Vintage Stony
One-off XJ- S and poignant Whizzo tribute take centre stage at packed meet’s tenth outing
This event had to be seen to be believed, with some 700 classics squeezing into Stony Stratford, plus every lay-by and safe parking spot for seemingly miles around.
As a result, walking along the town’s high street and market square was a surreal experience. In one part of the event traditional Brit classics were everywhere, complementing the venue’s historic buildings, but barely 100 yards further on a line-up of US cars brought the feel of 1960s smalltown Idaho to rural Buckinghamshire. The gathering also paid homage to two late supporters of the event – racer Barrie ‘ Whizzo’ Williams and motoring writer, David Evans.
Big draws at the event, which raised thousands of pounds for the Willen Hospice, included a 1959 ex-BMC Competitions Department mobile service training unit, registration 168 UXS.
Warren Kennedy of Buckinghamshire Classic Restorations bought this vehicle, with bodywork by Marshall of Cambridge, at auction after it was offered at the Race Retro Classic Car Sale in 2015.
‘It’s historic and rare,’ said Warren. The BMC was nearly eclipsed by its valuable load, however, because in the back was a Mini Cooper S, which won its class in the 1963 Coupes Des Alpes rally.
Another attention-puller was Wahib Sami’s 1984 Jaguar XJ- S Koenig Special. Just 12 examples of the model were built with widened bodywork, and this was the only V12 convertible.
Wahib found the car via a dealer in Dubai. ‘It’s an incredible machine and there certainly isn’t another one like it,’ he said. The car was making its first event appearance in the UK.
The event’s organiser said that while efforts are ongoing to secure the volunteers needed for future shows, this year’s outing had been a big success and preparations are now underway for sister event, Classic Stony, taking place on 2 June.
Ray Cobley, spokesman, said; ‘It’s been a superb event and everything points to a larger attendance than last year.’