Rain Stops Play
Having just dried off from Billing, the Classic American bandwagon headed down to Stratford-upon-Avon for the AACUK’s Summer Nationals. Was it raining? What do you think!
Could it be the wettest June on Record? It certainly feels like it… some hardy individuals won’t let a little wet dampen their spirits and despite looking like it was almost going to be called off at the beginning of the week due to flooding, the AACUK’s Summer Nationals went ahead at Stratford-upon-Avon.
Typically, despite better weather, Saturday is usually the quieter day. Sunday saw grizzly, drizzly conditions which put a lot of punters off, but a good a number of cars and traders made the best of it and indeed later on it did brighten up and the sun even made a brief appearance. It must heart-breaking for organisers as the same amount of effort goes into organising a show where it rains as one where the sun comes out and so do lots of cars.
Causing quite a stir was Paul Breese’s custom ’71 Caprice Classic; on such a dull day it was nice to see such an eye-popping coloured car. Paul has had the interior re-upholstered in the original fabric, and despite fitting aftermarket low-profile wheels, he’s retained the originals so it can be returned to stock if wanted. In the back is a killer bass system and a useable amount of trunk space too.
Wayne Harvey of Interstate Imports made it along with is ’97 Chevrolet 3500 ambulance which ferries all his gear to and from shows. If you’re after real American license plates, he knocks them out for a fiver each, or £160 for a full set (www.interstateimports.com or 01509 217 917). Local resident Jeff Careless brought along his ’89 Caprice Classic wagon which had just had a respray and was up for sale for offers over £5000. Other rarities included Richard Gane’s turbo-charged 1965 Covair Corsa and Andrew Burford’s 1959 Ford Skyliner.
****CoTY Winner*****
It could be argued that picking a Car of the Year heat winner should be easier in the rain as there are generally fewer cars to choose from – however there were some very nice examples on show at this event. Nevertheless, it was Mel Atkinson’s stunning 1970 Cadillac Coupe De Ville which won the award on this occasion.
Recently re-sprayed in an oh-so-subtle pale gold, the car features a remarkably original and unmolested interior. Originally from Hickory, North Carolina, this Cadillac was a one-owner car and features climate control, power windows and seats and a whisper-quiet 472cu.in. V8 (naturally!).
Apparently Harry Tune, CEO of the AACI, imported the car into the UK originally and Mel has looked after it for the last 11 years. Mel, who is a machine tool engineer from Worcester, was a founding member of the AACUK back in 1981 at the Crest Motel off the M6 near Birmingham… Well done Mel!
