HERITAGE TRANSPORT SHOW RELEASE
FEBRUARY 2014
Penny Farthing to Jaguar E-Type
The annual Heritage Transport Show has seen good entries to date for the event which will take place at the Kent County Showground on Saturday 5th April.
Lucy Hegarty, event organiser has received over 300 entries for vehicles and The South East Bus Festival will be exhibiting an additional 52 buses and coaches. These figures are expected to rise significantly during the next month.
The oldest vehicle that has currently been entered is an 1882 Penny Farthing. This early form of transport was one of the fastest things on the road. Penny Farthings were hard to ride, fairly dangerous and expensive. They generally appealed to wealthy young men with time on their hands and who craved the speed and excitement of such machines.
One of the oldest cars attending will be a 1924 Rolls Royce Twenty. Rolls Royce was formed over a famous lunch in May 1904 between Henry Royce and Charles Rolls and this year the iconic brand will celebrate 110 years in transport. 2013 was a spectacular year for Rolls Roce, with over 3600 cars delivered to customers, the most in the company’s history. Demand is so high that 100 new jobs will be created at its Goodwood plant.
Throughout its production history Rolls Royce has manufactured luxury vehicles, however the Rolls Royce Twenty was considered by the manufacturer to be a ‘small car’. There were only 3,000 made during the 1920’s before production ceased in 1929.
One of the rarest cars on show will be the 1928, Bentley 4.5 litre Vanden Plas Tourer. Only 720 of these came off the production line as well as 55 supercharged versions known as the ‘Bentley Blower’.
Lucy Hegarty, organiser said “It has been wonderful to receive so many entries for the Heritage Transport Show and I am pleased that the event has been recognized as a milestone in the transport festival calendar. Much of the Show’s increasing reputation is very much down to the hard work of the Committee and the time they spend encouraging enthusiasts to come along.”
The entries for the Show include cars, commercial vehicles, stationary engines, military transport, tractors and motorbikes. Each decade is represented right through to one of the newest exhibits a ‘V’ reg Jaguar XK8 convertible registered in 2000. Jaguar started manufacturing cars after the Second World War. It produced premium saloons and sports cars, including the legendary XK120, the first of which was delivered to Clarke Gable.
Throughout its time Jaguar pushed the boundaries of design and many of their models have stood the test of time. The E-type still features as one of the all-time best looking cars. There are three confirmed entries of the E-type from 1965, 1967 and 1973. The E-type was in production at the Cowley plant from 1961 to 1974 and during that period built over 72,000 cars.
Bernard Pike, Chairman of the Heritage Committee explained, “We are lucky that our exhibitors appreciate the many different makes, models and genres of vintage vehicles. It makes for an exciting Show with visitors able to appreciate the growth of the transport industry through the years.”
Advance tickets are available to purchase online until 22nd March or by phone on 01622 630975 (£1.50 booking fee per transaction applicable). Advance tickets will be £5.00 per person, children under 12 free. Gate prices £8.00 per person, under 12’s free. Gates open from 10am – 4pm. For more information please contact the Kent Showground on 01622 630975.
For more information please visit:
http://kentshowground.co.uk/society/heritageday/
www.facebook.com/pages/Heritage-Transport-Show/
Lucy Hegarty
Event Organiser & Kent County Show Manager, 01622 630975
South East Bus Festival
For more information visit their website www.arrivabus.co.uk/southeastbusfestival or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/southeastbusfestival.
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