WINNER - Colin Shepherd's 1960 Buick Invicta

Heat four of this year’s Kingstown Shipping Car of the Year competition took us to the beautiful grounds of Stonor Park on the edge of the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire, where the All American Auto Club were hosting their annual jamboree, the Rally of the Giants, one the UK’s oldest and best established American car shows. This is the second year this event was held at Stonor and it was blessed with sunny, hot weather.

Being probably some of the first summer weather this year, meant an impressive turn out of cars and a show that lasted well into the afternoon. Colin Shepherd is the lucky owner of this beautiful 1960 Buick Invicta, which took the Kingstown Shipping Car of the Year award for the fourth and penultimate heat. Colin is the second owner and acquired the car in 2017, from the previous owner’s widow, but it took five more years of fettling by Colin until he returned the car to the road in 2022. The first owner acquire the car in either 1961 or 1964 from Lendrum and Hartmann, the UK’s sole GM concessionaire at the time and it was used by the couple to visit family in Milan, Italy most summers during the Sixties.

That unusual off-white cream colour is called Casino Cream and the car is as well spec’d as one would expect on Buick of this era to be. Power comes from a 401 ‘Nailhead’ motor, hooked up to a Dynaflow automatic transmission. Colin says that Lendrum’s always ordered their cars with extras such as six-way power seats, power-windows and antennae. There’s even a foot-operated switch for the signal-seeking radio. Apparently, Lendrums also always ordered their cars with clear glass, which is understandable for rainy, gloomy Britain! Since he’s had the car, Colin has had the front seat reupholstered, a new carpet fitted, and a new convertible top added in the original Peppermint Green colour.