The Performance Vauxhall Show will celebrate the Storming Lotus Carlton this year.

• The controversial Lotus Carton is named the nation’s favourite flying griffin, ahead of the UK’s premier show for performance Vauxhalls
• Performance Vauxhall Show takes place at Santa Pod on June 11, 2017
• Special anniversary display for Cavalier turbos
• Early bird tickets still available with £5 entry discount
• Camping and live entertainment from DJ Pied Piper and MC DT

There were calls for it to be banned, the Daily Mail called it a potential killer, and it was even discussed in parliament…

That’s how controversial the Lotus Carlton was when it first appeared back in 1990. Powered by a 3.6-litre turbocharged engine and capable of a top speed of 177mph, there were calls for the super saloon to be forbidden from British roads thanks to the danger it supposedly presented to ‘family motorists’.

In reality, of course, the Lotus Carlton was every inch a thoroughbred performance car and not the family saloon the newspapers pretended it was in their sensational headlines, and its significance was proven in a more celebratory manner after it was named the most iconic hot Vauxhall ever in a survey carried out by the organisers of the UK’s premier show for the brand’s performance icons.

The Lotus Carlton topped a poll carried out by The Performance Vauxhall Show ahead of this year’s event, which takes place on June 11. Indeed, it was that popular that it took over a third of the total votes, with the Calibra coupe in second place and the Astra VXR completing the top three.

This year’s Performance Vauxhall Show is set to be one of the most action packed yet, with various attractions to draw fans of the British brand’s most thrilling models.

A special 25th birthday display to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Cavalier Turbo will be one of the star attractions, celebrating the Cavalier with attitude. With a 204bhp C20LET turbocharged engine, four-wheel-drive and Chevrolet Corvette-derived six-speed gearbox, it’s now one of the rarest and most cherished of 1990s performance saloons.

At least 10 of the 49 known survivors examples will be on display at the show, from immaculately preserved standard variants to the wildly modified.

The Cavalier feature will be just one part of the ultimate show for fans of hot Vauxhalls, sponsored by Hardrace, Ksport, BC Forged Wheels, BC Supsension and Goodridge, which regularly attracts over 10,000 visitors to the famous drag strip.

With on-strip action, including the chance for owners to enter their own Vauxhalls in a VX-only ‘Run What Ya Brung’, Santa Pod will be spilling over with classic and performance models, be them retro Novas, Chevettes, Cavaliers and Astras, or more modern VX220s, Monaros and VXRs.

As well as the drag strip action, PVS promises a host of other features including entrance photography, a lively retail village for the latest parts, mods and memorabilia, a show and shine, and some of the best and busiest club displays going.

The show itself takes place on the Sunday, but many fans making their annual pilgrimage love to make a weekend of it, so this year PVS is putting on some live evening entertainment, in the form of DJ Pied Piper and MC DT, the sound behind the famous Ayia Nappa hit ‘Do Your Really Like it?”

Camping is available at the show on the Saturday evening, and that’s where the fun really begins. Camping costs £25 per person if booked in advance, with a late night bar and Santa Pod’s funfair in action all evening.

An early bird offer also applies to show day tickets - £18 (plus booking fee), as opposed to £23 on the gate. To buy tickets, visit www.performancevauxhallshow.co.uk

For the first time in 2017, there will be a second Performance Vauxhall Show later in the year, which takes place at Rockingham Motor Speedway, Northants, on October 15.

A series of Ford hot hatches and super saloons goes under the hammer at the Silverstone Auctions next month.

• A collection of Ford hot hatchbacks from the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties will be auctioned at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show next month
• Low-mileage 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 expected to fetch £70,000 - £80,000 and a 1996 Ford Escort Cosworth Lux with 7,700 miles is estimated to sell for £38,000 - £44,000, meanwhile a 1993 Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4 is guided at £30,000 – £35,000
• Concours condition 5,568-mile 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo Series I and pre-production 1978 Ford Capri 3.0 S will be sold without reserve
• Joining the line-up is a suspected development 1970 Ford Capri RS2600 that is expected to sell for £27,000 – £29,000 and a restored 1974 Ford Capri RS3100, guided to sell for £45,000 - £50,000
• Silverstone Auctions’ two-day sale at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show held at the NEC, Birmingham on 14-15 November

A selection of high-quality and historically important high-performance Fords will be auctioned at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show at the NEC, Birmingham on the weekend of 14-15 November.

The auction line-up will see a number of Fords from the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties go under the hammer by Silverstone Auctions; each of which has been carefully selected by the specialist auction team based on their history, provenance, low-mileage status and condition.

One of the most significant cars being auctioned is a 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500. The car is one of just 500 examples sold in Britain and is one of the more powerful ‘Evolution’ models. The car is finished in white, one of just 56 examples finished in this colour, and is presented in ‘time warp’ condition having covered just over 13,000 miles. It will be auctioned with a guide price of £70,000 - £80,000 and comes from a significant classic car collection.

A 1996 Ford Escort Cosworth Lux also forms part of the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale and follows its legendary Eighties Sierra namesake. The highly desirable Lux variant has covered just 7,700 miles from new and has had just five previous owners (three in the same family). The car in question was one of the last examples to leave the production line and will be sold for £38,000 - £44,000 after an extensive service and cam belt change.

Another last of the line example is a well-presented 1993 Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4. This particular understated four door, four-wheel drive was the last of its type to leave the production line, as confirmed by a letter from Ford Genk. The car has covered just 20,006 miles and the Mallard Green paintwork gleams, while the black leather Recaro seats show little wear. The car is estimated to sell for £27,000 - £29,000.

The auction will also see two iconic Fords be sold without reserve. Lucky bidders will get the chance to buy a 1985 Ford Escort Turbo Series I that has covered just 5,568 miles. Described as being in Concours/factory-fresh condition, this particular example is believed to be the lowest mileage Series 1 RS Turbo in existence.

Another important car being sold without reserve is one of the most famous and historically important Ford Capris. The 1978 3.0 S example is a pre-production vehicle and has been on the cover of many automotive magazines throughout its life. The car was used as a test-bed for tuning and was once a long-term test car for Autocar; it was even owned by John Miles – ex-Lotus Formula 1 driver and journalist. Having been professionally restored, the bespoke one-of-one paint colour was preserved, and engine was rebuilt using a 3.2-litre engine and WMD crank.

Finishing off the collection of iconic Fords at the auction is two restored Seventies Capris. The first of which is a 1970 Capri RS2600, which is believed to be one of three factory prototypes. The car has undergone a significant restoration to exacting factory specification and is ready to be enjoyed for many years to come. The car is expected to sell for £26,000 - £30,000.

The second of the Capri line-up is another restored example with a story. This 1974 Capri RS3100 was bought later in in 1981 by Dennis Sellers, ex-Chairman of The Ford RS Owners Club who restored it using original Ford body parts and fittings but later sold it as a complete but unfinished project. Twenty years after the sale, the Capri was finished; including a complete engine rebuild. Having completed only running-in mileage since its restoration, this particular example is believed to be one of the best examples available on the current market today. It will be sold at the NEC Classic Motor Show Sale with an estimate of £45,000 - £50,000.

Silverstone Auctions will also be exhibiting at Classic & Sports Car - The London Show, held at Alexandra Palace from 30 October – 1 November as auctioneers for the silent auction. The auction house will be exhibiting two cars on their stand, as well as offering on-site valuations to show visitors.

For the full list of lots in The NEC Classic Motor Show Sale, please visit:http://www.silverstoneauctions.com/nec-classic-motor-show-sale-2015/view_lots/pn/all

Volvo Cars celebrates 25th Anniversary of the Integrated Booster Cushion.

• Volvo Cars introduced the first integrated booster cushion for children in 1990
• Recommends children should travel rearward facing until the age of four

Volvo Cars is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the first ever integrated booster cushion in conjunction with the United Nations Global Road Safety Week (May 4-10). Back in 1978 Volvo Cars developed the very first cushion for children in cars. 

In 1990 the Swedish car maker took child safety to a new dimension with the development of the first integrated booster cushion.

The first integrated booster cushion was actually a redesigned centre armrest that was developed to safely elevate the seating position of the child so that the existing central 3-point safety belt could be used to best effect. This removed the need for accessory child restraints for older children and also increased their comfort. 

The clear benefit of the integrated design also means that the cushion is always available and the potential for misuse is minimized. Few car makers offer integrated booster cushions for children to this day.

“The introduction of the first integrated booster cushion for improved child safety in 1990 was a huge step forward for child safety. 

One of the key benefits of integrated booster cushions is that it is developed as a part of the seat and the safety belt is in more direct contact with the child’s body, removing the possibility of ‘slack’ in the belt that could be associated with accessory booster cushions/seats or child seats,” said Lotta Jakobsson, Senior Technical Leader at Volvo Cars Safety Centre.

Volvo Cars achieved yet another world first in child safety when they added the integrated two-stage booster cushion in 2007, enabling adjustment between two settings for the safest and most comfortable seating position for children of varying height. 

Apart from the obvious benefit of increased safety and comfort, the integrated cushion also provides a better seating position for the child, allowing them to look out the windows. This has the effect of making children less prone to boredom and agitation, which can also negatively affect the driver’s experience and concentration abilities.  In the lower of the two positions the seat is suitable for larger children.

“The beauty of the integrated two-stage booster cushion is that it is always available and does not detract from normal adult usage of the seats. It means in effect that the rear seat is suitable for all but small children who should always be placed in a rearward facing child seat until the age of four. This increased safety and flexibility makes the integrated booster cushion a perfect solution. 

Unfortunately, not many car makers are offering such solutions at present. At Volvo Cars we believe that car makers should take the responsibility for developing child safety systems as a part of vehicle development to ensure the best performance. Children are our future – and we feel strongly that they should be given the best when it comes to safety. ” concluded Lotta Jakobsson.

Since 2008 Volvo Cars has communicated the vision that by 2020 no one should be seriously injured or killed while driving a new Volvo car. The longer term goal is to design cars that will not crash.

Achievements from Volvo over the years.

• The 3-point safety belt was pioneered by Volvo and first used in a production vehicle in 1959.
• Rear 3-point safety belts were added to the outer rear seats in Volvo cars from 1969.
• Centre lap belts were replaced with 3-point safety belts in all Volvo cars from 1986 with an adjustable headrest being added in the centre from 1991.
• The first integrated booster cushion for children was launched in 1990 in the Volvo 800 Series cars.
• The first integrated two-stage booster cushion was introduced in 2007.
• A comfort cover was also developed to increase support for sleeping children.
• Volvo recommends a rearward facing child seat up to the age of three or four at least .
• According to IIHS Statistics on Child Safety in the United States for 2013, 35% of children aged 13 and under fatally injured in car crashes were unrestrained (no safety belt or child seat). 25% wore a safety belt and 32% were in a child safety seat. The total number of deaths was 640. In 1985 the number of children unrestrained that were fatally injured was 71%, with just 7% wearing a safety belt and just 8% using a child safety seat. In 1985 the death toll was 1,131.
• Volvo Cars offers a full range of child safety products that cover new-born babies to children around the age of 12.
• #SaveKidsLives

Classic Car #2 : Getting things sorted

It is just so annoying when you buy something, only to find that there are far more issues with it that you were led to believe, whether it is by the previous owner being unaware or some other reason, but the fact remains that the new owner has to spend both time, effort and some large amounts of money to rectify those issues, over and above the ones that you were aware of.

That beings me nicely to the next set of issues, if you have read my first post, you will see that i was a but unhappy with the previous seller, to which i was threatened with legal action from him, I, in turn asked for him to supply me with the details of his solicitor so that i could sent them the emails, where he admitted it was his fault the relevant part was missing, and that he would send me details to arrange collection, to which I am STILL awaiting.

Anyway, to the car, these were the items I listed below that I thought were needed to be done to get the car in good order

• Get dents sorted (Had a quote, laughed a lot, then asked for them to redo it properly)
• Get paintwork done-Bumpers and NSR Quarter and rear door
• Get dash woodwork trim replaced or repaired
• Replace bulbs for hazard light switch and air circulation switch HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH DONE
• Locate and replace passenger side rear seat belt EVL10026 (ARG Code)
• Either repair or replace wheel trims, I THINK WE WILL LEAVE THEM AS IS, CLEAN THEM UP AND LACQUER THEM
• Get radio code DONE

I now have to add to this list, 

• Locate and obtain missing screws and fixings for dashboard (it seems that who ever replaced it, did not think to put all the screws back in, and some of the wiring in the back has been bodged)
• Fix the fans for air into the car, when we removed the facia to see what bulbs were needed, the fans have since stopped working.. LOL... 
• Rattle on the exhaust, Kwik Fit says there is no hole, but i am not so sure.

Other than that, the car runs as smoothly as a new car, it is far more comfortable and equally as poo on the fuel consumption as my previous brand new car, but we love it.

We attended our first classic car event this last weekend, at Knebworth, it was a reasonably early start, well, for a Sunday it was, and with a pic-nic made, a blurb to put on the car for people to read, and a few other bits in the back, off we went.

There were not that many cars there where we arrived, it looked like a 70's and 80's Ford Event, with Capri's, Granada's, Escorts and Sierra's all over the place, but as time went on, other cars arrived, from my single 800, a couple of P6's, a couple of SD1's and a mint P5, to loads of US cars, one HB Viva, some Mondeo's that have been Max Powered to death, dome Porsches, loads of Mini's and many many more.

There was a distinct lack of BL cars, and not that many Rover's, so i suspect that there was another event, that had them all there, but we have another this weekend, locally, and that one we are looking forward too, the following weekend is Goodwood, and we will be there, but not in Simon, he will remain at home.

Classic Car #1 - Buying the Classic. click for first report

Classic Car #1 - Buying the classic.

Well, after some tooing and froing and working out funds etc, we decided to get rid of our 2012 MINI Countryman and put our pennies into something a little, umm, Older, 24 years older in fact, and going back to a brand that i really loved, so we welcome a 1990 Rover 827Si, fastback.

A long and tiring journey was planned to go from Cambridge to Southern Scotland, we planned on doing the entire journey in one day, and possibly we may well have been able to, but the weather was atrocious, it was heavy rain for the majority of the journey, it only stopped about 40 miles from our destination.

However, leading up to the journey i had a number of emails, texts and calls to the owner confirming various things, just to ensure we were not wasting our time, on a very long and tiring journey, and as we were chatting an agreement was made to include a number of spares, a genuine boot liner and some gearbox oil, ready for when we do a change.

So with all this in mind, we arranged to meet our seller at 2:30, on Saturday, this was then pushed back and hour, and then another chunk of time and yet another, as the weather got worse, and traffic was built up  en route, but we did eventually arrive at 5:30 and spent a while going over the car, there were a number of issues that we were not aware of, and, to be honest we should have been told about, like large dents and damage, which was causing surface rust.

the rust item, I was told was NOT through to the body work, where is quite clearly is, and upon looking, at the car, there were other dinks and dents that we were not told of, but once we had a drive, and Andy, my partner, had checked over the cars, underneath and engine, we spend a short while alone looking at some paperwork and chatting about the car.

The seller blamed the damage on the previous owner, but as you can clearly see above here, from the pictures that HE took on delivery of the car when he purchased it, there was NO damage to the rear quarter or bumper, whereas when I took delivery there was significant damage, so it looks like the damage was not caused by his previous owner at all.

Anyway, after some chatting we decided that we would get the car, as Andy can do a number of the jobs, making it not so costly, and a deal was struck, the pennies changed hands and off we went, to fill the car with petrol, something i have not done for a long while, as my previous three cars were diesel, we had already booked a stay a Premier Inn in Carlisle, as there was no way i would be able to drive back at that late hour in the dark.

We had a nice restful evening and set off early the next day for our journey home, we had agreed to keep at about 60mph, and stop every hour and half, or 100 miles, just so I could have a stretch and the car could have a rest, but I needn't of worried, the car performed faultlessly, and for the first time in years, i have been able to drive a car without being in enormous pain, i was overjoyed at that.

The car was amazing, i was aware that the mpg was not too good on the Rover, but then it is a 2.7 litre V6 auto, i was hoping to get about 27mpg, but once i filled up on arrival at home, and then worked it out, i was thrilled to get 36mpg, but the proof of how poor it will be is the around town figures which will be interesting.

On the Sunday afternoon, we had a poke about the spares, and what a load of old crap there was in there, 75% of it was not relevant to the car, some items were un-salvageable, others we had no idea whether they worked or not, so had to go, just to be on the safe side, the replacement seat belt on the passenger side rear, had a full set of the same wrong coloured belts in the boot, so off they went too.

And there was NO boot liner, which i was not too happy about, so i messaged the seller and mentioned it, only to be greeted with "oh i forgot to put it in".

following on from the journey, i was aware that the wheels needed to be balanced as there was a wobble when the car got up to 70mph, so on Tuesday the car went into Kwik-Fit for a balance, and £13.99 later it came away and seemed to be OK. 

During the rest of the week i spent time looking through the paperwork, and what a load of rubbish there was there, nothing to really be of interest, old receipts for batteries, and other spares, but nothing that is of importance, like full MOT history, or service history, yes the service book was filled in, until it was full, but then after that, it was very patchy, but i have sorted out what was there and placed it in a book.

A number of texts and emails sent to the seller about the boot liner have been ignored, until i asked for the dimension of it so i can arrange to have it collected, he did messag me back to say he would send them the next day, I have yet to receive them, so it looks like a county court judgement against him will have to be made.

So, what needs to be done, well a few bits.

• Get dents sorted
• Get paintwork done-Bumpers and NSR Quarter and rear door
• Get dash woodwork trim replaced or repaired
• Replace bulbs for hazard light switch and air circulation switch
• Locate and replace passengerside rear seatbelt EVL10026 (ARG Code)
• Either repair or replace wheel trims
• Get radio code

I have had the car into a local repairer with a good reputation for a quote on the repairs, so hopefully that will arrive soon, the bulbs should be a simple fix, and the dash trim might be able to be repaired, we will try, locating a seatbelt is nigh on impossible, i have checked online every day to see if one appears on eBay, but with no luck yet, the wheel trims are not damaged, they have just delaminated, so maybe we can sort that out ourselves too !

So Really there is not much to do, 

 The car is in a very good order, for a Rover of that era, and one that must be saved, a check on the "how many left" website, show that there are only 9 1990 827 Si models left on the road, 11 SORN, how many of them are fastbacks, i dont know, but i know of one saloon, this rare beast deserves to be saved, for the future, the car is in awseome condition, drives like a new car, the engine is sweet, as is the gearbox, and where ever we have been people have commented on it.

I just hope that the issues with the seller will resolve it's self soon, and then i can get on with getting her back into good order, we have our first classic car show coming up at Knebworth, so we are looking forward to that, and if anyone can help me with ANY bits and pieces please let me know.