Practical Classics

welcome to workshop

New for 2020, the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show will be breathing new life into an established format with our very own live arena. Called Practical Classics Classic World, it’s basically a magic roundabout with you – the audience – sitting on the island. Now, some people might find that idea a bit disconcerting, but we know that you won’t mind a bit. In fact, the idea of being circled buy V8s, V12s and sixes is positively exotic! We will also be running the show awards from the Classic World Live Arena for the first time. Why? Because the PC Resto Show is all about the car clubs and what they do. Giving them a big thank you, live on stage, seemed like the obvious thing to do. Yet more…

the month in 5 pics

The longest-lived engine currently used in a production car is no more. Bentley’s 1959 L-series V8 was also shared with Rolls-Royce. A decision to exempt historic vehicles from a proposed emissions ban in Brighton has yet to be made. Thousands of classics visit each year. Guest designers and engineers will gather at Thruxton to celebrate 50 years of the Range Rover. The event takes place on June 6-7. The Mini raced by Paddy Hopkirk was the first car to leave the start ramp at the Monte Carlo Historique Rally UK start in Glasgow city centre. Five decades of the innovative Citroën GS and Maserati-engined SM were marked with special displays at this year’s Retromobile in Paris.…

hot vauxhall show debut

Tussling for attention with its new Calibra, Vauxhall’s super saloon was unveiled at the 1989 Motorfair in Earl’s Court to a stunned public. While the svelte new coupe looked advanced, the headline-grabbing 377bhp Lotus Carlton was old school brutal in comparison. When production commenced in 1990, ‘Type 104’ had been given expertly subtle changes to an otherwise standard body. The big change was underneath, where Lotus had tweaked the chassis and overhauled GM’s straight six, uprating it to a capacity of 3615cc and adding two Garret T25 turbos. Topping off the drivetrain was a six-speed ’box from the Corvette ZR-1 and a rear limited slip-diff from a V8 Holden, enabling the Carlton to cope with its 419lb ft of torque. At a time when German car makers had been restricting…

starting handle

The car show as we know it is great fun and the PC Resto show is the best of the best (I would say that wouldn’t I?). But this year it is also groundbreaking, as this year it has the Practical Classics Classic World, with Discovery. Long title, simple and brilliant set-up. You basically sit in the middle of four zones: Work in Progress, Staff Car Sagas, Barn Finds Revisited, and the Classic World Stage (all you need to know about everything important). In short you are slap bang in the middle of as the very best the classic car world has to offer - including living driving classic cars – it just goes on all around you. It’s basically going to be the best circus you have ever been…

welcome to pc’s classic world

The creative teams behind the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show, with Discovery, have unveiled ‘Classic World’, an exciting new interactive arena. Classic World with Discovery will allow the audience to be completely immersed in the action by sitting, as they will, on an island in the middle of the most exciting roundabout in the world. It will resound to the thrum of dozens of classics, whether they be restored cars, PC staff cars or Sporting Bears super cars. The arena will include a live stage along with three key corners – ‘Work in Progress’ where you can see the ongoing works on Danny’s Pathfinder and Matt’s supercharged Minor. Staff Car Sagas – with James Walshe’s newly completed Citroen CX Turbo, Matt George’s (loud) TR6 and (we hope) editor Danny’s Interceptor.…

celebrate with us!

At the very last second we can announce that, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Practical Classics Magazine, we have managed to find and secure the three main feature cars from the cover of our very first issue. On the PC stand and together for the first time since 1980 will be our first ever restoration – the Pat Moss A40 ‘XOE’, the giveaway Frogeye Sprite and the Triumph TR3A that showed off its engine bay on the cover of issue number one. Book your tickets now to enjoy the early bird discount. necrestorationshow.com…