Taz was working all day yesterday so I took a solo drive down to West Sussex to the Ardingly show.
Held at the South of England showground, it was very busy -lots of steam, lots of classics, lots of sunshine. I've got sunburnt ears -again. I really enjoy these classic shows; not just for the vehicles but for the atmosphere. The friendliness & enthusiasm of the owners makes wandering around the vehicles a real pleasure. This year the show had an additional feature -aerial acrobatics performed by a Pitts Special & not one, but two Spitfires. The first was running the 990hp Merlin engine & sounded amazing as it swept across the showground at tree top level -that growling exhaust note's absolutely unmistakeable & just makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. Stunning.
The second was one of the very last production models & was fitted with the 2035hp Griffon motor. 36 litres of 2 stage supercharged V12. Looked the same but had a completely different sound with an eerie whistle as it dived at full throttle from the clouds.
Favourite car of the day for me was probably the rare as anything long wheelbase series one Landy, followed by the Bentley tourer, or the Chevy Grey Ghost State Patrol car, or one of the Bond 3 wheelers or...or... A huge variety of machinery on show. Well worth a visit.
Photos here:
http://mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/photos.htm
