Features

Long before he was in charge of BBC Radio Norfolk, David Clayton was a Sunday morning presenter on the station.

He casually mentioned on air about his boyhood love of classic cars. Having grown up in the 1950s and 1960s, the many British makes inspired him to buy car books and stand at the side of the road car spotting. Yes, car spotting!

"I remember trying to find out on air who had the oldest car still running around Norfolk's roads," said David.

"A few letters trickled in about old Rileys, Austins, Jowetts and Hillmans. I read them out and more letters arrived. It just grew and grew," he said.

Love of classic cars

It all ended up with the various claimants to having a regularly-used and cherished old car bringing them along to the first BBC Radio Norfolk Old Car Rally on Earlham Park in Norwich one September day in 1981.

A hundred cars turned up and it was clear to David that the radio station had tapped into a real Norfolk love of classic cars.

This car was too hot to handle

BBC Radio Norfolk then went on to organise an annual old car rally but discovered the event clashed with the Annual Police Gala Day.

Rather than cause two traffic jams around Norwich, a quick meeting with the police resulted in the two events combining for the first time in 1984. They've been together ever since producing a huge family day out and the biggest gathering of classic cars in Norfolk.

Weird and wonderful

From the very first BBC Radio Norfolk Old Car Rally, local car restorer David Wall has judged the event and has helped maintain the tradition of finding a car that best fulfils the title of "faithful old servant."

He has seen many classic cars but loves the BBC Radio Norfolk Old Car Rally because different cars turn up than those normally spotted at similar events.

David Clayton has always maintained that there are still hidden gems behind garage doors all over Norfolk just waiting to turn up at the station's car rally.

From Rolls-Royces to Mini Mokes, from a De Lorean to Bubble cars, the Old Car Rally has seen them all. The weird and wonderful have always been welcome and will continue to please the enthusiast and the curious for years to come.