VISITOR NUMBERS UP BY 20 PERCENT TOALMOST 25,000
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Stoneleigh Park welcomed almost 25,000 visitors to Race Retro, the International Historic Motorsport Show, on 23-25 March - 20 percent up on last year's attendance. "We're delighted with this evidence of the show's growing popularity, particularly in the current tough market," said Event Director Ian Williamson.
Exhibitors were similarly pleased with the outcome.Proteus Cars sold four of its superb, all-aluminium Jaguar C-type re-creations at the show: two to UK customers, one to America and one to Austria."The show gets bigger and better every year," said Matt Beverley, Chairman of Proteus Cars Ltd. "It's a great international event, with visitors of all nationalities."
Chevron Cars sold the first two production road cars ever made by the company, the stunning Chevron B1 Mk2; Westfield Cars is following up some 100 sales leads gathered at the show. "Over the three days of Race Retro, we assembled a Westfield XI on our stand," says Managing Director of Westfield Sportscars, Julian Turner."We had several visitors on day one who came back again on days two and three, specifically to see how the build progressed."
Not only manufacturers enjoyed a successful event. "The place was humming with interest,"said Sarah Hutchison, Chairman of the Classic Sports Car Club, and her view was repeated by exhibitors across the show. Friday and Saturday proved particularly busy, with both trade and public flocking in to see the many highlights.Among these were. . .
:: MOTORCYCLESA breathtaking display on the TT Centenary stand, including a superb number of ex-works bikes, often accompanied by the heroes who rode them (such as Jim Redman and the Honda RC164-103 four-cylinder 250, on which he won the 1964 Lightweight TT); the recreation of the Ace Cafe, which served food and drink all through the weekend; the Pre-'65 Motorcycle Trial on Saturday and Sunday in the indoor arena, with its rocks, logs and water. A final highlight was the reunion of British team riders with the original works bikes which represented Great Britain in the International Six Day Trial - the 'Olympics' of motorcycling.
:: RALLYING & RALLYCROSSThe 1953 and 1954 Alpine Rally cars displayed by the Sunbeam Talbot Alpine Register, with Stirling Moss's MKV21 in pride of place; on the British Rallycross Drivers Association stand was the Porsche 911 in which Vic Elford won the very first rallycross 40 years ago (in 1967). Elford himself was at the show, signing copies of his new book.Outdoors, such legends of the sport as Michele Mouton, Stig Blomqvist, Bjorn Waldegard, Russell Brookes and Pentti Airikkala thrilled the crowds, driving Group B rally cars on the specially-created asphalt stage.
:: RACINGRace organisers came along in force: The Masters Racing Series, Motor Racing Legends, the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association, the Historic Sports Car Club, Under 2-Litre Touring Cars and many more, displaying rare and valuable machinery on their stands. Exhibits included the 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial on the Motor Racing Legends stand, loaned by Gregor Fisken; and a fabulous pair of Ferraris on the Masters Series stand - a 1970 Formula 1 Ferrari 312B and a 1972 World Sportscar Ferrari 312PB, both with 3-litre, 12-cylinder engines and both ex-Jacky Ickx cars.
:: CELEBRITIESPentti Airikkala, Richard Attwood, Derek Bell, Gordon Blakeway, Stig Blomqvist, Johnny Brittain, Russell Brookes, Willy Cave, John 'Moon Eyes'Cooper, Andrew Cowan, Vic Elford, Tony Fall, John Giles, Mick Grant, Paddy Hopkirk, Gordon Jackson, Tony Mason, Sammy Miller, Chas Mortimer, Michele Mouton, Frank Perris, Phil Read, Jim Redman, Jack Sears, Colin Seeley, Rosemary Smith, Stuart Turner, Bjorn Waldegard, Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams, Charlie Williams, Mike Wood - these were just some of the famous names seen at the show this year.
:: THE INDUSTRYThe Welsh Assembly (the regional government) showed great initiative in "bringing Wales to Race Retro", with a spread of Welsh engineering and rallysport companies, relatively small businesses who benefited from being part of a larger group at the show. The Motorsport Academy's classic and historic training initiative got off to a great start, with around 20 colleges bringing students from across the UK to see the whole industry under one roof.
"Our 440 exhibitors rose to the occasion,"concluded Event Director Williamson, "with unprecedented standards of presentation and outstanding exhibits. We were thrilled to see so many enthusiastic visitors and we're already looking forward to next year's show."
Race Retro, the 4th International Historic Motorsport Show, combined live action events with 440 stands, covering 70 years of historic motorsport on both two wheels and four; on road, off road and on track. The organisers would like to thank the show's sponsors: Bonhams; Proteus Cars; Hagerty (insurance sponsor); The History Channel; "Octane" magazine (Awards Dinner sponsor); Millers Oils; and Footman James (motorcycle sponsor).
