The Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show 2025

The UK’s Premier Classic Motor Event – NEC Birmingham 7th–9th November

An extract from the Winter 2025 edition of the ‘Keebling’ magazine.

Launched in 1984, this year marked the Show’s 41st anniversary, and once again the Gordon-Keeble Owners’ Club was located in the prestigious Hall 1, sharing a stand with the Bristol Owners and Drivers Association. It is interesting to reflect our club’s meteoric rise through the ‘ranks’ of the halls over the last couple of years. Quite who we have to thank for that is not immediately obvious, but it is most surely appreciated and we are already taking steps to hopefully retain this ‘status quo’ for the future.

As has been mentioned elsewhere, the organisers’ theme for this year’s Show was “The Best of Both Worlds” – somewhat easier to illustrate than that of some previous years. While the two display cars represented ‘Standard or Modified’, another interpretation could be, as our outgoing Chair Len Lloyd put it, “the car for a Gentleman or a Hooligan” – as the mood takes you!

Throughout the three days, our stand drew a constant stream of visitors, all highly complimentary of the cars and their presentation, The positioning of our stand, adjacent to the outer walkway and alongside the food hall and bar, would undoubtedly have helped!

2025 saw 72,738 visitors attend, compared to 71,520 last year. And it was interesting to learn that 16 club members took advantage of the discount code, 6 up on the number in 2024. Once again, our thanks must be extended to club member Michael Cromarty for providing the storage and transportation of the growing amount of display material used on the stand, and his willing assistance in the stand set-up on the Thursday and removal on Sunday evening.

Many thanks, of course, to Len and Judith Lloyd for the form filling and box ticking in the run-up to the event and for laying out the stand, to all those who manned the stand during the Show and to the many members, ex-owners and friends who called in to say hello. Last, but certainly not least, our thanks to Paul Holmes and David Seaton for providing the most essential components of the display – the two beautifully-prepared cars!

Gordon-Keeble no.9 is an example from the early days of production in 1964, the body being built by Williams & Pritchard. Its earliest history is not documented until it came into the hands of James Burns in Belfast, who drove it to Austria every January for skiing holidays. It later passed to another GKOC member, then a Dr. Inge in Germany before being offered for sale in Switzerland, from where it was returned to England by a Devon dealer.

Paul Holmes, its current custodian, purchased the car in November 2007. He says he was drawn to the marque by its distinctive design, performance and its rarity, adding: “The car is a pleasure to drive, particularly on longer journeys. Its rarity never fails to attract attention at classic shows” – and the NEC proved to be no exception. 

Present owner David Seaton of chassis no. 88 (left) advises that it was supplied by Central Motors (Sheffield) Limited on 1st May 1965 with the registration number GWB 77C, and was originally finished in Golden Sand, with a red vinyl interior.

In the late seventies, whilst with its fourth owner, various upgrades were carried out by the GK Car Centre, including the fitting of Wolfrace wheels which, at the time, were regarded by some as the best wheel a Gordon-Keeble could wear. Also around this time, the original number plate was replaced with 200 BRP which it still wears today. In 1982, now living with a new owner in London, the engine was rebuilt and the car sprayed blue.

In 1996, the car was bought by the owner of Ch. no. 49, who decided to modify no. 88, whilst commissioning a full body-off restoration. The alterations included adjustable air suspension, so that it could be raised to navigate the speed bumps in North London. The restoration was carried out by the well-known Gordon-Keeble specialist, Terry Harris, who also re-finished the car in Aston Martin Royal Cherry, and re-trimmed the interior in leather. To give a slightly more purposeful look, each alternate horizontal bar was removed from the grille.