Vintage beauties rev up memories in UK town

More than 300 cars, some of which were made long before World War 11, went on display at a tiny British coastal resort and one of them was a refurbished vehicle found in a derelict state at an isolated deserted farm.

The stunning cars, worth more than £50 million (Dh264.8 million), have come from various parts of the United Kingdom and owners of some of them said they were willing to sell their vehicles without disclosing for how much.

Some of the vehicles at the show at the tiny mountainous North Welsh town of Prestatyn overlooking the Irish Sea were so old that even people who had lived during the Second World War would view them as antique.

"This is the 14th show of to be held in Prestatyn. Cars had come from Wales and surrounding areas in the beginning but they have started to pour from all over the UK as the show got bigger over the years,”said Tim Williams, the show organizer.

 "Every year, it gets bigger and we hope in the future cars from outside the UK will participate in this great event…it never ceases to amaze me…we have been holding the show for 14 years and although we get regular support from a hardcore of local car enthusiast, a large number come from as far as the South Cost of England and other areas, meaning there is always something new to look at,” he told Emirates 24/7.

Williams said the aim of the show is to attract more visitors to Prestatyn at a time when tourism in the UK has been hit by the global fiscal crisis and other developments.

"We want to keep this little beautiful town vibrant and lively…..…this show of classic cars is also informative as people will have a look at the type, brands and date of production of old cars. This show is really educative," he said.

He said this year’s show marks 50 years of the Porsche  911 and 100 years of the Aston Martin, featuring one of only 23 Vantage Flip Tail’s ever built, with a maximum speed of 170 mph.

Cars dating back to as early as First World War lined the small but packed main car park square in the heart of this quiet, clean hilly town, with a population of about 20,000. They included such famous brands as Ford, Austin and Dodge, manufactured between 40 and 90 years ago.

One of the most interesting vehicle on show was the  black “Big Nine, which its owner said is one of only two surviving vintage “Big Nine”. “It was found in a derelict state on a desolate farm in Wales in 1969,” the owner said.

Another attractive car on show was the Austin Chummy which was built in 1927 and the Austin 7 Ruby, produced in 1935.

Other vehicles were the MG T2 Midget, make in 1932, the red MG, built in 1954, Centry MG TF 1500, made in 1968, and the Austin Healey, which was made in 1959 and nicknamed the “Frogeye” due to what its owner said was the unusual headlamp arrangement.

A sticker placed on the MT T2 Midget read:”It was produced in 1932…this car was an outstanding value for just 199 pounds.”

Besides the car show, Prestatyn also hosts an annual carnival in summer, attracting thousands of people from across the UK. The carnival celebrated its golden jubilee in 2001. The traditional carnival parade takes place on a Saturday, and is followed by a carnival baby competition later in the day. In 2008, the carnival became a two-day event with the Sunday designated "Fun on the Field" day, providing a host of events including a talent show and dance competitions.

Prestatyn is sandwiched between the Irish Sea and majestic green hills and is also home to the first major offshore windmill farm in the UK.

Located about eight km off Prestatyn, the North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm was opened in 2003. It comprises 30 wind turbines with a combined maximum capacity of nearly 60MW – enough to power 40,000 homes.

The government has also just completed a multi-million-dollar project to revamp Prestatyn beach, involving a month-long clean-up operation, the opening of restaurants and cafés, and the construction of a big breakwater for pedestrians and cyclists.

Prestatyn, one of the most attractive resorts in Wales, is also famous for its clean air, fountains and caravans, which lure in thousands of tourists during summer.

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