Following the success of the inaugural Durham Classic Car Gala in 2018, the event returns on August Bank Holiday Monday this year – featuring not only rallying cars from 50 years ago … but also a star driver too!
From 11am to 4pm on Monday 26th August, over 100 classic cars will be on display throughout Durham City Centre. Racing and rallying heritage cars will be in Durham Market Place, while a selection of classic American cars will be on display in Millennium Place. Framwellgate Bridge will have a collection of Minis, and MG sports cars from varying eras will be lining up on Elvet Bridge. Palace Green will have an exhibition featuring many makes of car, including more than a dozen classic Mercedes.
One highlight of the gala will be Nicky Porter’s 1970s Mercedes in which he competed in the Lombard RAC Rally; Nicky himself will be with the car for some of the day, and happy to answer visitors’ questions. There will also be a Volvo P1800S driven by ‘The Saint’ Roger Moore, a 1966 Toyota Corona which is one of only two in the UK, and a 1957 Messerschmitt KR200 bubble car.
Organiser Malcolm Vance commented: “We’re eager to build on the success of last year’s inaugural Classic Car Gala. This year, we’ve sought cars with a racing or rallying heritage, and are looking forward to Nicky Porter joining us with his 1970s rally car. We’ll also have a 1970 Simca, a Ford Sierra Cosworth and more. For anyone with a passion for motor vehicles, this will be a great opportunity to see a wide range of cars and chat with owners.”
Colin Wilkes, Managing Director of Durham Markets, who has helped organise the event, added: “Whether you’re interested in cars, or not, it will be quite a spectacle in the city centre on Bank Holiday Monday, and a great reason to come into Durham. It’s an event that appeals to all ages, from the youngest to the oldest. Bank Holiday Monday will be a great day out in Durham.”
Durham Radio will be bringing musical entertainment to the event with a radio roadshow in the Market Place, and will be running a competition to win a Lenovo laptop supplied by Dot Com Systems. Visitors can enjoy the Full Moon Street Food Market in Durham Market Place, with a wide variety of sweet and savoury cuisines as well as drinks available. For younger visitors, there will be a mini-beasts display with Bugs ‘n’ Stuff in the entrance to the Market Hall, and free facepainting with Moonwillows Facepainting and storytelling with Alice in the Market Place.