A CLASSIC FAMILY GATHERING

Club heroes provided the highlights as the Classic Motor Show returned, with the best winning at C&SC's Club Awards

- CHARLIE CALDERWOOD

Nearly 70,000 visitors attended this year's Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, held at the NEC Birmingham from 11-13 November. Some 300 exhibitors interpreted the theme of 'Part of the Family' in myriad ways for the UK classic car scene's bumper annual indoor get-together.

The Railton Owners' Club displayed a family tree explaining how different marques and men interacted to develop these cars from Railton, via Essex to Brough Superior, while the Ford Y & C Model Register led a tribute to Henry Ford and his products, and how they have become the basis of British family motoring since the arrival of the Model Y 80 years ago. The BMW Historic Motor Club UK took a more personal approach, with a BMW 503 owned by John Surtees until his death in 2017.

Corporate families reunited on the TVR Car Club stand, which marked 50 years of the M Series with Mike Bigland, the model's designer, and former company owner Martin Lilley, who shared a drink beside the cars that bear their names - 'M' standing for both Martin and Mike (see Full throttle for more, p47). The club's display also celebrated 75 years of the TVR name with a line-up of models from throughout the marque's history, including a Griffith, Cerbera and Sagaris.

Meanwhile, the Austin Counties Car Club took the show theme literally with a whole family of A40s giving birth to a pair of J40 pedal cars - a display good enough to land a gong for Best Themed Club Stand in our Club Awards (see p15 to find out the winners).