Events & Dates

2009 Calendar

UK Events

June 7th – Can-Am Car Clubs Annual 'Lazy Sunday', St Edwards School, Poole. Tel. 01747-853248.
June 7th – Classic and Sports Car Show, Northampton & Lamport Railway, Northants. www.vintagetransport.org.uk/
June 7th – London to Brighton Classic Car Run. Mercedes Benz World, nr Brooklands, Weybridge. Bookings. 01527-871150.
June 21st – Trentham Transport Festival, Trentham Gardens, nr Stoke on Trent. Tel. 01922-643385.
June 19th-21st – AACI Open Summer Nationals, BiIling Aquadrome, Northants. Tel. 07974-415946
June 26-28th – AAC(UK) Summer Nationals, Coombe Park, Coventry. www.american-auto-club.co.uk.
June 27-28th – Corvette Club Summer Nationals, Huntingdon Racecourse, just off A1. Tel. 07921 338 405.
June 27-28th – Wings, Wheels & Steam, Rougham Air Field, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Tel. 01359-270238.
June 14th – Bromley Pageant, Norman Park, Bromley, Kent. Tel. 01775-768661.
June 28th – Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town Football Club, Bristol. Tel. 0117-957-3191.
June 28th – Sheffield Festival of Transport, Graves Park, Sheffield, Yorks. Tel. 01922-643385.

July 4-5th – Stars & Stripes, Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire (pre-entry only). Tel. 01204-594266.
July 3rd-5th – Goodwood Festival of Speed, Goodwood House, Chichester. Tel. 01243-755055.
July 10-12th – Americana International, New County Showground, Winthorpe, Nr Newark, Notts. Tel. 01159-390595. www.americana-promotions.co.uk
July 11th-12th – Essex Classic Motor Show, Bartleylands, Billericay, Essex. Tel. 01527-871150.
July 18th – Rottingdean & Saltdean Classic Car Show, Saltdean Oval Park, Brighton, Sussex. Tel. 01273-305734.
July 19th – Beaumanor Hall Classic Car and Transport Show, Beaumanor Hall, Woodhouse, Leics. Tel. 01922-643385.
July 19th – Newby Hall Classic Historic Vehicle Rally, Newby Hall, Rippon, Nth Yorks. Tel. 0845-4504068.
July 19th – Rally of the Giants, Pre-50 AAC, Knebworth, Herts. Tel. 01530-831170.
July 31st-August 2nd – AAC UK 'No Name Show', August Stoke Prior Sports & Social Club, Near Bromsgrove, www.american-auto-club.co.uk.

August 2nd – Walsall Classic Car & Transport Show, WalsaIl Arboretum Extension. West Midlands. TeI. 01922-643385.
August 1st-2nd – Wroughton Classic Car & Bike Show, Wroughton Science Museum, old airfield, Wroughton, Wilts. Tel. 07747-804487.
August 14-16th – AACI Late Summer Event, BiIling Aquadrome, Northants. Tel. 07974-415946.
August 21st – COCGB US Air Force American day, Imperial War Museum, Duxford, near Cambridge. Contact Paul Moss on 0208-751-3853.
August 23rd – Arbury Hall Classic Car & Transport Show, Arbury Hall, Nuneaton, Warwickshire. TeI. 01922-643385
August 23rd – Damn Yankees Summer National, North Weald Airfield, J7 Shrewsbury. www.american-auto-club.co.uk.
August 30th-31st – Knebworth Classic Motor Show, Knebworth, Herts. Tel. 01527-871150.

European & Overseas Events

June 17 - 20th - GRAND NATIONAL, USA, Las Vegas, Nevada. Tel. 001-702-487-4783.

Centennial Dewar Trophy Celebrations

Arranged by Paul Moss, COCGB Event Organiser, for Sunday 21st September 2008 at Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey. More than 50 Cadillacs with members and friends turned out for the occasion. This included General McArthur's personal 1941 staff car, kindly brought along by the owner of the 'History on Wheels Museum', located in Eton Wick near Windsor.

    The Dewar Trophy towers over the 2000- mile Challenge Cup, both at Brooklands for the first time.
    In the notorious 'Chequered Flag' room, Paul Moss thanks all those present for coming while Rob Maidment, who helped facilitate the Dewar's presence, looks on.
    The Dewar Trophy is held in as high regard today as it was when Cadillac first won it in 1908, and then yet again in 1913.

Special thanks are given to Ben Cussens (centre right) of the Royal Automobile Club for allowing the Dewar Trophy to come to Brooklands for the day, and also to Julian Bennett (far right) for bringing along the 2000-mile Challenge Cup.
    Kevin Boyce of Cadillac UK (left) looks on before explaining the company's future plans and introduction of new models.

Previous Cadillac Spectaculars

   A great new venue for the Cadillac Spectacular has been made available to the Club.
   Due to the 2003 'Bennett Run' in aid of BEN, the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund, the COCGB has been invited the to use their showground facilities at their Town Thornes residential home between Rugby and Coventry.
   The large, well kept area surrounded by beautiful trees on all four sides, has parking and picnic space for several hundred cars and an arena ideally suited to viewing and commentary. The atmosphere is one of friendly efficiency and, hopefully, will be built on in future years.

   Long-time member Leigh Spivey brought along his friends Dave & Marty Comstock from Georgia, USA. Dave is a leading light in the Georgia region of the Cadillac LaSalle Club of America – to which the COCGB is affiliated – and has a 1954 Eldorado similar to Leigh's
   At the dinner that night, as reported by those who attended, Dave & Marty were full of praise, particularly complementing the quality of the cars that attended the show that day.
   After last year's large contingent from the US, it was particularly rewarding to have Dave & Marty with us

Held as a celebration of the first Cadillac imported into the UK in 1903 and of Frederic Stanley Bennett's achieve-
ments with Cadillacs in those early years. The 'Bennett Run' was Julian Bennett's centenary re-enactment of the
8-day RAC 1,000-mile Reliability Trial, which his grandfather completed in 1903 and re-enacted in 1913 & 1953
in that same first-ever Cadillac to cross the Atlantic. The 'Grand Coach Tour' was a one-off for the occasion; and
Cadillacs from everywhere were welcomed at the Cadillac Spectacular in Crystal Palace Park on 20th September.
(Grand International event committee: Rob Maidment, Alan Murphy, Bob Thomas, Damon Lenszner and Ray Giles)

Rally of the Giants & Cadillac Centennial 2002

   Alan Murphy, the Show Organiser, with the COCGB Chairman's winning '60's Cadillac and a rare 1956 Woody Wagon at the 2002 annual Rally of the Giants. The Cadillac Owners Club received a special invitation from the Pre-50s Club to join them at Knebworth in July at the annual Rally of the Giants to celebrate the Cadillac Centennial in the UK.
   A large contingent of Cadillacs also came over from mainland Europe, headed up by Dirk van Dorst of the Cadillac LaSalle Club of Belgium. The weather held well for the event, which was visited by both the BBC and the Daily Telegraph. BBC Radio-4 subsequently put out a half-hour program on Saturday 21st September entitled 'Cadillac, a celebration of 100 years – very good it was too, with a number of our members prominently involved.

Other Past Events

   Despite the weather, the Club's annual show at Coombe Park in September 2001 saw almost 200 cars attending. As always, it turned out a great day and was yet another of Tim Buller’s and Jeff Mitchell's excellent 'Spectaculars'. Several of the cars had either never been seen at the show or at least not for some time. Of particular interest was the chairman's beautifully restored 1937 sedan, which sat alongside John Willett's award-winning '41 Fastback. (Click pictures above for enlargements)
   Whereas the 1950s line-up of cars was more prolific than usual, and there were a greater number of 1980s & '90s, the 1960s & '70s had dropped off somewhat since last year. Still, it was good to see so many regular attendees as well as a good number of first-timers too. Once again, at the end of the day, none of the elderly machines suffered any malaise whatsoever.
   Jeff gave his normal brilliant commentary, ending up with the presentation to Julian Bennett of his first sponsorship cheque from the International Affiliation of Cadillac Clubs. As Jeff explained, Julian will be following in his grandfather's footsteps by attempting a centenary re-run of the 1903 RAC 1000-mile Endurance Trial in the family's original 1903 Cadillac.
   This feat was last carried out by his grandfather, Frederic Bennett, in 1953, on which occasion he ended up on television on both sides of the Atlantic. Let's hope for a repeat of such widespread interest, especially as Julian is fundraising for the charity 'BEN'.

    The Club Chairman quizzes the occupant of a beautifully restored 1912 Cadillac at the Trentham Gardens Festival in 2000. This car is one of the nicest early examples of these now rare models that anyone had seen anywhere.
    It is interesting to note, prior to the First World War, that Cadillacs were one of the biggest foreign car imports into England – be they European or American. There were no Japanese cars back then!