Classic car rally in Leamington next month

The event, organised by the Rotary Club of Royal Leamington Spa and sponsored by Kia Warwick, will be staged at the Pump Room Gardens on Sunday June 30 to raise money for local charities.

Rotary president David Leigh-Hunt said: “I believe this will be the first such classic car rally of this size to be staged in the town and we hope it will become an annual event. All the money raised will go to local charities and I would like to thank David Derbyshire at Kia Warwick for his generous sponsorship.

“We are also very grateful to Leamington BID for their financial support and to the British Motor Museum for promoting us and for providing some cars,” he said.

A large crowd is expected and there will be live entertainment throughout the day on the newly-refurbished bandstand, food and drink outlets, a picnic area and a sponsor’s site with Kia Cars.

Cars from individual owners and classic car clubs across the region will be at the show, including Graham Taylor from Whitnash and his Austin Healey Sprite Mk IV, which he bought for £500 in 1977 when he was just 19.

It could have proved a risky decision to buy the “slightly tatty” car as just days later he was due to drive to Cornwall with his girlfriend (now his wife) and friends, who drove their own Spitfire.

Despite no guarantee the car would make it, Graham decided he had to have it and it proved a wise investment, getting them to and from Cornwall without any problems and continuing to be reliable for the next four decades.

For more information, visit www.carsatthespa.co.uk