California Dreamboat

Stuart Holmes may be familiar to many as the face of the famous American car show Stars & Stripes, which usually takes place in July at Tatton Park in Cheshire. But he’s also got an eye for some very tasty morsels when it comes to American classics, like this ’68 Pontiac Catalina…

- Jon Cass

For 63-year-old Stuart Holmes, his fascination for unusual American cars began back in his childhood. “I built up a huge collection of toy cars made by Corgi, Dinky, Matchbox and Spot On,” he recalls. “All these once-famous manufacturers made scaled-down American cars that to me looked just like their full-sized cousins.” The radical US styling and attention to detail also caught Stuart’s eye and he still keeps his prized collection in a safe place to this day.

As we grow up, the idea of owning not just a scaled-down model, but the real thing, can sometimes become a reality. For Stuart, that goal was achieved when he found himself in a position to buy a ’72 Mustang convertible. “It was a beautiful car and I really enjoyed driving it,” Stuart remembers.

“Unfortunately, my wife isn’t a fan of wind-in-the-hair motoring so I began looking for a more suitable car we could both enjoy.”

Stuart and his wife managed to enter a string of shows with their Mustang; among them was Tatton Park’s June 2017 Classic Car Show. “I spotted this ’68 Pontiac Catalina on that day,” Stuart remembers. “I had a good look around the car, but never got to meet the owner. I wasn’t surprised when it won the Best American Car Award later that day.”