Events & Dates

2008 Calendar

UK Events

National ‘Drive It Day’ when as many classics are on the road as possible to show solidarity to the cause. MAPS for DIRECTIONS

May 4th – Catton Hall Classic Car & Transport Show, Catton Hall, Nr Lichfield, Staffs. Tel. 01922-643385.
May 4th – Damn Yankees May Day National, North Weald Airfield, J7 M11. Tel. 0208-505-9930.
May 4-5th – Bedfordshire Classic Motor Show, Old Warden Airfield, Off A1 Beds. Tel. 01527-871150.
May 11th – 30th Sandwell Historic Vehicle Show, Sandwell Park, West Bromwich, West Midlands. Tel. 01922-643385.
May 18th – The Mendip Vintage & Classic Tour. Starts at Priddy, Wells, Somerset. Tel. 01749-676330, www.candhmotorclub.co.uk.
May 25-26th – Ragley Hall Classic Car and Transport Show, Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire. Tel. 01922-643385.
May 30th – June 1st - AAC UK Derbyshire Area's Beehive Jive, Rosliston, Burton on trent. DE12 8HZ. Tel. 01283-763981

June 1st – Can-Am Car Clubs Annual 'Lazy Sunday', St Edwards School, Poole. Tel. 01747-853248.
June 8th – London to Brighton Classic Car Run. Mercedes Benz World, nr Brooklands, Weybridge. Bookings. 01527-871150.
June 15th – Trentham Transport Festival, Trentham, Stoke on Trent. Tel. 01922-643385.
June 13-15th – AACI Summer Nationals, BiIling Aquadrome, Northants. (Harry Tune - 07974-415946)
June 15th - Bromley Pageant, Norman Park, Bromley, Kent. Tel. 01775-768661.
June 20th-22nd – AAC(UK) Summer Nationals, Stratford Racecourse. www.american-auto-club.co.uk.
June 28-29th – Wings, Wheels & Steam, Rougham Air Field, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Tel. 01359-270238.
June 28-29th – Corvette Club Summer Nationals, Huntingdon Racecourse, just off A1 – "All COCGB members welcome by special invitation."
June 29th – Bristol American Car Show, Yate Town Football Club, Bristol. Tel. 0117-957-3191.
June 29th – Sheffield Festival of Transport, Graves Park, Sheffield, Yorks. Tel. 01922-643385.
June 30th-July 1st – Stars & Stripes, Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire (pre-entry only). Tel. 01204-594266.

July 11-13th – Goodwood Festival of Speed, Goodwood House, Chichester. Tel. 01243-755055.
July 11-13th – Americana International, County Showground, Winthorpe, Nr Newark, Notts. Tel. 01159-390595. www.americana-promotions.co.uk
July 6th – Boughton Monchelsea Place Classic Show, Boughton Monchelsea Place, Near Maidstone, Kent. Tel. 01922-643385.
July 12th-13th – Essex Classic Motor Show, Bartleylands, Billericay, Essex. Tel.
July 27th – Rally of the Giants, Pre-50 AAC. Knebworth, Herts. Tel. 01530-831170.
July 20th – Beaumanor Hall Classic Car and Transport Show. Beaumanor Hall, Woodhouse, Leics. Tel. 01922-643385.
July 20th – Newby Hall Classic Car Show. Newby Hall, Rippon, Nth Yorks. 'Harry' on laurenm20042002@yahoo.co.uk.
July 19-20th – Grand Vintage & Classic Gathering, Five Heads Road, Horndean, Hants. Tel. 023-9264-9474.

September 21st – COCGB Brooklands Event – in celebration of the winning of the Cadillac's first Dewar Trophy in 1908 – detail to be advised.

European & Overseas Events

May 22nd-25th – 2nd Grand European, Speyer, Nr Frankfurt, Western Germany. See detail at www.classiccars.de/cccd/events/2002e.htm.
August 11th-16th – US 50th Anniversary Grand National, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA. For full information see Cadillac LaSalle Club

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!