Remaining Cars Revealed for Exciting Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership Spring Final

Published: 16/03/2022

Following the announcement of the first ten finalists competing for this year’s Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership award, the remaining entrants have now been confirmed and they are guaranteed to make picking a winner tougher than ever.

Visitors to the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show, with discovery+, will be voting for their favourite of the 20 cars on display at the NEC from 18-20 March, with the winner announced on the Sunday afternoon. 

Alex Stanley has been thoroughly enjoying his 1972 MG Midget, a car that’s his first classic and one that has undergone an extensive restoration. It’s not the only MG amongst our final ten, Peter Cooper’s 1990 Maestro Turbo surely being one of the very best on the road.

Another British classic that’s certain to turn heads is the 1999 Rover Mini 40 LE owned by Robert Guy. Having covered just nine miles in its lifetime, it’s a very special example of the iconic little car.  

Sporting coupes are well represented, too, starting with the 1995 Ford Probe owned by Malcolm Oyston. A 16-valve model with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, it’s in pristine condition. The same goes for Paul Edwards’ 1998 Toyota Celica SR that he was thrilled to have discovered, and now forms part of his collection of these cracking Japanese sports cars.

We’re not finished with classics from Japan. The Mazda MX-5 is hugely popular, and the 1995 model owned by David Mortiboys was about to be scrapped until he invested a lot of time and money getting it back on the road. Mohammed Mahboob’s 1988 Nissan Bluebird Executive Turbo was already in perfect condition, and this rare Sunderland-built saloon has had just one previous owner.

There’s just the one French car in this year’s competition, but it’s very special. When Dave Tassell bought his 2002 Renault Clio V6 two years ago it was nothing more than a bare body shell, and the restoration, which has just been completed, involved a huge hunt for parts and some unique modifications.

Which brings us to the final two entrants, the first of which is Irfan Mahboob’s 1989 BMW 325i Sport. Restoring it to stunning condition took almost ten years, and with some special upgrades the result is a superb example. Then we have the 1992 VW Golf Cabriolet of Laura Godtschalk, a car she’s owned for 17 years. In wonderfully original condition, it’s certainly been cherished.

Andrew Evanson, Senior Operations Manager of Lancaster Insurance, sponsors of the Pride of Ownership, said: “I was already impressed by the first ten Pride of Ownership finalists, but now that we have completed the list of entrants this year’s display is going to be better than ever. Picking a winner from such amazing classics won’t be easy.”

The Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show, with discovery+, is held 18-20 March 2022 at Birmingham’s NEC with tickets now on sale. For more information as well as the ticket prices and booking details, visit www.necrestorationshow.com