PRESS RELEASE
Issued on behalf of the Kent County Agricultural Society
July 2012
CLASSIC VEHICLE OWNERS MARK JUBILEE AT KENT COUNTY SHOW
Classic vehicle owners celebrate the best of British with a special Jubilee transport section at this year’s Kent County Show at the Kent Showground, Detling, near Maidstone, on July 13, 14 and 15.
The Jubilee transport section, held in the Kent Pavilion, features more than 20memorablevehiclesmanufacturedin the UK between 1952 and the present day.
The vehicles on show include models from the 1950s, such as the Morris Oxford, the Ford Consul, the Humber Hawk and the Austin A30; an Austin Mini and a Daimler from the 1960s; a Bentley T1 and a Vauxhall Firenza HP from the 1970s; coming right up to date with a Jaguar, an MG and a Ford Focus from 2012.
One of the oldest cars in the show demonstrates how, as Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne,Britain was obliged to face up to the economic realities of the post-war world. Sylvia Cartwright’s 1952 MG TD was manufactured specifically for the US market, as GIs serving in Britain had developed a taste for MGs during the war, and had more money to spend on sport and leisure than drivers in the UK. The sports car was shipped out to California in primer and painted to the taste of its proud owner, a dental surgeon who registered it with the customised number plate DR GUM.
The Jubilee display also features a 1961 Austin 101 light van and motorbikes from the 1950s and 1960s.
The Heritage vehicle display is a regular and popular part of the show, featuring steam engines, tractors, cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and model vehicles dating back as far as the Victorian era.
Among the vehicles on viewwill be an Aveling & Porter Convertible / Haulage steam engine from 1905, Austin R tractor from 1919 and a Leyland Lioness bus from 1929.
Lioness owner Peter Stanier from Luddesdowne has owned the unique vehicle since 1958. He explained: “I bought it with a friend in Jerseyfor £25. It then cost us £25 to ship it back to the mainland. It had been kept holed up in a tunnel during the German occupation.
The Lioness, all Leyland models were named after animals, with the bonneted ones named after the female of the species, does five miles to the gallon and is still capable of carrying 26 passengers.
“In 2006, we transported George Cross and Victoria Cross medal winners from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade and back,” said Mr Stanier. “We had to race the Queen back as we couldn’t be allowed to arrive after her.”
The earliest car will be an 1896 Bergmann Orient, though the range of models spans many years and includes such diverse makes as a 1904 Peugeot Babe, 1927 Model T Ford, 1952 Morris Oxford, 1964 Rolls Royce, and a 1980 Ford Escort Mk II.
The show will be attended by some of the county’s top clubs such as Maidstone Historic Vehicle Group, MG Car Club and Kent Classic and Sports Car Club.
Equally impressive is the range of motorcycles, with particularly fine examples from Honda, Kawasaki, Lambretta, Triumph, BSA, Gilera, Yamaha and Harley Davidson among those on show.
Furtherinformation is available at Access to the showground is easy as it’s positioned between the M2 and M20 motorways on the A249. There is plenty of free parking and a dedicated area for disabled motorists. A shuttle bus operates from Maidstone East railway station every half hour.
A new traffic management system, successfully implemented for the first time last year, allowed visitors to quickly and efficiently exit the showground.
ends
Notes to editors
The Kent Showground at Detling, near Maidstone, offers a range of events facilities for indoor (6,500 sq metres) and outdoor (200 acres) use, plus parking for 30,000 vehicles. It is run by the Kent County Agricultural Society which also organises the Kent County Show. For 2012, the show will be held on July 13, 14 and 15.
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