Pride Of Ownership Finalists Revealed!

Brian Kent’s original 1956 Vauxhall Cresta, which is making its show debut, is the oldest car in the final, followed by the 1962 Ford Consul 375 Deluxe that’s been owned by Andy Murrell since 1994 – it was even his wedding car!

The 1970 Ford Escort 1300GT of young restorer Amy Hunter features some interesting upgrades, while James Tiverton has owned his 1982 Ford Fiesta XR2 twice. When it came up for auction at Mathewsons, he was determined to buy it whatever the cost. Another auction purchase was Ian Mills’ 1987 Ford Escort RS Turbo - a cracking hot hatchback that is now as good to drive as it looks.

Just as lovely is the 1981 Daimler Sovereign owned by Dave McGlynn and Andy Salter’s Triumph TR8. The latter is a rather special project that took 18 months to complete.

Fans of the Hillman Imp have plenty to admire with James Williams’s 1976 example. His first car back in 2007, it won the UK leg of the Hot Wheels competition and now features a BMW motorcycle engine.

We’re not quite finished with performance cars, though, and the 1991 VW Golf G60 Synchro owned by Harry Chodha is both rare and heavily modified - its supercharged engine produces an amazing 525bhp! Luke Greenwood’s immaculate 1991 Peugeot 205GTi is sure to draw a crowd as will Steve Bartlett’s bright yellow 1971 Porsche 911 that he restored himself.

Another desirable German classic is Tahmid Haque’s 1993 BMW 850CSi which is one of few right-hand drive cars and features an incredibly lavish specification. Rather simpler is the 1971 Volvo P1800 owned by Mark Farmer, a car that needed plenty of work to make it perfect.

The 1999 Toyota MR2 of Darren Letts has also received some major restoration work and looks stunning in a special colour with a body kit. Joshy Hodson’s 1966 Chevrolet C10 Pickup has also undergone quite a transformation.

The 1991 Nissan Primera of Chris James was already in superb condition and is somewhat rare today. As is Phillip Healey’s 1981 Saab 99 Turbo, a car he’s owned for more than ten years and one he restored himself. His first ever restoration, the time and effort he invested speaks for itself.

Anthony Evans’ gorgeous 1972 Jaguar E-Type was previously restored to concours condition and much enjoyed for road trips and shows. It’s a stunning example of this iconic sports car.

Once car bound to get voters talking is Michael Cohen’s completely unique 1975 MG Midget Jubilee has covered just 176 miles from new, is not driven and has never even got wet!

Our final car is a 1977 Leyland Mini purchased by twins Liam and Ryan Rippard when they were just ten years old as a restoration project to help them through some difficult health issues. Now 16-years old, the boys were taken to prom in their finished car and it looks amazing.

We’ve always had wonderful cars on the Pride of Ownership display, but this year’s selection really is special” says Andrew Evanson, Senior Operations Manager at Lancaster Insurance. “They are a credit to the owners and it’s easy to see why they are so proud of their cars. With such a varied selection of classics, it is going to be very tough to pick a winner. But for visitors to the show, there is going to be plenty to enjoy whichever type of classic they prefer.”

The winner of the Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership will be decided by the show visitors who will be invited to vote for their favourite. The winner will be announced by Mike Brewer on Sunday 12 November at 2pm with the top three receiving trophies and a year’s free insurance to the value of £300.