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2016 London Classic Car Show announced

21 April, 2015

 

The first London Classic Car Show took place in January of 2015, and, following praise from visitors and exhibitors, will be returning for 2016. Many exhibitors at the inaugural show have already rebooked for the next event, and will be joined by a host of new exhibitors, including classic car dealers and specialists.

Marques such as Aston Martin, Citroen, and Maserati, as well as industry specialists like Nicholas Mee, Jim Stokes Workshops, and Classic Motor Cars are amongst the many names to have rebooked for 2016.

To accommodate the significantly increased scale of the next event, the show is to be 50-per-cent bigger. The increase in size will allow for an even larger rendering of one of the show’s standout features — The Grand Avenue. Running through the centre of the show, The Grand Avenue provides a runway for some of history’s most iconic cars to parade.

The Grand Avenue’s variety is second to none, with the inaugural show hosting everything from 100-year-old veterans and ’60s supercars, to Grand Prix racers, most notable of which was Ayrton Senna’s Lotus 97T. So, not only is The Grand Avenue to be extended for 2016, but it will also host many more live performances.

Event director Bas Bungish says, “Our aim with the London Classic Car Show was to create a show that really raises the bar. We did that … motor shows will never be the same again.”

Keep an eye out for more news on the London Classic Car Show 2016.

Coaching from the bench: Casting plastic knobs and rubber parts

16 July, 2026

Casting rubber items is simple if you have a good original to work with. The item doesn’t have to be perfect. You can use plasticine to smooth out cracks, and you can even make whole prototypes out of low-fire modelling clay available from craft stores if you need to. Prototypes can also be made of wood or metal.
You will need mould dams to contain the liquid urethane moulding solution until it cures. You can build boxes out of strips of wood, but I have found that small plastic boxes and bowls such as those you would use for leftovers in your fridge work well if you spray them with a mould release agent.
Temperature is important to the chemical processes involved, so work in an area that can be maintained at around 20 degrees. You will also need adequate ventilation because the fumes can be dangerous to breathe. And you will want to wear latex gloves to protect your hands.

Fraser Cars – low flying into the fourth decade

10 July, 2026

With almost three and a half decades under its belt, Fraser Cars is one of New Zealand’s longest-surviving car manufacturers. The company first opened its doors for business in 1988, during the boom time for kit manufacturers. During the ’80s, around 40 different companies were building kits and turnkey cars for this niche market. Of those, only Fraser and Almac Cars (established 1981) are still in business today.
Most of the new kit car companies were killed off in the cradle by the threat of new legislation that never eventuated and definitively by the sudden availability of high-performance Japanese cars when the floodgates to second-hand imports were opened. The now long-retired founder of the company, Neil Fraser, first came across Lotus Seven replicas while racing Lotus Cortinas in the early ’80s. He regularly found himself racing against a little Caterham, a Lotus Seven–styled car built in England. He was very impressed by its simplicity and handling. In 1986 Fraser built his own Lotus Seven–type car, using the knowledge he had gained from several close looks at the Caterham.