A feast of fantastic machinery ranging from one of the oldest cars in the world – an 1897 Daimler – all the way to F1 and Le Mans racers from the 90s will excite visitors to the first Pageant of Power to be held at Cholmondeley Castle, South Cheshire on August 9 & 10.
Most of the cars will take part in time trials over a newly created race course – and there will also be an opportunity for rides aboard some of the classic vehicles.
This year’s featured car make is Alfa Romeo with eight classics from the company’s heyday between the wars already entered.
With over 100 entries confirmed the Pageant of Power looks set to become one of the hits of this year’s “Cheshire Season” – attracting petrolheads, families and celebrities alike.
The earliest days of motoring before the first world war are represented by some familiar names – Daimler (this is the oldest surviving model), Benz, Rolls Royce and Opel for example – and others that have long since disappeared such as Star, GN and the splendidly named Newton Bennett Tourer.
Car production started in earnest in the twenties and classic makes such as Napier, Delage, Bugatti, Morgan, Fraser Nash, Riley (this car was a runner up at the classic Le Mans 24 hours) and ERA (English Racing Automobiles) will all be at Cholmondeley.
The biggest concentration of cars is from the fifties with Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lotus, Austin Healey and Lister among the British big hitters of the period represented.
Among the sixties entrants are the first wave of Americans that came over to contest the British Saloon Car Championship. The Ford Galaxy and Mustang both took on and often beat the up to then all-conquering Jaguars and will line up alongside their GT40 (the famous Ford France Le Mans car) and racing Capri brethren.
The seventies and eighties are represented by a diverse collection ranging from a racing Ford Sierra all the way to a tiny DAF coupe powered by a mighty American V8!
There is a huge variety of racing cars from the iconic fifties Maserati “birdcage” – named for the complexity of its chassis – through the famous “Chocolate Drop” Chevron of the 70s and up to an ex-Schumacher Benetton F1 car.
Coming right up to date the Pageant will also see quite modern McLaren (this Harrods sponsored car won at Le Mans), Ferrari and Porsche models. Completing the GT40 story there is a modern-day version previously owned by Jeremy Clarkson.
All the cars will be out in the open and accessible to everyone - not tucked away in paddocks just for the VIPs.
The event will feature 40 racing bikes and 90 racing cars – vintage, classic and modern day, competing on the new circuit. In addition there will be motorbikes and vintage cars on display in the grounds.
Inshore powerboat racing will take place on the 25 acre mere and helicopters will be flying in and displayed including the famous MASH bubble cabin helicopter and the Skeeter made from canvas and wood.
There will be a trade village with attractions for all the family - picnics, jazz bands, food and champagne tents, shopping, crafts and a funfair.
Tickets are £25 per day for Adults – children under 16 go free, or £40 per adult for a weekend ticket. Ticket Hotline number is 01264 882200 or buy on-line at pageantofpower.com
