Coventry Motofest 2019 – Citroën Centenary Part 1
The Coventry Motofest is a very well organised annual event that practically shuts down Coventry for two days a year, and this was my first year to visit. Why I hadn’t manage it before was beyond me, why the day I went the weather was so bad too was a mystery.
So, surviving the heavy rain I made the best of what was a superb event. A really good mixture of static and moving displays, the famous Coventry inner ring road turning into a sprint stage.
The reason I couldn’t put it off any longer was that the UK celebration of the Citroën centenary, I wasn’t going to miss it and took the opportunity to see as much of the rest of the event as I could. I should have finished in this section as the weather was better, but indoors near Ikea were some of the transport museum gems.
Firstly was this. Ok, it’s an Austin Mini Metro…. It was built in the UK quite close to Coventry across in Birmingham at the now demolished Longbridge factory. This one was a little bit more special that the norm, although I do quite like the Metro, this one was bought by Prince Charles for Lady Diana Spencer who was a mere teenager at the time dating the eventual heir to the throne. She used the car regularly but not over large distances. Living in London probably put paid to that, but even with three subsequent owners it’s only covered 30,000 miles.
Look at the glass area of the older car, giving the light and airy feel that’s now missing. Something this size now has windows the size of arrow slits giving the occupants a feeling of claustrophobia.
Just around the corner in the same building was something built in Coventry, a Jaguar XJ-S. This one was rather pink though… Turns out it was originally a promotional vehicle built for the launch of the facelifted convertible in 1990, note the lack of roll over bars. It was shipped off to Bosnia to appear in a Michael Winner film starring Omar Sharif. Sadly it got stuck there during the crisis and was badly damaged. So Jaguar decided to make it into the Barbie XJ-S giving it it’s new colour scheme to promote the licensed toy by Mattel. I might be able to afford the toy version, although I might have to mail order one rather than try to find one to buy in a charity shop….
Another very important vehicle on display was the AC Thundersley Invacar. You may be thinking what, but if you were around in Britain in the 1970s and 80s these would have been a common sight. A rather brilliant little vehicle that could be adapted to all sorts of disabilities, Built with steering wheels, handlebars and tillers to control them. Later versions with the 493cc Steyr-Puch engines could hit 82mph! AC and Invacar built approximately half each of the 15,000 or so built for the UK government between 1972 and 1977. Invacar built Greeves motorcycles originally, the first Invacars from 1948 were 148cc Villiers engind contraptions based on a motorcycle, something which continued with the later ones. AC cars originally built things like the 2000 saloon, the Ace and the Cobra!
All very important in their own right, but it was the Invacar that made a huge difference to servicemen and then disabled people, often wheelchair users mobility at minimal costs. Leased to the end users directly by the government it was the original Motability scheme. Open to new applicants until 1977 when campaigning brought it to an end due to safety concerns, existing drivers could keep them until sadly the government sadly scrapped all road going ones, complete cars they had in storage and all the spares. Quite wasteful as they are quite an oddity and I would love a go in one. The good news is that some survived, about 15 or so, so I might get the chance. The Model 70 pictured is the one I remember, earlier ones were a little different.
I miss the sight of the very unusual Invacar, they would even make it onto TV. When forced to sit through some football highlights, waiting for something else to come on, there would be an Invacar sitting behind a corner flag as that got the disabled user into the football ground and able to watch the game. Never again will we see people spectating from their cars at an sport again, I’m sure.
Of course there were going to be more Jaguars, this collection from Jaguar Land Rover Classic, which featured the XKSS I remembered from Retromobile in 2017, I think it’s the same car that Jaguar are hanging onto. For now at least.
The Mk2 saloon was stunning, but the Mk7 (I think) was lovely, there was a kind of elegant drawing room about it. The kind of car I’d have hoped to be driving around in, in period. Built in around 1955 this large saloon featured a split front windscreen, the ability to make large pieces of glass, certainly cheap enough, was proving tricky still.
It was pretty wet and I’d done a good job of avoiding the worst of the showers, they got heavier so I didn’t spend long watching the action on the circuit, but made my way to the French end of things by the cathedral. Coventry has a modern cathedral, which is quite striking and stands by the remains of the lovely old cathedral which was destroyed in the second world war. Equally striking now.
But inside the Cathedral there was something special, a celebration of the best of Citroën.
This early DS of around 1955 was a Slough built car, distinguishable by it’s right hand drive configuration. It’s not the only difference of course. They also built them in South Africa in right hand drive.
Another early example was the AZL ripple bonnet 2CV. This Paris built car was from around 1957, the grey steering wheel becoming a feature for that year. This one would have likely had a heater and ventilation too. The L in AZL referred to the aluminium strip on the bonnet.
Pre-dating the 2CV was the Traction Avant , introduced in 1934, this was also built in varous locations, Slough again being for those intended for the UK market. This 1938 Light 15 being one of them. A very rare and rather attractive car. Not the rear passenger seat outside the car. That’s what people who had children that could afford cars did with them. These days it’s tablets and in car Wi-Fi…
And lastly inside was the earliest of the cars, a 1925 type C3 or 5CV. Nearly as old as Citroën itself, this rather cute little car looked fabulous in it’s yellow coachwork. The foundations of the Citroën car company as we now it had roots in cars just like this.
Outside there were many Citroëns of all vintages, many DS, several 2CVs, Some CXs and even the odd C6. There really was a good selection, Citroëns were all over the place that day, the weather not putting anyone off attending.
On the grass by the cathedral there were some lovely examples of the DS with a few rare Pallas versions.
The fabulous red example was a Pallas from South Africa. All the style and grace and exclusivity of the Western versions, but with a carburetor engine, avoiding some of the trouble with the electronic fuel injection system, Worth knowing if I’m lucky enough to be shopping for one.
Metallic blue grey was a popular colour of the second generation of CX, especially at the end of the 1980s. I always loved the smooth shape, even when I was young. I had a Majorette (French of course) CX series one and loved the shape. I was always wondering about the obviously narrower rear track, almost excessively so on the toy version. The aerodynamic hints to the way the car tapers was obvious, like the tail of an airplane. The drag factor of the original series one was an impressive 0.36. CX is the French for drag factor or Cd as we know, coincidence, I don’t think so.
Of course there were Tractions, this Paris build 11 with nice yellow wheels caught my eye. This is the archetypal Traction for me and what I would want. I need to clear out some first and then, who knows.
This bright green Mehari was looking a little out of place in the rain, normally at home in the Côte d’Azur or such places. Apparently it takes around half an hour to assemble the hood and frame and fit the doors.
I’m going to finish with something that isn’t Citroën, but something very British and filmed in in part in Coventry, The Italian Job with Michael Caine. Over 50 years ago Minis just like this were lowered into a new sewer in Stoke Aldemoor and raced though to get the amazing footage from the escape scene. Coventry sewers doubling for Italy rather well. These replicas were stunning, as good as you can get.
As always, more photos in the Jalopy Facebook gallery, click the link here.
Simon