car comes with an impressive six-speed gearbox.

“Inside my car I have the rare option of a red leather finish with matching red dashboard. I have also added front and rear spoilers, a carbon radiator cooling plate and changed the exhaust slightly with the popular ‘ukmod’, but all the time being careful to keep to the styling of the model.

“The S2000 model gives a wonderful performance – producing 237 bhp at 8,300 rpm – and what’s great is it’s a car that Honda designed and built all new from the bottom up.”

Tim adds: “If the car has an achilles heel it’s the rear wheel arches which are prone to rusting and might involve replacing. Also look out for seized suspension bushes if the weather gets at them and faults with a failing timing chain tensioner.

“But all in all what a car!”

As an investment the S2000 has seen a steady year-on-year price rise with demand high. You can find a nice early example for between £10,000 and £15,000 but prices rise for a facelift model to £18,000 to £20,000 and more. For a rare Edition 100 you would be paying over £25,000.

It’s a car that continues to be enormously popular and so much so that there is growing speculation that Honda could revive it in 2024 – the car makers 75th anniversary. Watch this space!

If you are interested in being part of a new West Yorkshire sub group of the UK S2000 Owners Club and come along to local meetings contact Tim on 07939 524464 or email timothy.simpson@blueyonder.co.uk for details.

For more information on clubs near you, owners events, chatting on an online forum about all things S2000 and membership offers with suppliers go to http://www.S2KUK.com

The Donington Historic was becoming firmly established in the motorsport calendar before the pandemic hit. Similar, but smaller than the Silverstone Classic it brings together high quality racing with off track shopping and food. With the demise of the Croft historic racing event, the Donington Classic is the only northern opportunity to get that full event experience.

Admission is £30 for a ticket on the gate, but buying on line reduces that to £25. However if you are a member of an attending club then you can get a discount code for a further 50% off. That’s just £12.50 for a full days racing. Probably the best value admission for any race event.

We set off early on Saturday Morning to catch morning practice. Parking was straight forward and well organised and the entrance of the circuit has been spruced up since my last visit. Armed with folding seats, lunch and drinks we took our traditional spot at the old hairpin.

Practice is a great opportunity to take some photographs as the cars don’t run at racing speed all the time. You can also wander round the trade stalls without missing any close racing. The stalls have the usual memorabilia, vintage clothing, models and old signs. The number of stalls seemed down on the last time I visited but it is going to take 12 months for these events to settle down and people to get into a regular programme. The pits are open and it is an opportunity to get up close and personal with the cars.

The event also features a large number of club stands and most makes and models were catered for. The Porsche Owners Club had an exceptional number of cars on show and included some interesting early cars. The Datsun 240 club is one of my favourites showing some of the Samurai cars.

The races start at 14.20 with the Jaguar Classic Challenge for pre 66 cars. Eligible cars includes the XK series, C Types D-Types, E types and saloons. The race lasts an hour and drivers change at approximately the half way point. This race was predominantly made up of E-Type Jaguars in both standard and lightweight form. This was great racing with plenty of overtaking and despite their value the drivers held nothing back. In fact there were a few minor spills and offs. One major incident happened with one car losing control and hitting another car as it passed. The bill for both cars will be extensive but that, as they say, is racing,

Next on the programme was the Sixties touring car challenge. Again this was a two driver one hour race dominated by Lotus Cortina’s with a couple of Alfa Romeo Guilia Sprints and a BMW 1800TI thrown in for good measure. The racing was close and fair and there was an occasional foray into the gravel.

The racing stepped up a notch for the third race with the Group C1 cars. This was a varied field including cars by Jaguar, Porsche, Nissan, Aston Martin and Spice. The C1 cars first appeared in in 1982 and the series lasted for ten years. These cars sound like proper racing cars with normally aspirated V8’s,V10’s and V12’s as well as turbocharged flat sixes.

The final race of the day was the Pre 56 and Pre 61 sports cars. With everything from Lotuses, Aston Martins and even a Maserati this was a mixed bag of cars. Possibly the most entertaining race of the day as the variety of cars of different performance levels there was plenty of overtaking as well as thrills and spills.

Overall this was an excellent days racing helped significantly by good weather. At £12.50 entry it was exceptional value and highly recommended. I have to say that the event is not quite at the level it was pre pandemic, but I am sure that by next year it will be back to full strength. The racing was of a high standard and the cars taking part were of top notch. Personally I would have preferred shorter races with a more varied entry list. I missed seeing the Mini’s vying with the Ford Galaxies, though more variety was offered in the Sunday programme.

Despite my advancing years I have a reasonable understanding of social media and the world of technology. Being a classic car enthusiast I have been looking out for an app that related to my hobby.

In my ideal app I could take a photograph of a car and it would bring up a spec sheet, links to clubs and ads for sale, finally scoring top trumps with a group of mates based on performance and the cool factor. So far I haven’t found one that appeals to me though if there is an app developer out there who would like to work with me, drop me a line.

For me an app must fulfil two functions:-

1. It must ensure the safety of my data
2. It must be useful.

On the second point, how many apps do you have on your phone that you haven’t used for months or even years.

This week I found an app called Custodian that looks promising. It isn’t a complete product yet as it has been released following testing with 2 000 users. It offers basic functions with promises of more to come that could make it a valuable and enjoyable tool.

The developers promote the product as a tool to take the pain out of administering ownership of a classic car or cars. Personally, I think this is a mistake. It doesn’t take much to administer a classic car collection as the DVLA write to me when the tax is due, the Insurance company email me when the insurance is due and all the bills are put into a folder. They missed a trick by not promoting the app as an enhancement to the classic car hobby. To share information with fellow enthusiasts.

To start I headed for the Custodian website and downloaded the free app onto my phone. The only information required for registration is an email address (and we all have one of those that we keep just for signing up for things we are unsure about). Once registered you start to build your garage. Putting in your cars registration number brings up a completed spec sheet with date of registration, engine size, colour and date of last MOT and Tax. Clearly it pulls this data from the DVLA.

Once you car is in the garage you can add photographs, key information, description and history. There is also a task list where you can list all those jobs you need to do.

The Custodian platform and progressive web application helps owners:-

• Organise and track the maintenance aspects of car ownership including recording, categorising, and accounting for servicing, maintenance, and restoration work
• Set up reminders for key dates such as MOT, tax and insurance renewals
• Build a digital history file for a vehicle, which will be fully sharable for prospective buyers and ultimately transferable to a new owner in the event of a sale

So, going back to the key criteria of data security. The developers promise that all data entered into the platform is secure, and Custodian does not sell any of this information to third parties or allow third party advertisements within the platform. Users have the ability to share their vehicles and any details they wish with other users within the Custodian community, but this is strictly an opt-in function, and privacy remains the default setting. Given the penalties of the Data Protection Act I think it is as safe as it can be, barring criminal activity.

The promises made on security make you wonder how the company can monetise the project. I think the answer is in future developments where a classic car market place is planned and a directory for professional classic car services where revenue could be generated.

One of the most useful functions is the planned events calendar which are a challenge to make comprehensive and keep up to date. There is also a link to podcasts and articles about the classic car world.

I received an update to the App and it allows you to share the cars in the garage with other members. It also gives you a QR code which you can place in the car and show visitors can scan the code and see your garage on line.

My overall impression is that this is a good looking app with good security and little prospect of your data being sold on. In its present form it is of limited use but it shows promise for the future if they can get the subscribers and the planned market place and events calendar is added. I will keep the app for now and if I don’t use it regularly then I will delete it.

Custodian publishes the free Apex newsletter and podcast. A weekly conversation with automotive titans and the tastemakers, the Apex podcast explores varied and unique perspectives on car culture. Featuring highly curated content involving some of the greatest names in the classic and collectable car community, the Apex hosts conversations with those who have made car culture what it is today.

To check out Custodian and download the App visit: https://www.custodian.club/

Sports Cars in the Park – May 8th 2022

Newby Hall, Ripon, HG4 5AE

More than 500 classic sports cars are expected to grace the grounds of Newby Hall this coming weekend.

Sports Cars in the Park is a really great day out and the entry fee includes free entry to the hall’s extensive grounds and adventure playground.

For more information on exhibiting or tickets to visit go to

http://www.carsinthepark.org.uk

Times: 10.00am – 4.00pm

By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse.

Nearly 70 years after its launch the Citroën DS remains one of the most innovative European cars of its time – a technological and design classic.

If you need any persuading meet Ray Calvert, a lifelong enthusiast of the stylish French car maker and in particular all things DS.

A look around his Bradford garage is a step back in time and a reflection of Citroën’s popularity over the years. Outside there are old DS, GS, Xantia, CX, Xsara, C5 and BX models sharing space with executive SM coupés.

I’d been invited to see Ray’s latest restoration success – a 1967 DS 21 Pallas, which had been rescued from a storage unit in France in a badly rusting state.

Four years on and he has painstakingly rebuilt the car for its new owner in Huddersfield.

The range topping Pallas was launched in 1965, an iconic addition to the DS range with its advanced hydro-pneumatic suspension giving an amazing ride. A turn of the ignition key would automatically raise the car for road comfort. In addition, the DS featured ground-breaking power steering and a semi-automatic transmission system.

More innovations included headlamps that moved with the steering, enabling the driver to better see ‘around’ turns in the road.

It’s fair to say when the DS debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 1955 no one had seen anything like it – its aerodynamic lines giving it a jaw-dropping look. Facelift models followed including cabriolet and safari estate versions. In 1975 the last of 1.46 million DS cars rolled off the production line.

The DS would also go on to have a successful rally career including overall wins in the 1959 and 1966 Monte Carlo Rally.

For Ray, the 2.1 litre Pallas has proved one of his most rewarding projects.

Ray explains: “The car came to me in a sorry state and other restorers wouldn’t touch it.

“It’s been a big task involving replacing the floor and sills, restoring the doors, wing panels and wheel arches. I’ve completely rebuilt the engine, whilst the body work was fully stripped ready for a respray in metallic grey.

“Wherever possible I’ve kept its original fittings such as chrome door handles, rear lights, wheel trims and its gear stick.”

The car is unusual in featuring frog-eyed headlights that move up and down. A model facelift in 1968 would see the headlights fitted with glass covered canopies.

Inside, Ray has sourced original Pallas fittings, replacing the cloth upholstery with leather and even tracking down a second-hand dashboard from Germany. New carpets have kept to the DS look. To bring a little modern styling, the radio’s facia hides digital technology and the dash instruments are lit with tasteful green LED lighting.

Ray said: “By Christmas 2021, the car was ready to return to the road after 25 years under wraps.

“As a finishing touch the Pallas went through an MoT and passed, something I wanted to do to give me that extra satisfaction that my hard work has been professionally inspected.

“It’s been a wonderful project. I’ve worked on hundreds of DS models and every time I’m left marvelling at just how ahead of the time they were. Bringing this Pallas back to life though has to be one of my favourites.”

Another memorable project has involved working on a rare DS Safari brought over from Australia.

Next up for Ray is a full restoration of a late 90s Saxo and the rebuilding of a Maserati engine for an SM owner – examples, if you needed it, of the diversity of this top European car maker.

If you would like to discuss a classic car project with Ray or need advice ring Ray Calvert Classic Car Restorations on 07833 741938

Declaration – I can confirm that Classic Yorkshire received no payment or benefits for this article.

British brand Caton reveals its first creation: an ultra-exclusive reincarnation of the iconic Austin-Healey 100 sports car.

Featuring visual and performance enhancements in keeping with the original car the Caton Healey is a true driver’s car. It will be extremely rare too, with a very limited run set of 25 cars to be hand-built in Coventry.

Inside, the cockpit is totally new with a focus on contemporary and period materials. Thanks to a redesign of the transmission tunnel and new five-speed manual gearbox, there has been a transformation in cabin space. As a result, it is a useable sports car, offering all drivers the feeling of a classic but with greater comfort. The finishing touch is a high-performance engine and finely-honed suspension.

In 1952, Donald Healey built the first Healey 100 prototype at his company’s workshops in Warwick. Healey took his fledgling, four-cylinder-engine two-seater roadster to that year’s London Earls Court Motor Show. where he forged an alliance with Austin boss Leonard Lord to build it as the Austin-Healey 100.

Six iterations of the car were produced between 1953 and 1958, with the four-cylinder engine eventually replaced by a six-cylinder unit. Donald Healey was known to have favoured the four-cylinder engine, which is lighter and lends itself to performance upgrades more readily than the six-cylinder.

The car’s original quarter-length bumpers have been removed and the front remodelled to create a smoother, cleaner look. The front valance has also been elongated to hide the front of the chassis’ legs. Subtle remodelling of the headlights has created superior illumination with the integration of LED and daylight running lamps.

The execution of a cleaner, smoother look has been applied across the entire body, with all seams and beading removed. Despite being built on an English Wheel, using traditional methods, they are entirely free of the beading that ran through the centre of the original items. A new air vent and a finisher have been integrated into the flanks amplifying the dividing line that runs along the side of the car.

The rear bumpers are gone, as are the external boot hinges, replaced with new internal hinges running on gas struts. The boot handle is deleted too and the lid is now opened by an internal release mechanism.

Following a dry build to ensure absolute accuracy in final assembly, the body spends two weeks in the paint shop. It is primed, equipped with an OEM-standard anti-corrosion protection layer, and then painted. The car retains its original badging, with the subtle addition of the Caton logo to the front fenders. Period-style, lightweight 72-spoke Borrani black aluminium alloy wheels with black spinners are fitted and shod with period-correct but modern manufactured, off-the-shelf Michelin tyres.

At the car’s heart is a 185 bhp 195 ft/lbs of torque 2954cc four-cylinder engine, endowed with performance to take the car well beyond the 100mph top speed it was named for. Based on an original Austin-Healey block, the engine is completely stripped down, fully lightened, balanced, and then refurbished to zero miles. It is further enhanced with a full steel crank shaft, upgraded bearing shells, high compression pistons, a race camshaft with more aggressive lobes and roller rockers. Larger Twin H8 carburettors and gas flow inlets provide excellent throttle response. A race side-exit exhaust system adds further to the car’s considerable aural appeal.

Decades of international rally success testify to the inherent strength and durability of the Healey’s original suspension configuration. The system has been further honed by J.M.E. while retaining the original rear semi-elliptic leaf spring set-up. The Healey by Caton features a double-wishbone and adjustable coil spring configuration at the front, with a lever arm damper system and the car’s proven leaf spring system at the rear. Custom fabricated and fully rose-jointed roll bars are also fitted front and back.

Website:  www.caton.uk

Following our recent article on how to buy a car at auction we thought it might be useful to bring you a report on the Bonhams Members’ Meeting sale. This auction offered a mix of good, solid mid-range classics interspersed with veteran and vintage cars and competition vehicles.

At the time of writing, including post- sale arrangements, just five of the 76 cars offered failed to sell, with nearly a quarter selling for over top estimate. There were some that exceeded expectations by a significant margin: a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 that had been off the road since 2018 made a huge £506,000 including premium, a full £156,000 over its top estimate, and well over Hagerty’s Condition 4 (‘Fair’) value of £318,000. 

A rare AC 3000ME Turbo probably best described as ‘well loved’ nearly doubled its top estimate, selling for £28,750, a figure in excess of Hagerty’s top Condition 1 (‘Concours’) value of £28,500. Modern classics also performed well: a 1998 Porsche 911 (993) Turbo coupe with X50 pack smashed its expectations, selling for £138,000, well over Hagerty’s Condition 2 (‘Excellent’) value of £129,000.

Overall, lots that struggled to sell were the competition cars with four of the five no-sales in this category. The highlight was a 1961 Lotus 20, driven to Formula Junior championship success by Jo Siffert but the tempting low estimate of £70,000 wasn’t reached. A brace of race-prepared Corvettes, a Lynx T2 and a 1964 Lotus-Ford Type 23B also did not sell, in addition to a 1930 Packard 745 Dual Cowl Sports Phaeton.

Nearly one third of the cars in the auction were offered with no reserve and this helped push up the sell-through rate, but 93 per cent is an extraordinary achievement and it says a few things about the market. Firstly, it shows that the estimates were tempting, and the expectations of vendors were maybe more realistic that they have been for a while. Compare the overall value achieved at this auction (£7.12 million) against the last live Members’ Meeting sale in 2019: just over £6m with a sell-through of just 70 per cent. The market has been through something of a frenzy since then, but these more sensible figures and higher sale rates could suggest that the market has settled a little after the post-Covid boom. Secondly, it was interesting to see how many dealers were bidding, presumably to replenish stocks. This shows a sense of confidence in the market, and these results will undoubtedly help future sales.

There are many ways to buy and sell a classic car, car dealer, classified ad and e-bay but perhaps the most intimidating is the auction.  For the uninitiated it can be a nerve racking experience.  To find out more we joined the bidders at the PCRS auction organised by Classic Car Auctions.

Most car auctions operate in a similar way though some terms and conditions and charges may be different.  Before you buy or sell at an auction you will need to check out the prospective auction house and familiarise yourself with all their requirements.

When I joined the other bidders, they were about half way through the lots.   It was almost a full house and along the edge were the telephone and proxy bidders.   I suspect that the majority of the business is carried out on line but you can’t beat the excitement of being there.

As soon as you take your seat you become very conscious of even the simplest of body movements for fear that you might accidentally make a bid.  In reality the auctioneers are very experienced and can tell the difference between an involuntary twitch and a bid.  Two auctioneers take each alternate car and rattle through them at great speed.  Watching them perform is very entertaining, even funny as they squeeze the bidders for every last pound.

Prices at auction can go in any direction.  There is no doubt that bargains can be had, especially if a collector is downsizing and doesn’t want to transport the car back home again.  But if you get two people wanting the same car then the price can rise beyond the market price, though of course the market price is what someone is prepared to pay.

There was a good variety of cars passing through whilst I was there.  A 1974 Lancia Fulvia 1.3 failed to sell but is available post auction for £8 650.   This is a one owner low mileage car but it was suffering from body rot.  It would make an excellent historic rally car following a full restoration.

This was followed by another Lancia, this time a modern Lancia Delta Integrale 16 valve.  It was imported into the UK in 2004 and had 47 000 miles on the clock.  It sold for a very reasonable £18 225.

Hot hatches from the 1980’s are booming at the moment and a very tidy Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI with 89 000 miles fetched £16 312.  A rarer Renault 5 GT Turbo with 70 000 miles pipped the GTI at £20 250.

Are you ready to take the plunge? You can bid in person by registering prior to the auction or alternatively you can bid by telephone, by leaving a commission bid or online on the auctioneers website. To comply with money laundering regulations, you will need to provide one proof of identification, such as a passport or drivers licence so don’t forget to take it with you if you plan to bid in person.

A commission bid is the maximum amount you are willing to bid up to (excluding the buyers premium and VAT). The auctioneer will then execute your bid as low as possible on your behalf.  Telephone bidding allows you to bid live during the auction. On the day of the sale, a member of the auction house will contact you, usually a few lots prior to your selected lots and will guide you through the process. You will need to provide alternative telephone numbers to ensure that they are able to contact you on the day. You can also leave a commission bid in the event that they are unable to contact you by telephone.

Online bidding may be available directly on the website (with no additional fee) as well as via a bidding approved partner who charge an additional fee of 1% plus VAT.

One of the most important things to understand is the final price that you will pay.  The hammer price is not the final price and you need to take this into account when you bid.  A buyer’s premium is charged at 12.5% +VAT on the hammer price.     Some lots may be VAT qualifying and subject to VAT on the hammer. Some lots may have been brought into the UK on a temporary admission and therefore import VAT will be due the hammer. These lots will be clearly marked in the catalogue.

Payments must be made in GBP, by bank transfer where possible. Payment can also be made in person by debit card (up to £20,000) and credit card (up to £5,000). Cash payments cannot be accepted.   Lots will only be released upon receipt of funds.

You will have only a limited time to collect your purchase and so you can bring a trailer or use the auction houses transport partner.  Driving the car is not really an option as it may not start after a period of storage and it will need to be both taxed and insured.

As the hammer falls a contract is made and you are obligated to proceed with the purchase. It is therefore vital that you are 100% sure before you make the final bid

Top tips:

1. Sort your registration and bidding requirements in advance.
2. Understand the additional charges that will be added to the hammer price.
3. Before you go, pick the cars you are interested in and set a bidding limit.  Base your limit on research and additional charges including commission and VAT.
4. Take a friend with you who will stop you overbidding.
5. Sort out how you will make payment
6. Work out how you are going to get your purchase home.

https://www.classiccarauctions.co.uk

Imagine driving 16,000 miles in 25 days over some of the rough­est terrain in the world, at altitudes up to 16,000 feet, where engines and lungs gasp for air. Imagine 500-mile speed trials over rocky mountain tracks, racing against the clock and 95 other cars. Imagine attempting this more than 50 years ago, without GPS or cell phones. In April 1970, 241 men and women from more than 20 nations did just that, setting out from London in wide range of vehicles, from the sublime competitions-ready Escorts, Triumphs and Citroëns to the seemingly ridiculous beach bug­gy, Rolls-Royces and even a camper van, all determined to get to Mexico City. Drawing on personal recollections of competitors, organizers, marshals and mechanics, this book recounts the ecstasies and agonies of per­haps the toughest endurance motorsports event ever—the London to Mexico World Cup Rally.

Following on from his book about the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon, and almost six years in the making, author Robert Connor has drawn from the memories of competitors and others who played important roles from right across the world – Australia, Mexico, the USA, France and up and down the UK.

Among those competing were several Yorkshire folks, representing both professional and amateur rally pedigrees – principle among these was the late, great Tony Fall. Driving for the Ford GB competitions team in a works-prepared Escort 1850, Fall’s illustrious co-driver was none other than soccer legend Jimmy Greaves! Initially seen as a novelty, under Fall’s patient tutelage, Greaves acquitted himself admirably, the media-friendly pair achieving 6^th place overall at Mexico City.

Other Yorkshiremen and women who buckled up for the 16,000-mile slog were life-long friends Christopher Marriott and John ‘Jack’ Dill, driving a slightly impractical Trident Venturer sports coupe, Tony Walker in a Vauxhall Victor estate car, rally veteran Phil Cooper and the great Pat Wright – sister of racing legend Cliff Allison, Pat’s meticulous navigation skills saw the all-women team led by Jean Denton achieve a laudable 18^th place at the finish.

Declaration: Classic Yorkshire received no payment or benefit for this article.

16,000 Miles to Mexico City by Robert Connor is available through:

https://www.eurospanbookstore.com/book/detail/16000-miles-to-mexico-city/?k=9781476669670

16,000 Miles to Mexico City

This Weekend

Rally Date: Sunday 1st May 2022
Place: Gaydon Heritage Motor Museum
Event: WCR50+2

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary (two years late due to the Covid) the Historic Marathon Rally Group will stage a reunion for all the surviving cars, competitors and supporting teams at the British Motor Museum.

Described as the ‘longest, toughest and most ambitious rally that the world had ever known’ the Gaydon event will showcase around 21 surviving World Cup Rally cars, including the winning Ford Escort FEV 1H, car no. 18, which has been released by the Ford Heritage organisation especially for 1st May.

Other memorable cars attending will be –

• Car 98 – Paddy Hopkirk’s Triumph PI which came in 4th overall.
• Car 18 – The Ford Escort driven by Sobieslaw Zazarda that came in 8th o/a.
• Car 32 – the Austin 1800 (SMO 227G) which came 11th and is the only car that finished both the London-Sydney 1968 and the WCR 1970.
• Car 45 – Ford Escort 1300GT crewed by Doug Harris and Michael Butler – it came both 1st and last – last car to finish but 1st in its class.
• Car 69 – a Ford Capri that did not finish but had also competed in the London-Sydney 1968.
• Car 70 – Austin Maxi driven by Prince Michael of Kent together with its teammate car number 20.
• Car 20 – Austin Maxi driven both cars failing to complete but still in original form.
• Car 83 – Hillman Hunter driven by Washington James, Alun Davies and Hywel Thomas – finished a creditable 15th o/a.
• Car 91 – the Austin 1800 called the Beauty Box driven by Jean Denton (Baroness Denton of Wakefield) Liz Crellin and Pat Wright which finished a very creditable 18th o/a.
• Car 12 – the Citroen DS21 driven by Patrick Vanson, Olivier Turcat & Alain Leprince – finished 7th overall and won the Private Entrant trophy – 22 hrs 3 mins after the Escort.
  

Marathon cars are also coming from other events such as the 1968 London -Sydney; 1974 World Cup Rally, 1974 London-Sydney and various other marathon events including the infamous Paris-Peking events and there will be displays by many car clubs with relevant historical rally cars.

The event is free, but there will be the usual fee for those wishing to visit the Museum (£14.50).

The 1970 World Cup Rally had 17 special stages (Primes) that were “the longest, fastest, highest and most demanding ever laid out”. Together with the multiple border crossings, done back then with relative ease, fuel available in barrels in outlandish areas to be hand pumped into the vast fuel tanks of hungry rally cars.

South America – over 15 days there were only 4 official nights’ rest – such long drive-times between a night’s much needed sleep that would be unthinkable in this modern era, and incredible average speeds set for all the open road sections. This truly was a never-to-be-repeated event.

The event was gruelling; with 4,600 miles in Europe and 11,500 miles in South America to be covered, the tight schedules demanded a high pace be maintained in order to make each timing point with the crews also requiring oxygen whilst travelling above 15,000ft in the Andes.

The five days in Europe contained as much competitive motoring as half a dozen normal international rallies. After the warming up section through France, Germany, Austria and Hungary to Sofia – the Bulgarian capital – the curtain rose with a high-speed section from Pec to Titograd. This stage, famous in the history of rallying’s Liege-Sofia-Liege, gave newcomers a taste of the rough and dusty trails of the Yugoslav interior. Another speed section further Westward brought the drivers across Northern Italy to the famous Monza racetrack for their first brief ‘rest’ of eight hours. Then on to the testing hills above San Remo for more snow-ravaged mountain tracks running against the relentless clock.

Seasoned competitors who had been over parts of it on reconnaissance runs agreed that they had never seen anything quite so long, tough and demanding before. Next – a 20-day route on to Mexico. The route from Rio to Sao Paulo is the only ‘easy section’ in South America. The two Primes in Brazil have an additional hazard – narrow wooden bridges. One example is 100 yds long with a 3-foot gap between the planks showing the fast-flowing river underneath.

The Primes can vary from 2 – 10 hours in length and up to 16,000 ft – never achieved before. The section in the Peruvian Andes is the most sensational timed stage in the world, much of it just wide enough for one car.

Picture if you can dirt track roads strewn with fist-size boulders winding high through the Andes mountains with treacherous drops of a thousand feet into the valley below. In some places the route went into the snow line – days later the drivers would find themselves in the tropical jungle in the hinterlands of Bolivia. Many of the tortuous ‘Prime’ sections consisted of roads that would cause the average family motorist to turn back. The rally drivers would average close to 50 miles an hour over these roads and tracks.

Out of 106 starters, only 23 reached the finish. Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm in the Ford Escort 1850 FEV 1H brilliantly won the event, with the British Leyland rally team of Brian Culcheth and Johnstone Sayer in the Triumph 2.5PI only 1 hrs 18 mins behind after 16,000+ miles – and the third placed Ford Escort of Rauno Aaltonen and Henry Liddon another 21 mins behind that!! In fact, 5 Ford Escort 1850s would finish in the top 8 – a tremendous achievement by the Ford team and this sparked the launch of the Ford Mexico later in November 1970.

Rosemary Smith, Alice Watson & Ginnette DeRoland finished 10th in the Works Maxi taking the Ladies prize, while the other Works Maxi finished 22nd. The Datsun 1600SSS of the Dutch team, Rob Jansson and Jacob Dik finished 21st o/a – nearly 2 days after the first car having had to virtually rebuild the car several times! To reach the finish was a massive achievement with the last car coming in only 56 hours after the first.

A quick reminder that next weekend will see the Barnstormer Weekend at Dunnington near York. A special event featuring 1950’s Dirt and Drag cars and bikes. I attended the sister event to this – Race the waves at Bridlington and thoroughly enjoyed it. The cars were amazing and the people fully immersed in the 1950’s. Sporting period clothes and hairstyles it is a great place for photographers looking for atmospheric pictures. So if you are free, slick back your hair, don your dungarees and take a run over to the Barnstormer Weekend.