The Cambridge-Oxford Owners Club gathered over 150 cars for its celebration of the BMC Farina during its 60th birthday, held at Swanwick Junction Museum’s preserved railway near Ripley in Derbyshire on July 20-21.
Farina fans came from all over the UK and Europe to celebrate all aspects of these badge-engineered derivatives of the Cambridge and Westminster, which were sold from 1959 until 1971. Activities included a live band performing ‘60s songs, a period dress competition, a slot car tournament using A60 Cambridge models specially made by the Racing Room, the screening of a 1968 documentary about Pininfarina himself and much more.
Police Constable Tony Gledhell was guest of honour and did two laps of the site in a Wolseley 6/110 police car before giving a talk. Tony was awarded his George Cross, which is the highest honour that can be bestowed on a civilian for an act of bravery, after chasing a 6/110 manual with five criminals in it through South London. The incident saw the police 6/110 auto that Tony was driving stolen at gunpoint and him dragged along the road, yet four out of the five criminals were still apprehended!
Club chairman Taff Gillingham said: ”We’ve had a fabulous weekend, I really can’t believe that 60 years on so many of the cars are here being enjoyed, and in some cases fixed, by other members so their owners can get home! We organised the first anniversary event in 1989, which doesn’t seem long ago, yet now the cars are twice the age they were then, and it’s great to see so many of the families and cars which were present then here today as well. We’ve had just over 150 cars on site over the whole weekend, a superb turnout, and remarkable for an international club with less than 800 members devoted to a single family of cars.”
Word and photos by John Lakey
