Mansell thrills the crowds at London Classic Car Show

Mansell thrills the crowds at London Classic Car Show

The 1992 F1 World Champion wowed Sunday crowds with some dazzling driving displays on the show’s central Grand Avenue, a unique quarter-mile-long highway running through the centre of the exhibition hall. Mansell announced his arrival at the capital’s premier classic car event with a thrilling wheel-spinning entrance in a Jaguar E-type-inspired Eagle Speedster.

Later in the day, he returned to drive a scarlet Ferrari 246 Dino F1 front-engined F1 car from the late fifties, plus a 1993 Benetton-Ford B193 as raced by arch-rival Michael Schumacher. Mansell was also reunited with some of the cars that he raced during his career. A special display featured a 1977 Crosslé 32F, the junior single-seater in which he first cut his teeth competing in Formula Ford, and his title-winning Williams-Renault FW14.

‘I’ve got to say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised at just how great this London show is,’ said Mansell. ‘It’s always wonderful to see some of my old racing cars and to meet the fans – and they’ve have been absolutely brilliant. To drive cars indoors was pretty special, too – I’ve had a lot of fun and I hope those who came to see me, and
the show, enjoyed themselves as much as I did.’

On Saturday, 24 hours before Mansell’s theatrical presence, it had been Philip Glenister’s turn in the spotlight. Renowned for ‘firing up the quattro’ as DCI Gene Hunt in the hugely popular television series Ashes to Ashes, Glenister had curated a rogue’s gallery of famous getaway cars – another of the glittering show’s stand-out exhibits.

With so much to savour, it was no surprise that this year’s London Classic Car Show drew record crowds and further established the mouth-watering retro celebration as the capital city’s premier feast of automotive culture and nostalgia.

In total, more than 38,500 visitors savoured close to 700 of the world’s finest classic cars on display at ExCeL London. With a combined estimated value of more than £300m, these ranged from barn-finds and in-progress restorations to unique concepts, concours winners and pure-bred, championship-winning race cars. Broadcaster Henry Hope-Frost hosted public forums with a number a well-known personalities, including both Mansell and Glenister.

‘It has been another absolutely fantastic London Classic Car Show,’ said Bas Bungish, event director. ‘We started with the global launch of the incredible Lister Thunder on Thursday evening and ended with Nigel Mansell doing tyre-burning donuts on the Grand Avenue in an F1 car – could you ask for more? Even so, we are determined to keep building on what we’ve achieved and are already planning for an even bigger show in 12 months’ time.’

To that end, the organisers have already confirmed that next year’s London Classic Car Show will be staged at ExCeL London from 14-17 February.

– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –