So, you fell for the charms of the exotic sports cars, vintage rarities and rally-prepped classics that graced the NEC for the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show 2015. We don't blame you, however, there were a number of obscure vehicles hiding amongst the big attractions that you may not have noticed…
There were a vast number of considerable attractions to drool over throughout the three-day NEC extravaganza - from incredibly rare Ferraris to sought-after Jaguars and one-off prototypes, not to mention the swathes of pristine and desirable machines from all marques as far as the eye could see. Yet, with so much to view, you may not have clocked these five obscure classics nestled in between the big draws of the weekend.
Fear not - we found them in the event you didn’t.
5. 1969 Marcos V6 Coupe
This really was a special find. Tucked away at the back of the Pavillion and sporting an interior from off-cuts out of a very special Bentley owned by someone somewhat significant, we have promised to stay quiet about this particular vehicle, for now, as you’ll need to pick up the forthcoming Classic Car Weekly to find out more…
4. Bristol Barb
…along with this vehicle. We can’t say too much yet, but this car has a story many clubs would kill for. We will soon report back on this remarkable tale, but for those of you who found the Bristol Barb in Hall 1, you will no doubt agree that this is an extraordinary vehicle well deserving of its rediscovered fame.
3. Range Rover Convertible
You may remember a similar vehicle from 1983s 007 adventure ‘Octopussy’, lavished with a leggy brunette at the wheel. While this one sadly doesn’t come with said lady-friend, it offers much more to make up for it . With a bespoke interior and stunning aesthetics, it found a new owner at the Silverstone Auction rather quickly.
It was a tricky car to find and unless you managed to gain access to the auction viewing, chances are you wouldn’t even have known it was there. A shame really, as the chance to get up close with such a unique vehicle doesn’t come around very often.
2. Bitter SC Coupé
Only 420 examples of the Bitter Coupé were ever sold, with a truly criminal lack of examples for UK roads. Most cars went to Germany or the USA, but the NEC was lucky enough to be graced with the presence of this fine example. At the end of production a Bitter SC Coupé would have set you back £40,000, a sizeable chunk of money for the time - twice the price of a Range Rover.
It’s a curious looking brute, with pop-up headlamps and a distinct Ferrari expression - not to mention a 3.9 litre engine, but it captured out attention like little else in the show.
1. Austin Allegro Crayford
With only five examples known to remain from a sketchy, mostly unrecorded history, catching sight of a convertible Crayford Austin Allegro is a very rare privilege indeed. The car may look unaltered, except for the missing roof - naturally, but the sills are thickened to a considerable degree, with early ones actually filled with cement.
It may look slightly odd and a bit ungainly to some, but this is one of many holy-grails for British car aficionados; especially in this condition. It’s actually up for sale - for a ‘modest’ £5,000.
The classics for sale at the NEC may have been a tad on the pricey side, but CCFS have loads of classic cars for sale you to choose from.