Ilkeston Car Show crowds set town record

A colossal car show that is staged every summer in one of Erewash’s towns is threatening to overtake its famous charter fair in popularity – after the Sunday spectacular was revealed to have attracted record crowds.

Thousands packed the centre of Ilkeston for the annual festival of motoring, which sees vehicles from yesteryear take over the Market Place and surrounding streets. The biggest number of exhibits were old Fords – but all kinds of marques were among the hundreds of vehicles on display.

They included buses, trucks, tanks, traction engines and motorbikes. A highlight of the family-friendly extravaganza was when two aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight roared overhead. Excited parents and youngsters had expected a flypast by just one historic warplane – but looked up to see a World War Two Supermarine Spitfire AND a Hawker Hurricane.

The entire event was absolutely free. Erewash’s Mayor Cllr Greg Maskalick, who was there with his wife Gail, said: “We had an incredible time. Ilkeston was packed with people.”

He was asked to judge the best vehicle on show plus two runners-up – with a brief that they should be motors he would want to take home. Because he was born in Pennsylvania he awarded all three rosettes to American cars.

The overall winner was an F-Series 1948 Ford COE (cab over engine) truck. Greg grinned after congratulating owner Mick Wood: “It reminded me of what I saw as a kid growing up in Indiana Township outside Pittsburgh. You’d see these as junk cars on people’s driveways or in farm fields by the side of the road.”

The two runners-up also brought back memories. One was a 1958 Cadillac 62 four-door Sedan de Ville, whose owners are Karl and Heather Clements.

Greg said: “When Gail and I lived in Los Angeles in the 1980s our elderly neighbour had one of these. We would go for rides in it to the beach.”

The other rosette went to a 1928 Ford Model A – which replaced the iconic Model T. It is the pride and joy of Dr Neil Hand.

Greg joked: “The Mayor should always be impartial so all I can say about the top three winners being American cars is, ‘Oops!’. To be honest there must have been at least 300 cars, tanks, buses and steam engines on display – and all are winners.”

The Ilkeston Heritage and Classic Vehicle Show is organised by the events arm of the council-backed Erewash Partnership, which is an organisation that works to boost local businesses. Its chief is Ian Viles – who the Mayor saluted for making the festival such a huge hit.

Greg said: “A big thankyou to Ian for sorting the whole thing out. You and your team are amazing.”

A video clip of the Spitfire and Hurricane flypast is here on Facebook.