London Classic Car Show will celebrate the centenary of the Bugatti Brescia and 60 years of the E-type Jag
(Picture: London Classic Car Show )Traditional motor shows are thin on the ground this year but a new ‘tech’ angle has given the traditional London Classic Car Show an extra boost.
As well as celebrating key motoring milestones - the centenaries of the Bugatti Brescia and pioneering Lancia Lambda, and 60 years of the famous E-type Jaguar - the show is also investigating what happens when the internal combustion engine is finally phased out.
British engineering firm Electogenic – motto ‘100% electric’ – will be showing off a range of classic cars that it has transformed to run on clean, green electric power, on behalf of their owners. Examples on show will include a Jaguar E-type, a Karmann Ghia, a Land Rover Series II, a dashing Citroen DS and a Porsche 356.
To take the theme further, the electrification of classic cars – anathema to some enthusiasts, a welcome and workable solution to others – will also be up for debate at the show’s lively ‘Talks Theatre’.
Richard Hammond
Hosted by former Top Gear presenter Tiff Needell, the socially distanced Talks Theatre will host a series of ground-breaking interviews. Key figures appearing on-stage will include design guru Frank Stephenson – responsible for ‘reborn’ Minis and Fiat 500s as well as recent Ferrari and McLaren supercars - and TV presenter Richard Hammond.
Stephenson will be discussing his project to design remote-controlled cars that can - he claims - be raced on the surface of the moon, after being launched from Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9. Hammond, meanwhile, will be discussing his own, more down-to-earth proposition; the launch of his ‘The Smallest Cog’ classic car restoration business.
“The elephant in the park will be the uncertain future of the thriving classic car scene in the gathering gloom of traditional internal combustion engines being faded out,” says show spokesman Jonathan Gill.
Emissions
“Recent research by the Historic Classic and Vehicle Association (HCVA) reveals that the average classic car produces under half the carbon dioxide emissions generated by a mobile phone or lap top computer.
“Even so, public opinion and policymakers seem to have petrol-powered cars in their crosshairs and such sentiment has created a new wave of businesses set up to retro-fit iconic classic cars with electric engines. Some see this as a saviour for the sector, others as total sacrilege… and this increasingly topical debate is certain to be heated in the Talks Theatre.”
Hammond, known for his love of cars and motorcycles, is surprisingly diplomatic on the divisive subject of retro EVs: “It would be an absolute crime in some instances but, quite frankly, the best solution in others,” he says. “I believe in being very, very choosy about it. I currently seem to own many cars with beautiful straight six engines, and that’s the point of those cars.
Criminal
“In some cases the car is little more than a device to carry the engine around. Look at my Mustang 390 GT – the car is a support mechanism to transport the V8 from place to place. It would be criminal to remove that engine. However there are lots of other vehicles that would be simply ideal for such conversions.”
For 2021, says Gill, the event was originally planned to be indoors at Olympia in February, but it has moved to a new outdoor venue within Syon Park. “With hindsight it was an inspired decision which means that the show, from June 25-27, will go ahead as planned despite the recently announced delay in the full lifting of lockdown restrictions,” adds Gill.
Other highlights include large displays showcasing 135 years of motoring history under the show’s ‘The Evolution of Design’ central theme, with special displays taking visitors on a captivating trip down memory lane.
Whether you want to join the debate or simply savour hundreds of wonderful automotive icons from yesteryear, admission to The London Classic Car Show is £25 in advance. Any remaining tickets will be available on the gate at Syon Park for £30. Full details are available from: theclassiccarshowuk.com
