It ‘tugs at your heartstrings” – Shetland Classic Motor Show opens at the Clickimin
Show is open on Saturday and Sunday
THIS weekend’s Shetland Classic Motor Show is about so much more than beautifully restored old vehicles displayed for the public to enjoy.
It is about compassion and deep emotion, about affection and fond memories of times gone by.
And it is, of course, about countless hours spent in sheds, garages and byres around Shetland and further afield restoring, improvising, collecting and enjoying being part of a large like-minded community.
Every single of the around 500 cars, motorcycles, agricultural machinery, bicycles, stationary machinery as well as the motoring memorabilia has a story their owners are all keen to share.
Here are some of those stories collected while the show was being set up at the Clickimin on Friday afternoon.
Matt Kirby was working at Seafood Shetland in the mid 1970s when he bought this flaming red Lotus Elan Sprint from a car dealer in London.
After moving to Yorkshire in 1976 the car sat in a shed for 42 years, and it was only thanks to the Covid lockdown that Matt found the time to do it up and restore her to former glory.
He takes up the story:
Erik Erasmusson from Gulberwick presents the oldest vehicle at the bi-annual exhibition: a 1923 Bean car that has been converted to a pick-up to be used on a croft.
The 76-year old said he could remember this vehicle being used in crofting in Sullom when he was a boy.
Interestingly, Erik has two more of the same vehicles sitting in his garage, one complete and the third one in boxes.
Stuart Wiseman meanwhile says converting his 1991 Volkswagen Jetta into a “weekend car” is an ongoing project.
Since he got her, he built new wheels and fitted a 3.2 litre V6 Golf engine for “the noise”, but it’s an ongoing project and the vehicle is not allowed on the roads yet.
The car features as part of a special section within the motor show this year which centres around 20 German-made cars, mainly Volkswagen Audi and BMW.
Motor show chairman Colin Nicolson says this new element was introduced to attract a wider audience, including younger people.
Colin wouldn’t be the chair of the organisation would he not share the passion for classic cars.
His own exhibit is an iconic, rally inspired 1979 Mark 2 Ford Escort RS 2000, a vehicle highly sought after among classic motor fans.
Here he tells his story and explains what it is that “tugs at your heartstring” and “gets under your skin” when it comes to ‘old cars.’
The Shetland Classic Motor Show is on at the Clickimin Leisure Complex this Saturday and Sunday, doors open at 10am.
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