40 classics to star at old-timers' show

LONDON, England - A century of motoring will be celebrated in rousing style at the London Classic Car Show with a drivepast of 40 marvellous machines representing every decade from the 20^th Century, says show organisers.

The cars – road, track and rally stars – will be fired up and then driven along The Grand Avenue, the event’s centrepiece, to create a moving motoring montage "the like of which has never been seen at an indoor show before".

Give none of us is likely to be there, we have a gallery of images.

THE GRAND AVENUE

Event director Bas Bungish said: “Together, the 40 cars represent 100 years of motoring and would make a stunning display at a traditional classic car show. But the London Classic Car Show is different. Not only will these wonderful machines be there for all to see, but they will be brought to life and driven along The Grand Avenue.

“Cars were designed to be driven, after all, yet most motor shows are static affairs. The London Classic Car Show is anything but static."

The Grand Avenue will be at ExCeL in London’s Docklands from January 8-11 2015 and give visitors a chance to see and hear rare motoring icons in action. There'll be everything from a 1920s Bugatti Type 35B to a 1990s Bugatti EB110, a 1930s Jaguar SS1 to an ultra rare Jaguar XJ220 supercar, said Bungish.

CLASSIC STARS

There will be cars from the dawn of motoring, he added, – such as a 1902 Curved Dash Oldsmobile – to competition cars such as a GP 4 Lancia Stratos from the 1970's. Great marques include Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, Rolls-Royce and Bentley and iconic model names include Miura, E-type, 288 GTO, 959 and Ghost.

There’s also a quartet of genuine Formula 1 cars from the 1950's to the 1980's: the ex-Stirling Moss Maserati 250F, a BRM in which Jackie Stewart won Italian and Monaco GP's, James Hunt’s McLaren M23 and the JPS Lotus 87B raced by Elio de Angelis.

IMAGE GALLERY: Stars at London Classic Car Show 2015

According to the organisers, some of the cars have special history too. James Coburn’s 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California will be rubbing wings with a 1965 Aston Martin DB6 owned by Paul McCartney at the height of Beatlemania.

The glorious blue machine has been fastidiously restored by Aston Martin Works and includes the record player specified as an option by McCartney when he ordered the car 50 years ago.

For a full list of the show’s ‘Top 40’, please see the end of the article.

The London Classic Car Show is the latest creation from Brand Events, the company behind all-action car shows like Top Gear Live, and is full of innovative features. It promises to be unlike any classic car event yet staged, says the company.

Brand Events also says three show curators have created their own special displays with cars that mean the most to them. Legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey charts his motoring career not just with some of his winning F1 cars, but also with cars and bikes that hold a special place in his heart. These include his own Ford GT40, his Ducati 900SS and the scale model Grand Prix cars he built from kits as a schoolboy.

Top Gear’s James May will be revealing what he considers to be the 'most significant car of all time' while another curator, TV chef James Martin, will display his private collection of classics and will also be running the James Martin Classic Cafe.

The 60^thanniversary of the Citroen DS will be celebrated with many examples of ‘The Goddess’ – as well as a first look at the new DS brand – on show, and there will also be displays from leading classic dealers and specialists.

STARS OF THE GRAND AVENUE

1900s
1902 Curved Dash Oldsmobile
1904 Lagonda Tri-car

1910s
1912 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
1914 DFP First Production Bentley

1920s
1924 Bugatti Type 35B
1928 Bentley 4 1/2-litre

1930s
1931 Bentley 8-litre
1934 Jaguar SS1
1935 Morris 8 Military Wireless car
1937 Fiat Topolino

1940s
1947 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet
1948 Early Land Rover

1950s
1952 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500
1957 Jaguar C-type (ex- Juan Manuel Fangio)
1957 Lancia B24 Spyder
1957 Chevrolet Corvette

1960s
1961 Citroen ID19
1961 Ferrari GT250 (ex-James Coburn)
1962 Ford Cortina Saxon
1964 AC Cobra
1965 Aston Martin DB6 (ex-Paul McCartney)
1966 Jaguar E-type S1
1969 Lamborghini Miura

1970s

1970 Range Rover (pre-production)
1975 Vauxhall Firenza Droopsnoot
1975 Jensen Interceptor Convertible
1976 Lancia Stratos Gp 4

1980s
1983 Audi quattro
1985 Lancia Delta S4
1985 Ferrari 288 GTO
1987 Porsche 959 Turbo

1990s
1992 Jaguar XJ220
1993 Bugatti EB110
1991 Vauxhall Lotus Carlton

Motorsport icons
1954 Maserati 250F (ex-Stirling Moss)
1964 BRM P261 (ex-Jackie Stewart)
1976 McLaren M23 (ex-James Hunt)
1981 JPS Lotus 87 (ex-Elio de Angelis)