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New Worcestershire classic car event inviting entries

Classic car fans have been encouraged to participate in a unique rally in Worcestershire next month.

The new event is open to a wide range of historic vehicles, such as tractors, motorbikes, bicycles and cars, while customised modern cars are also being welcomed.

Entrants will convene at Offenham''s recreation ground in Evesham Vale before 11:00 BST on June 12th before embarking on the rally, the Tewkesbury Admag reports.

Organiser Phil Gillman, who is a committee member at Offenham British Legion, explained that the day will help to promote the activities of the club.

"As with a lot of these clubs, Offenham''s is very much under used and we just want to show people what great facilities we have to offer," he told the news provider.

"This is the first one we have run and hopefully it will go on to become an annual event."

Meanwhile, this weekend''s Vintage Sports Car Festival at Oulton Park will feature a number of classic cars competing against each other, the Liverpool Echo reports.

Classic car rally generates £40,000 for charity

A group of classic cars embarked on a rally through Wiltshire last weekend in order to raise money for two good causes.

About 20 vintage vehicles set off from Wilton House on Saturday (May 15th), following a "meandering route" towards the Gurston Down hill climb, the Salisbury Journal reports.

The cars were then parked at Lainston House near Winchester to allow the drivers to refuel with a picnic lunch, before moving on to take part in a static display in Newbury.

Highclere Castle was the next port of call for the rally, where participants - including the Earl of Pembroke in a Datsun 240Z - enjoyed a hog roast to round off the day.

The event generated about £40,000, which is being donated to Naomi House Children''s Hospice and the Newbury Spring Festival.

"It was a great event," Naomi House spokesman Sam Scott told the news provider.

"I think it was great to be doing something that combines people''s hobbies and passions with raising money for a really good cause."

A unique new toy car version of the Datsun 240Z, made entirely from platinum, was showcased at a jewellery store in Japan earlier this week.

Greenspan's Classic Car Show

Classic Car Auction This Weekend

Novi (WWJ)  -- Looking for a classic car?  The Classic Car Auction of Michigan is taking place at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi this weekend.  is the place to be if you're looking for a deal or to buy that 'car of your dreams.'

Organizers say a rare, numbers-matching 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe 427 and a highly original 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible, are among the vehicles to be auctioned off.
"This year's event line-up will again showcase a great range of automotive history, much of which can be traced back to its origins here in the Midwest," said Ken Wallace, Car Specialist, RM Auctions.   
The auction will involve more than 300 cars, many offered without reserve, and an assortment of automobilia. 

Other vehicles up for auction include a 1941 Ford Super Deluxe Convertible powered by a 90-horsepower V8 engine, a 1963 AMC Rambler Coupe, previously owned by former Michigan Governor, George Romney, the first production 1983 Renault Alliance four-door sedan - the 1983 Motor Trend Car of the Year, with 22 original miles and a 2003 Dodge Neon SRT4 with 215 horsepower and 245 lb.-ft of torque - and the little brother to the Dodge Viper SRT10.
   
Doors open at 9am on Saturday and Sunday, with the auction getting underway at 10:30am each day. Admission is $10 for one-day entry or $15 for a weekend pass.   

Classic Car Profiles

"Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it," warned philosopher George Santayana. Ford, are you listening? Ford Motor Company decided it needed another car line to compete against General Motors and in the spring of 1957, they began what was thought to be a highly successful ad campaign, "The Edsel is Coming”. But nobody could see this mystery car, just a glimpse of a hood ornament. Anyone involved with the Edsel was sworn to secrecy not to leak a word about what was being claimed to be a radically new and innovative motor car. Dealers were required to store the Edsel undercover and would be fined or lose their franchise if they showed the cars before the release date. All the hype brought a curious public in record numbers to see its unveiling on “E-day” September 4, 1957. And then they left without buying. Car buyers didn’t purchase the Edsel because it was a bad car, it was just that it didn’t live up to the expectations that the company created in the prior months. This was their first failure. The Edsel actually had some great innovations for its time such as a "rolling dome" speedometer and its “Teletouch” transmission shifting system in the center of the steering wheel. Other design innovations included ergonomically designed controls for the driver and self-adjusting brakes. In addition to the car not living up to the marketing hype, the United States was in a recession and Edsel offered its most expensive models first while other car makers were discounting last years models. This was their second failure. And for those who did buy an Edsel found that the car was plagued with shoddy workmanship. Many of the vehicles that showed up at the dealer showroom had notes attached to the steering wheel listing the parts not installed. Ford launched the Edsel as a brand-new division, but they didn’t give the car line its own manufacturing facility. Edsel relied on Ford to produce their cars and Ford workers resented assembling "someone else's" vehicle and took little pride in their work. Not having a dedicated work force to build their cars was Edsel’s third and biggest failure. The Edsel’s quality control issues were compounded by Ford’s mechanics and their unfamiliarity with the car’s state-of-the-art technology. The biggest problem was its automatic “Tele-touch” transmission, whereby the driver selected the gears by pushing buttons on the center of the steering wheel. It was a complicated system that the mechanics didn’t know how to fix – failure number four. With Ford wanting Edsel to be a separate division, they made sure there was nothing that tied this car line to Ford. The word Ford couldn’t be found anywhere on the car. That was failure number five because without an established customer base, like Ford, it’s no surprise Edsel sold only 64,000 units in its first year. One thing that comes to our mind about what might have been the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’s back” is the car’s name. Yes, it was named after the first child of Ford’s founder Henry and his wife Clara, Edsel Bryant, but it’s just not a name that rolls off the tongue easily. Frankly we love the look of the Edsel and feel that in a different economy, with a good support system, and an honest marketing plan, the Edsel would still be with us today rather than only lasting three years in production. So we will say again, Ford, GM and Chrysler "those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it.”