Review: British Cars and Lifestyle
Jaguars and MGs compete with red telephone boxes at a quintessentially British show – in the Netherlands
The sight of red telephone boxes and Metropolitan Police bobbies in the heart of the Netherlands wasn’t enough to overshadow the Jaguars, MGs and Triumphs wowing the crowds at this two-day celebration of British classics.
The constraints of the Autotron indoor halls limited the number of classics on display to 172 – but more than 25 clubs were represented, as well as dealers from across Europe. Club highlights included a mock-up of the British countryside – including two TR7s – from TR Club Holland, a motorsport-themed display from Englese Ford Club Nederland (which included a rally-prepared Anglia 105E and Escort MkI) and the Rover Club of Holland’s 75-themed stand, which brought together a 1949 Cyclops with a 2004 75 Club V6.
But the number of classics at the venue was easily doubled by visitors’ cars on display outside – check out our Facebook page to see the best.
Event director Martin de Vries says the show was noticeably busier than in 2016, with many visitors coming from across Europe – and Germany in particular.
‘ We have a huge market for British cars here and magazines covering them, so the show is a lot stronger than when it started in 1992.
‘A big part of it is the lifestyle element, which means the event has a very big female following too, which is a big part of its success.’