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Classic car catwalk comes to the capital

19th November 2014 Print
Jaguar C-type

Move over London Fashion Week, you’ve got a catwalk competitor. The models on parade at the London Classic Car Show are every bit as glamorous, every bit as desirable and every bit as fashionable.

But there are two big differences – these models have a great deal more muscle, and they are much, much noisier.

The centrepiece of the London Classic Car Show, to be held at the ExCeL exhibition centre in London’s docklands from 8-11 January, is The Grand Avenue.

It’s a brand new concept for a classic car show, a motorised catwalk along which dozens of the world’s greatest cars will be driven. It will turn the show from a static exhibition into a moving experience.

“The Grand Avenue is a real innovation as far as classic car shows are concerned,” said Bas Bungish from Brand Events, the company behind the London Classic Car Show.

“The show will be crammed with historically important and seldom seen cars which, by themselves, will ensure we can create a classic car show the capital deserves.

“But The Grand Avenue, which allows visitors to see – and hear – some of these cars in action, will take the show to another level.”

The Grand Avenue will be in use at regular intervals through the four days of the show. A total of 40 cars, four from each decade from the 20th century, have been handpicked to illustrate the story of the classic car. Each car will be driven along the runway twice a day.

“We are extremely excited by the many wonderful cars in our line-up,” said Event Director Bungish. “There will be iconic road cars and important competition cars, too… including some Grand Prix cars.

The 40 chosen range from a 1904 Lagonda Tricar to the ex-James Hunt McLaren M23 via a dramatic Lancia Stratos. Also lined up are the Maserati 250F that Stirling Moss used to win the 1956 Monaco GP, the ex-Elio de Angelis Lotus 87B and a Jaguar C-type, originally owned by five times World F1 Champion Juan Manuel Fangio.

The Grand Avenue will also give visitors the chance to enjoy the rare sight of a 1920 Jaguar SS1 in action alongside a 1924 Bugatti, while other significant cars include a 1948 Land Rover, one of the first ever made, and a pre-production Range Rover from the 1970s.

Visitors can also expect to see and hear such mouth-watering machinery as a Gullwing Mercedes, a 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa and a Lamborghini Muira S from the 1960s.

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

One of the show’s curators, Top Gear’s James May, will be revealing what he considers to be most significant car of all time while another curator, TV chef James Martin will not only be displaying his private collection of classics but will also be running the James Martin Classic Café offering up ‘good, simple, grub’ to visitors.

The 60th anniversary of the dramatic Citroën 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.

Tickets are now available from the show website – thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk – where early bird discounts reduce the on-the-door standard entry price from £25 to just £22.

Also available are family and group tickets, premium entry packages and access to the exclusive Preview Evening on the opening night, Thursday 8th January. Premium Tickets, which have limited availability, will give visitors access to the premium enclosure with a view of The Grand Avenue’s turning circle, a drink and complimentary cloakroom plus a free copy of Octane magazine and the official event handbook.

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Jaguar C-type