Classic car shows can get a bit formulaic if all that gets shown are the most obvious, famous and expensive models. So it was a genuine treat to see Kustom cars mix it with the usual array of Jags, Beemers and Lambos at the 2021 London Classic Car Show, held out in the open this year in Syon Park, Brentford – to be COVID-compliant – while indoor venues remain unsuitable. From Friday 25th to Sunday 27th June, many cars shone in the sunshine (and some rain) but none brighter than the “Tetanus” Kustom car by UK designer and builder Andy Saunders. Using a few salvageable parts of a decrepit but ultra-rare, right-hand drive Cord 812 body from the 1930s as his starting point, Saunders has created a killer Kustom coupé replete with low-rider rims and resplendent red cabin. See more of his work at https://www.andysaunders.net/
Chevy 3100 pick-up lets showgoers see under its bonnet
Another cracker from the US side of things at the London Classic Car Show was a 1953 vintage, two-tone Chevrolet 3100 pickup with a chrome grille that could outdo rapper Lil’ Wayne at his grill-iest and an engine under the bonnet that was just as shiny and on full view for showgoers to gawp and appreciate.
90s Italian classic car royalty courtesy of Alfa and Lancia
Classic car shows need to have crowd-pleasing classic production cars in attendance too and within the “1980s and 1990s Brutalism” exhibit were two Italian models that truly fitted the bill. Above left is the mighty 1990 Alfa Romeo SZ – a design directed by Frenchman Robert Opron (RIP), also behind the superb Citroen SM 20 years earlier – and to its right, the 1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo 1, a rally legend homologation special that definitely lives up to its ‘High Fidelity’ tag.
Jaguar leads car club charge with E-Type celebration
Another staple of many classic car shows are representations from car clubs and the London Classic Car show featured more than 40, from Lancia and Maserati to Bristol and Jaguar. Within the latter display, the dozen or so E-Types of different generations, body styles and colours glinting under a sunny Syon Park sky was a sight to behold as the quintessentially 1960s British sports car celebrated its 60th birthday. And just outside the show’s entrance – see final picture below – was one of the rarest examples of them all, a ‘low drag’ racing Jaguar E-Type, proving that the London Classic Car Show can do exclusive as well as inclusive.
Bond… Bond Bug
Definitely not part of any James Bond-themed display was this Bond Bug on the Waterloo Classics Car Club stand. Created by industrial design legend Tom Karen – also behind the iconic Raleigh Chopper 70s kids bicycle – this three-wheeler is like a ‘designer version’ of the better-known Reliant Regal van made famous by Del Boy in the 1980s hit TV comedy show “Only Fools and Horses”. Fewer than 2300Bond Bugs were manufactured – by the same Reliant brand who bought out Bond Cars in 1969 – but this original version is rarer still, as it’s just been converted to run on electric power, as the altered bonnet graphic with ‘EV’ added, perfectly denotes. Find out more about the inclusive, multi-marque car club here https://waterlooclassics.com/
Keyword: Kustom meets classic in a London field