Star Cars @ NEC Classic get the Meguiar's treatment!

For classic car enthusiasts from across the UK there’s one show you simply cannot miss each year – the NEC Classic Motor Show. Not only is this the biggest classic car show in the UK, it’s also one of the biggest car shows throughout Europe, bringing together thousands of incredible display cars and hundreds of thousands of car fans over the four-day event.

With so many incredible cars on display it’s seriously difficult to pick out a favourite, but to make things that little bit easier this year the Classic Motor Show featured a ‘Star Cars’ section near the main stage showcasing an array of stunning vehicles from a wide range of eras and manufacturers.

It was a real pleasure for Meguiar’s to be put in charge of keeping each of these vehicles looking gleaming every day of the show, not to mention having the opportunity to display our very own Crown Vic alongside the other Star Cars. So let’s take a closer look at some of our favorites on display…

Mike Brewer’s 1976 Porsche 912 E

The 1970s were a difficult time for Porsche, particularly in the USA. A fuel crisis and poor sales, particularly of the Volkswagen-developed 914 meant it was necessary for Porsche to rethink its strategy in what was, and still is, an important market.

Mike found this particular example in Carolina, USA, in 2014. “The body was superb, but it had been painted yellow and some point in its life” says Mike. “When we got it back to the UK and started to prep it for paint we realised it was actually blue, so we’ve repainted it in the original colour.”

As a car that was never sold in the UK, the 912E creates quite a bit of interest when Mike has the opportunity to show it, and he secretly admits that of all the cars in his collection, this is probably his favourite.

Ant Anstead’s Retro GT

These new builds are assembled from the ground up and built here in the UK, sourcing all materials and components from new. Over the years, Ant has made a name for himself building recreation cars, while experimenting with designs of his own. He is now so busy with TV, the time has come to end the production of road going replicas and to try out new things.

Only a matter of a few weeks ago the urge to build something new struck again. And with the help of Ant’s team, they produced this beautiful retro GT…from scratch! The car is influenced by two decades of car design, drawing on elements of cars that are the most beautiful to Ant and his team. And I think you will agree they have truly nailed it.

At this stage the car is simply a rolling model with the finished, road going example due to be completed sometime in the new year. There is a lot planned for 2017. Keep an eye on Ant’s Twitter @antanstead for updates.

Mike Brewer’s 1917 Ford Model T Coupe

Before the Model T’s arrival in 1908, cars had been expensive and were the pursuit only the wealthiest of people. Henry Ford’s baby changed all that, and not only did it mobilise much of the world, but cemented Ford’s place as one of the world’s true automotive giants.

This car, from 1917 is a Model T Coupe, a car that was produced from 1909-1912 and then from 1917-1927, with this particular Coupe coming from the start of the second production run. Mike discovered this car in a barn in Oregon, USA. “It was totally original” says Mike. “It had had just two owners and had been untouched for almost 100 years.”

The car has been treated to a battery conversion making it easier to use, but other than that, remains exactly how Henry Ford intended, right down to its original wooden wheels and even the original tyres.

Jesse McClure’s 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is probably best-known to us in the UK as the car of choice for ‘The Bandit’ aka Burt Reynolds in the 1977’s classic car movie, Smokey and The Bandit.

The Firebird had been around for a number of years, with the first Firebirds launching in 1967, sharing its platform with the Chevrolet Camaro. It evolved steadily with each new model year, with the second generation model launching in 1970, a model that would eventually become iconic thanks to its partnership with Burt Reynolds in the original movie and the 1980 sequel.

Jesse has christened the Pontiac ‘Lilly’ and came to the UK with Jesse while filming and starring in his latest TV show, British Treasure, American Gold, now being shown on Quest. It’s powered by a 6.6 litre (403 cubic inch) V8 developing 197bhp. Over 150,000 Trans Ams were built in the year that ‘Lilly’ left the production line.