Millport Classic Car Event 2024
Classic cars at a classic seaside location
David Milloy
The Millport Classic Car Event celebrated its tenth birthday on Saturday 22nd June.
As ever, the show had something to offer both young and old alike, with the former being catered for by bouncy castles, roundabouts, and – new for this year – sit-on, battery-powered models of classic cars. Food and drink were available on-site, with the Garrison House Café doing a brisk trade, and the event’s town centre location ensured that the full range of Millport’s amenities were close to hand.
Around 140 cars were on display, with marques from the USA, Europe, and the UK all being well represented. Of particular interest was Graham and Carol Armstrong’s 1959 Ford Edsel, a rare sight even in its native USA. Named after Henry Ford’s son, Edsel was Ford’s ill-fated attempt at introducing a new marque to add to its Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln ranges. Unfortunately, sales failed to come close to expectations and production ended in late 1959, just two years after the first cars had appeared in showrooms.
Of the European cars at Millport, lifelong Citroën enthusiast (he’s owned 27 of them over the years) Peter Fereday’s lovely 1973 Citroen DS 23, and William McGuigan’s 1979 Fiat X1/9 were particularly eye-catching. The small, mid-engined Fiat is a rare sight these days, and even rarer are examples like this one, with its Eurosport bodykit and turbocharged engine transplanted from a Fiat Uno. There were, of course, plenty of classic British cars on show too, the pick of which was Graeme Cousins’ 1969 Jaguar E-Type coupé, which he has owned for three years. And if you like Ford Capris, then Millport was the place to be, with a good selection of what Ford’s marketing people called ‘the car you always promised yourself’ on display.
Other noteworthy cars included a Ford Falcon GT 351, which looked seventies-tastic in its orange and brown colour scheme. Dave Craig’s 1971 Triumph Dolomite 1850HL also stood out in its very bright Damask (think Ribena) paintwork. Mr Craig, a veteran of several Millport shows, had travelled up from Leeds specially for the event. Indeed, many of the car owners we spoke to said that they made a point of bringing their cars to the show each year, which speaks volumes about how well run and enjoyable an event it is.
Next year’s Millport Classic Car Event is scheduled to take place on 10th May, a date you should definitely mark in your diary if you’re at all interested in cars, or even if you just fancy a great day out in a very pleasant island town.
www.millportclassiccarevent.com
