With a stellar line-up of celebrity drivers and guests, over 140 rally cars in action and a host of attractions spread over four halls and beyond, Reis Race Retro 2020 proved to be a real hit with enthusiasts on February 21-23. Indeed, almost 25,000 enthusiasts braved the inclement weather conditions over the weekend to attend the annual celebration of all things historic motorsport.
Inside the halls, show debutant and former French World Rally Champion Didier Auriol was just one of the guests appearing on the Reis Live Stage, hosted by Gemma Scott. European Rally Champion Chris Ingram, F1 driver Martin Donnelly, Le Mans racer Andy Wallace, and former McLaren F1 mechanic Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley were also interviewed.
On stage, Wayne Scott of the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club also paid tribute to legendary Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis OBE, who passed away last year, alongside the ‘Life of Legend’ display curated in his honour. This included a Jaguar C Type on which Dewis began honing the disc brake concept, the E-Type registered 77RW that he famously drove to the Geneva Motor Show overnight in 1961, and the XJ13 he developed and survived a major crash in.
In the same hall, ‘The Greatest Grid’ display celebrated 70 years of Formula One with some ground-breaking race cars, while the Reis Pride of the Paddock competition was won by Paul Boscott’s 1967 Lotus Elan Plus 2. Brian Betteridge’s 1988 Ford RS200 took second place, with Jim Angliss’ modified 1967 Ford Anglia 105E in third.
Paul Boscott’s 1967 Lotus Elan Plus 2 won the Reis Pride of the Paddock competition.
There was also an excellent turnout of over 250 specialist traders and car clubs, as well as a busy autojumble featuring some excellent bargains. Silverstone Auctions’ two-day sale also secured some good results, including an Aston Martin DB5 at a whopping £708,750, a WRC 2007 Subaru Impreza selling at £189,000, an ultra-rare 1992 Lancia Hyena Zagato at £168,750 and a Renault 5 Turbo 2 at over £70,000.
Richard Morley, Broking Director at Reis Motorsport Insurance, commented: “The show celebrates all that is great about the motorsport community and there is truly something for every enthusiast to enjoy. It was our first year as headline sponsor and a fantastic way to kick start the season for us.”
To see all the latest news and pictures from the 2020 event and the 2021 updates, visit www.raceretro.com.
