James Martin triumphed in the Prestige and Performance Motor Show

Filed under: Classic News |
TV CHEF JAMES MARTIN SERVES UP ANOTHER AUTOGLYM CELEBRITY CONCOURS WINFor the third year in succession, TV chef and renowned car enthusiast, James Martin, triumphed in the Autoglym Celebrity Concours at MPH The Prestige and Performance Motor Show. Following victories in each of the last two years’ competitions with a 1958 Corvette and a perfect replica of a Ferrari 250 GTO, Martin took top honours at last weekend’s MPH show at the NEC with a fastidiously restored 1967 Mustang. It saw of stiff competition from BBC Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond’s Morgan Aeromax, one of only 100 ever made, and a Rolls Royce Corniche entered by Hammond’s co-presenter James May. Rock star Jay Kay also showcased his Ferrari Enzo and a classic Porsche Speedster. The winning car is based on a 225 bhp 4.7-litre V8 Mustang GTA Fastback with a four-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. Martin bought it on auction site eBay and shipped it from the USA to be restored over two years by Carmichael Sport Cars of Southampton. It now features a 450 bhp 5.4 V8, mated to a five-speed manual transmission and sprints to 60 mph in a blistering 5.5 seconds. Meanwhile, the Autoglym Invitation Concours Trophy was won by Jim Rose’s white 1935 Riley Imp. Having been stored in a barn from 1959 to 2000, the car has been subject to 5,000 hours’ rebuild and restoration over the last six years with the help of experts at The Brooklands Motor Company. Of special note is the stunning paintwork which is as pure a white as can be consisting only of a base white paint and no tinters. The judges commented that the Riley was one of the most expertly restored and best presented classics they’d seen in over 30 years of adjudicating at concours competitions. This was the Riley’s first concours outing and it will now go on display at The Brooklands Museum.Tags: