Reis Pride of the Paddock Finalists Revealed
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The oldest car making the final is Andy Lowe’s 1930 Austin 7 Supercharged, purchased in 1978 for just £25! The subject of an extensive rebuild, it also features numerous engine upgrades and has been used regularly on rallies, holidays and work commutes. Andy says: “It’s been 46 years of fun.”
The ‘50s are represented by a stunning pair of Jaguar XK120s, owned by Ian Beattie and James Bott, and a 1953 Lanchester 14 owned by Guy Loveridge, with both currently taking part in the 2024 Monte Carlo Rallye Historique.
A whopping seven finalists made the ‘60s swing. John Morgan’s original 1960 Ford Anglia competes in the Midland and Welsh Hillclimb Championship, while Henry Hardiment’s 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S enjoyed a long and successful competition history including impressive results on the RAC Rally.
Saved by the MG Car Club, our next finalist is a 1968 MGB that was built for the London to Sydney Marathon, brought to the show by Michael Barclay. Fellow MG owner Peter Mallett’s 1965 MGB Roadster was a rusty shell when purchased but now races at Spa, Silverstone and Brands Hatch.
The remaining trio from the 60s are Keith Smart’s 1969 Ford Escort RS2000, which competed in the London to Mexico Rally and the 1974 World Cup, previous winner Jim Angliss’ 1963 Ford Anglia 105E fresh from restoration, and Derek Drinkwater’s 1961 Chevrolet Impala, an FIA approved recreation of the car Dan Guerney drove at Silverstone.
James Williams’ modified 1976 Hillman Imp and Tony Shields’ multi-class winning 1970 Ford Escort will be displayed alongside John Shuffe’s speedy 1981 Group A Talbot Sunbeam 1600 and Simon Gale’s imported 1989 Lancia Delta Integrale 16v.
There are two more blue ovals representing the 1990s as Mark McClelland’s stunning 1993 Escort RS Cosworth, driven by the likes of François Delecour and Petter Solberg, lines up alongside Nigel Hepburn’s 1995 Escort RS2000, used by Gwyndaf Evans on the Manx Rally.
Stuart Kuy’s 1996 Volvo 850 T5 features period graphics and uprated brakes and suspension following its 11 month restoration, while Laurie Hatchard’s 1997 Dax Rush Quadra 5.0-litre Special is believed to be the factory prototype V8 car.
The youngest car in the final is Dale Masterman’s 2007 Jaguar S-Type R, which he transformed into a motorsport-inspired custom build with the V8 engine now offering 500bhp, uprated suspension brakes and roll cage.
Mark Taylor, Head of Motorsports at Reis, commented: “We are excited to see the most diverse range of vehicles in the history of Race Retro’s Pride of the Paddock, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event. This will be a centrepiece of attention at Race Retro, and we’re proud to support this event once again.”
The winner and two runners up, as voted by the visitors to the show, will be announced in Hall 3 on Sunday 25th Feb at 2.45pm.
Tickets are now on sale for Reis Race Retro, held from 23-25 February 2024 at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, with free parking for all visitors. For the latest updates and ticket information, visit www.raceretro.com.
