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Get Geared up for the Biggest Classic Car Festival in the Borders
This weekend all the best vintage vehicles from all around the country will be travelling to Thirlestane Castle for the 'festival of motoring' organised by the Borders Vintage Automobile Club (BVAC). Here at ScotlandShop we supply a lot of our customers with tartan for upholstering their vintage cars (see our previous blogs), so I thought it would be fitting to have a closer look at what goes on at the BVAC Classic Car Festival.
The festival is expecting over 7000 guests and around 1400 vehicles to attend on Sunday 3rd June, and the Sunday Times even listed the event in the Top 10 car festivals in the UK. When the festival first started in 1972 it was held at Mellerstain House just outside Kelso, but now in its 46th year Thirlestane Castle, home to the Maitland family in Lauder, will host the festival as they have done for the past few years. You can learn a bit more about the Maitland's and their clan history on our clan pages.
This year's festival will have a theme of 'family car through the ages' and you will have to attend to see what kind of cars fit into this category! On show there will be a whole array of different vehicles including cars, motorcycles, commercial, steam, military, agriculture and American Classics. If vintage cars aren't necessarily your thing don't worry the day will be full of family friendly fun including live music, shopping, various entertainment and even a food village with something to inspire every age.
There will also be a few special displays throughout the Castle grounds as it is the 70th Anniversary of Land Rover, Citroen 2CV and Lotus, with this anniversary marking not when the companies were actually founded but the year that each of the cars were first designed. Lotus are commemorating the momentous occasion by releasing two brand new Lotus models which they haven't done since 2008. The Jim Clark Trust will also have a stand where they will be promoting the legacy of the famous formula 1 racer, Jim Clark , who was from ScotlandShop's home town of Duns. You can read all about him on our April blog.
The BVAC is a car enthusiast group based in the Scottish Borders, they regularly get together for breakfast, attend other car shows and festivals, host film nights, quizzes and even go on excursions in summer. Anyone can join the group whether they own a classic car or are just very passionate about them, everyone is welcome. It is also very important to the group that they support other clubs and events in the Borders, and since their event has been so successful they are contributing to the local economy immensely with visitors coming from all over the country and enjoying the local area while they are here.
If you're interested in Classic Cars or just looking for a fun way to spend your Sunday then the BVAC Classic Car Festival is the place to be, if you do manage to attend we would love to see your pictures especially if you spot some tartan car upholstery!
