Bishamptons Summer Fete will feature adazzling array of around eight four-wheeled beauties this year to make any carenthusiast drool. Ranging from the late 1920s rightthrough to the 21st century, the cars all have different claims tofame, all with some fascinating automobile history.
Pride of place must go to a dazzlingemerald green Jaguar XK8, the villain Zaoscar in the James Bond film, Die Another Day (2002), courtesy of the JaguarDaimler Trust. In the film the vehicle proved more than a match for Bond'sgadget-loaded car, heavily modified as it was with a Gatling gun mountedcentrally behind the seats, a rear mortar launcher in the boot and missilelaunchers concealed behind the front grilles and door panels.
In terms of classics from earlier years,there are also some real winners.
For those with a taste for speed ondisplay will be a 1935 4.5 litre Lagonda sports car polished to perfection andoriginally built by a company founded in Staines by American and former operasinger Wilbur Gunn who hailed from Lagonda in Ohio. Gunn originally builtmotorcycles and then moved into car manufacture his company was eventuallybought by David Brown Tractors.
Also on show will be one ofthe earliest ever MG sportscars in the immaculate 18/80 from 1928.
Jaguar fans too will be thrilled with aunique 1953 Jaguar C-Type - a racing sports car sold from 1951 to 1953, the"C" standing for "competition". The car on display isextremely rare as most surviving C types have been restored to showroomcondition whereas the one on show, owned by the same family for the last 35 years, carries the scars of its 66 yearhistory with pride. Jaguar first won Le Mans in 1951 with Peter Walker andPeter Whitehead driving to a brilliant victory and a young hot shot calledStirling Moss took the lap record in his works C Type.
From the fast and furious to the popularsit-up and beg variety. The 1933 Austin Ten Colwyn Tourer is an exampleof the companys best-selling car in the 1930s. From its launch in 1932 itcontinued in production, with upgrades, until 1947, fitting between their AustinSeven (introduced in 1922) and the Austin Twelves (updated in January 1931).
Visitors willalso see a gleaming 1933 Austin 12 Sports Tourer which would also turn heads inits day when small capacity six-cylinder engines were in vogue. The LightTwelve-Six was Austin's version featuring a new side-valve engine, initially1496 cc. The one on display would have cost the princely sum of 275.
Tim King, chair of the fete organisingcommittee and also a keen member of Midland Automobile Club said: We areabsolutely thrilled that owners have let us have these cars on loan for theday. Most people rarely get to see suchshining examples of engineering and automobile history, so it is a genuineprivilege to have them on show at Bish Bosh Bash forold and young to appreciate. We will be asking visitors to theFete to vote for their personal favourite on the day, although of coursetheyre all winners in their field.
Bishamptons Summer Fete, Bish BoshBash, is taking place earlier this year, on Saturday 29 June1 - 4.30pm at St. James Church, Bishampton WR10 2FA. Alongside theClassic Cars, it features performances by Worcester City Brass, Faithful CityMorris, a Fun Dog Show and traditional stalls and activities for the wholefamily to enjoy.
For further information, please contact: Tim Kingon 01386 462077 or Lesley Miller email:lesleymiller 3451@gmail.com
