The Gawsworth Hall classic car show is one of the more underrated events on the calendar, but it certainly never ceases to delight.
From a powerful Broadspeed-tuned Jaguar XJC, to the obligatory selection of Minis, MG Bs and Ford Escorts, this year’s show was a symphony of power, noise and beauty.
Here’s a round-up of my favourite cars of the day.
Ferrari 550 Maranello
The Ferrari 550 Maranello is one of the prancing horse’s greatest hits.
A 5.5L V12 engine sits up front, drive goes to the rear, and a gated manual gearbox means you feel fully connected to the road beneath.
The styling remains absolutely timeless, especially when compared to the blocky designs of today’s range.
That said, the 0-60mph time of 4.4 seconds and top speed of 199mph will still put many modern sports cars to shame.
Mazda RX-7
Mazda rarely play by the rulebook, and the RX-7 sports car was no exception.
It used their quirky Wankel rotary engine, which had unusual triangular rotors instead of ordinary pistons.
Despite high emissions and lower efficiency, the rotary engine proved smoother and lighter, perfect for a car like the RX-7.
Later cars became famous thanks to games like Gran Turismo, but the 1978 original remains an elegant yet individual rival to Mercedes or BMW.
Gilbern Invader
You might think you know cars, but even the most knowledgeable may have a hard time with this one.
Its a Gilbern Invader. The Invader is one of the only cars ever produced by a Welsh company.
It used a tried and tested Ford Essex V6 engine, wrapped up in a featherweight fibreglass bodyshell.
Only 603 were made during the four year production run, before Gilbern went bankrupt.
Jaguar XJC
British luxury cars of the sixties and seventies often had an air of gentleman’s club about them, full of soft leather and polished wood.
This Jaguar XJC is no exception. Lashings of chrome dominate the exterior, as do the four imposing headlamps.
Eagle-eyed Jag connoisseurs will note that this particular XJC has a little something more, courtesy of renowned tuners Broadspeed.
They gave it the massive flared arches, deep front spoiler and lightweight alloys seen here.
A Broadspeed XJC also starred in the TV series ‘The New Avengers,’ driven by the character John Steed.
Chevrolet Corvette Anniversary
America’s first, and perhaps greatest ever supercar is the Chevrolet Corvette. Lightweight fibreglass construction mated to a huge V8 engine meant straight-line speed was never a problem.
The C5 generation, produced between 1997 and 2004 is, to my eyes, one of the prettiest.
This is a special 50th Anniversary ‘ruby’ Corvette, which meant glorious wine red paintwork, pale coloured leather and a matching fabric roof.
Along with the Lotus Esprit, the C5 Corvette was the last production car fitted with pop-up headlamps.
TVR Tuscan
Remember everything I said about British luxury cars and gentleman’s clubs, TVR has always been the complete opposite of that.
Refinement? Absolutely not! Comfort? Forget it! Understated elegance? None of that here!
The Tuscan is a perfect example of this philosophy. A mad body full of holes and a 4.0 straight-six louder than artillery fire, garnished with a wild pearlescent paint colour and doors that are impossible to open.
It is also a car not for the feint of heart, with no traction control, anti-lock brakes or airbags.
Mercedes CL55 AMG
Cars often say a lot about where they are from, and the Mercedes CL55 speaks volumes about its native Germany.
Understated, efficient, massively over-engineered and unexpectedly powerful.
Under the bonnet sat a 5.4 litre supercharged V8, pushing out nearly 500bhp (in 2004) and capable of propelling the CL to an unrestricted top speed of 186mph.
Bear in mind, the £10,000 more expensive Ferrari 360 Modena could only manage 183mph.
If this collection of my favourite finds has wet your appetite for more, Gawsworth Hall hosts two car shows during the month of May, both held on bank holidays.
Next year’s events are the 3 and 31 May. You can book tickets by phoning or simply pay on entry. More details are on the website.
If you enjoyed this post, consider reading my celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Vauxhall Chevette, or for another car show worth attending my NEC Classic Motor Show feature is an ideal read.
