Bromley Pageant of Motoring, presented by Classics World, enjoys a successful return at its new Ardingly venue
Transplanting a show from a busy London Borough to a showground in rural West Sussex may sound like a massive change, but the rebooted Bromley Pageant of Motoring proved it still had the old magic on July 27. The event was effectively forced out of home of more than 40 years, Norman Park, due to the extension of London’s ULEZ – a change that saw it take a break in 2024. But with a new home found at the South of England Showground near Ardingly, enthusiasts responded in their droves by amassing an impressive 2500 cars – 500 up on the last two events at the previous location.
Remarkably, the layout remained pleasingly familiar, with a bustling live action arena at the heart of the show, huge car club areas, and the return of the much-loved one-make parking area. Just as before, the Pageant lived up to its name by encompassing all facets of the old car hobby, whether it was traditional classics, pre-war cars, commercial vehicles, modern classics or hot rods, while tractors and stationary engines also made a welcome comeback.
Club displays were widespread and varied, ranging from the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society stand to Southside Motorsport and its array of modified machinery. The Stag Owners’ Club’s South East London branch organised an enormous display of Triumph Stags, as did the TVRCC’s Selkent region, in celebration of 60 years of the rebooted TVR company. There were also great turnouts from the Vauxhall Cresta Club and BMW South East Enthusiasts, plus packed stands from a host of Ford, Mini and MG clubs too. If you liked variety, you found it here.
Rarities in the one-make area included a Datsun 160B from the Netherlands and a Marina with a supercharged, diesel B-Series motor, plus everything from a Honda NSX to a line-up of Land Rovers. Meanwhile, a busy trade and autojumble area offered plenty of goodies, and the Norfolk Pavillion hosted several further retailers, including our own Classics World stand.
An award ceremony concluded the day in traditional fashion, with the sheer variety on its display resulting in the Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club being awarded the coveted Best Club accolade. The big one, Best in Show, went to the 1986 Audi Quattro 10V belonging to Gary Dyer.
Some teething troubles with the sheer weight of traffic and a bike show using one of the venue’s main gates did cause some traffic issues, but the day undoubtedly represented a sterling comeback for this much-loved event. We’re already looking forward to 2026!
