Our journey to the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show officially kicked off on 30th May 2025, when an email from the event organisers landed in our inbox offering us a club stand. After briefly pretending to “think it over,” we accepted faster than a Rover Mini hitting 60mph downhill with a tailwind.

From that moment, the hunt for four show-worthy vehicles began. We knew that for our first year, we wanted to celebrate the stars of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. After many conversations, debates, and at least one emotional “that car has to be there,” we finally settled on our fantastic four.

Then came the task of designing the stand—because if we were going to do this, we were going to do it properly. First on the list was a club hub: a cosy gazebo stocked with merchandise. We also wanted a seating area where visitors could relax, chat with our stand team, and share their stories of the opening ceremony (or, in many cases, their stories of Minis they once owned and regretted selling).

Next up was the front desk—a place to welcome people in with a smile, a friendly wave, and possibly a cup of tea if we’d thought to bring a kettle. We also added a video display to show highlights from our past events, plus four display boards: two all about the Commonwealth Car Club and our members, and two proudly dedicated to our sponsor, Best of British MG Rover Spares.

Before we knew it, November arrived at full throttle. On Thursday 6th November, we set to work building the stand, and by midday the cars began rolling in. Then came the polishing… oh, the polishing. Let’s just say if shiny paintwork was an Olympic sport, we’d have taken gold.

The show opened on Friday 7th November, launching three very long, very busy, and very unforgettable days. Yes, it was tiring. And yes, by Sunday we were running mostly on caffeine and pure enthusiasm. But being part of such a huge event—our first as a club—was an absolute honour and an experience we’ll be talking about for years to come.