The show with the longest name on the calendar returns as the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show 2023 with Discovery kicks off our show season proper over the weekend of 24-26 March.
It might be Spring, here in the UK, but that certainly doesn’t mean we’re all ready to gather up the picnic hampers, stow the check cloth on the parcel shelf and venture over to a nearby village green for some nostalgia-filled outdoor fun. Far more sensible – especially considering the unseasonable bout of snowfall earlier in March – is to head over to the NEC for the ‘PC Resto Show’.
If you’re new to all this, that’s not the name of a gathering of secondhand circuit board lovers, but the colloquial term by which this popular and well-established classic car show is more commonly known. Fronted by the ever-popular Practical Classics magazine – run by Clarion Events – the ‘Resto Show’ has grown from an oily rag project car showcase to a genuinely unique event for all classic car fans, which nonetheless, stays true to its roots.
Honouring the late Tom Karen at Restoration Show 2023
Our partner clubs, magazines, specialists and motoring celebs all come together at the Resto Show to bring down at heel classics back to life. This year, the Practical Classics team – alongside the Reliant Owners’ Club and selected specialists – will honour the late Tom Karen by attempting to resurrect one of his finest designs, live on the Classic World stage. In between interviews with the likes of Mike Brewer and Fuzz Townshend, the boys and girls can be seen working on a barn find Reliant Scimitar SE6A, in an attempt to restore it to its former glory in just three days.
Many more club displays will echo the theme with marques as diverse as Allard and XR Fords being represented. Hands-on fixes and upgrades are all a part of the fun, as show goers wander the NEC’s enormous halls, pausing to chat with spanner wielders keen to reveal what makes working on your classic so rewarding.
Classic Car Auctions at Restoration Show 2023
If you want to take on a project car of your own then Classic Car Auctions has you covered with an eclectic and vast mix of old cars available to purchase during its two-day sale. There’s what’s thought to be one of reggae legend Bob Marley’s old Range Rovers, for the brave restorer to take on, plus a remarkably original 12k-mile Mini, that comes straight from 33-year garage storage.
Plenty more classics that require little more than a bit of polish and a vacuuming are also being offered, with some of our favourites including an easy project 1990 BMW M5, very tidy 1957 Austin-Healey 100/6 and a rare 1985 Toyota Corolla GT (AE86). If none of those take your fancy, we’re sure you’ll find something that does. With nearly 240 listings in its catalogue, the Saturday and Sunday sales are without doubt show highlights not to be missed.
Find out more
Though it sounds like a cliché, there really is far too much going on at the Resto Show to fit into these few lines – we haven’t even mentioned the vast array of traders and jumblers in attendance. The support from repair and restoration firms alongside tool makers and parts suppliers from across the UK and Europe really makes this a must-attend show. To find out more or to book your tickets, visit necrestorationshow.com.
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