UK’s biggest barn find display brings rarities to Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show
Published: 19/03/2024
After scouring barns, lifting tarpaulins, and searching the UK, this year’s Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show has discovered twenty incredible rusting wrecks that will be winched from their slumber and brought into Birmingham’s NEC for the Footman James Barn Find display.
Katie Delamain-Blunt, Head of Marketing for feature sponsor Footman James, said: “Finding these vehicles has been an incredible process but to see them all at the NEC will be something special. The hard task ahead is for the visitors to vote which they think is the Best Barn Find on the stand.”
The FBHVC has a stand at the show in Hall 5 - where it will be selling Drive it Day plaques to raise money for the NSPCC - please visit Stand 5-425
Celebrating its 90th birthday this year, the oldest car on display is the 1934 SS2. SS Cars were forerunner of the luxury brand we know today, changing its name to Jaguar Cars Limited in 1945. Mike Atlee found the car five years ago and it is still in original condition, having never been restored.
Bringing the display into more recent times, Danny Hopkin’s 1997 Ford Mondeo Ghia V6 Estate is proof that even modern classics can make excellent barn finds – although at 27 years old, this car is only 13 years off being a historic vehicle. This is the mid-cycle facelift Mondeo which was launched in October 1996 - known as the Mondeo MkII and it is about as posh as a Mondeo can get despite the mould and leaves!
The cars in between range from a BWM Isetta bubble car and a rare Cadillac Flower Car, both from the 1950s, to a trio of 80s vehicles including a quirky Hustler, a Fiat Uno Turbo, and a Ford Transit Minibus that has spent most of its life at Heathrow Airport.
The winner will be announced on Sunday 24 March by Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars presenter Paul Cowland at 2pm. The Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show is held 22-24 March 2024 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
Footman James Barn Find Display – The Vehicles
Kevin Jones – 1986 Hustler This rare and interesting car was built in the early-1980s by a Formula One engineer, and the current owner says it was too interesting to turn down. It’s currently awaiting a full restoration and Kevin - who calls it the ‘Marmite’ car - has enjoyed researching its history in the meantime.
Charlie Powell – 1978 Ford Escort 1300 Sport Sure to be of interest to fans of classic Fords, this one was bought by its owner in 1988 and was taken off the road the same year. His son is very interested in the car so they will be restoring it together, and they hope to have it finished in a couple of years.
Dave Watson – 1959 BMW Isetta Dave has plenty of experience with these characterful cars, and this one has been off the road since the 1960s. It wasn’t easy removing it from the garage where it was stored, but being in remarkably solid and original condition he plans to preserve rather than fully restore it.
Nick Greer – 1985 Fiat Uno Turbo In Nick’s ownership since 2003, this example was a Fiat press car and appeared in motoring magazines of the time. Also thought to be the earliest car in the UK, he admits that the restoration of this now-rare model will be a challenge but one he can’t wait to tackle.
Morris Minor Owners Club – 1952 Morris Minor Once part of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust collection and gifted to the Club in 1997, it has been in storage ever since. Sharing space with a barn owl has left its mark on the paintwork, but the Club is now planning to restore this charming British classic.
Mike Attle – 1934 SS2 The owner was looking for another project and found this on an internet auction site five years ago. In very original condition and a good basis for a restoration, he says that he is willing to sell it so this stylish car might just be what someone is looking for.
Martin Stoker – 1950 Morris Minor Series MM Lowlight Little more than a bodyshell at present, the owner has exciting plans for it as it will be transformed into a replica of a ‘Mosquito’ - the original design for the Minor. This project should be a first and it will be fascinating to see the finished car.
Martin Stoker – 1950 Morris Minor Series MM Lowlight Martin already owns around twenty Minors, including Lowlights, but although this one is a restoration project it is going to stay exactly as it is. He says it will look great displayed alongside a nice one that he owns, so this example is destined to remain something of a time-warp.
Andrew Watson – 1949 Standard Vanguard This delightful British classic once belonged to Andrew’s great grandfather, and has been off the road since 1979. In solid condition, the plan is to preserve as much of the originality and character as possible so it will be made roadworthy but not fully restored. It’s a great plan.
Derek Drinkwater – 1929 Dodge Panel Hot Rod American hot rods are always cool and this one is quite rare, too. Bought in Reno, Nevada around ten years ago, it’s one the owner really wants to restore and while there is plenty of work to do it will be a great project. The V8 engine should sound great!
Derek Drinkwater – 1950 Cadillac Flower Car One of the more unusual vehicles at this year’s show, it was bought to provide parts for another project but the owner says that it definitely deserves to be restored. It will involve plenty of work but the result will be a classic guaranteed to make a statement at any show.
Peter Lee – 1985 Ford Transit Minibus Transit expert, Peter, says this example was used by British Airways at Heathrow Airport. Stored in his barn for the last six years or so, it is in need of restoration and would make an excellent project for any fan of classic commercials. Definitely one to be saved.
Rob Sharp – 1991 Mazda 323 Owned by Rob for more than twenty years and once his daily-driver, this capable Japanese hatchback is now ready for some TLC. Some welding work has already been done, and with attention to the paintwork, interior and running gear it should be back on the road later this year.
Rob Sharp – 1978 Chrysler 180 These classic saloons are now extremely rare, so it’s great news that this one has survived. It was bought in 2008 for just £300, but time spent stored outside means that a complete restoration is now required. There is plenty of work to do, not least tackling extensive corrosion.
Danny Hopkins – Ford Mondeo MkII Proof that even modern classics can make excellent barn finds – although at 27 years old, this car is only 13 years off being a historic vehicle. This is the mid-cycle facelift Mondeo which was launched in October 1996 - known as the Mondeo MkII and it is about as posh as a Mondeo can get despite the mould and leaves!
Guy Loveridge – 1953 Lanchester 14 This 1953 example was, quite literally, pulled through a hedge backwards in order to provide spares for a Monte Carlo Rallye Touristique competition car project late in 2023. It somehow seems appropriate that ‘two became one’ and that the other car is running around happily whilst this example sits rather forlornly exactly as it was recovered.
M25 Classics – 1952 Austin Princess This example had been in the same family since 1959 and was subsequently off the road for many years. The bodywork and interior had survived well, and it still has fewer than 5000 miles on the clock, and it would make a fascinating restoration project for anyone wanting traditional British luxury.
M25 Classics – 1984 Vauxhall Astra This first-generation example is a late model as it was replaced by the more aerodynamic Astra Mk 2 the same year. This 1600S has been stored inside which has helped its condition, so despite being off the road for many years this ‘80s classic is ready to be saved.
M25 Classics – 1982 Ford Cortina Crusader These special editions were the last of the Ford Cortinas before the Sierra replacement arrived, and this one hasn’t been on the road since the 1990s. In pleasingly original condition and with no evidence of previous welding or restoration, it’s sure to prove a tempting project for Ford enthusiasts.
M25 Classics – 1974 Triumph Stag Rescued from a garden where it had been since the 1990s, this stylish British classic looks a bit sorry for itself. It would take a committed restorer to get it back on the road, but with fewer than 26,000 Stags made between 1970 and 1977 it would be great to see it saved.
