Crowds turn out for 18th isles Classic Motor Show

As the early morning haar showed signs of lifting, large numbers of of people turned up for Shetland’s 18th Classic Motor Show at Clickimin in Lerwick.

The biennial event, which is held in the main and bowls halls and surrounding car parks, is organised by the Shetland Classic Motor Cycle Club and the Shetland Classic Car Club. The main sponsor is NorthLink Ferries.

Cars and motorbikes feature largely but there are also substantial displays of other vehicles including buses, lorries, vans, tractors. Stationery engines, bicycles, models, memorabilia and archive photos are on display too.

Attracting much interest in the tractors section was a pink 1947 Ferguson, originally petrol, then petrol-paraffin and later converted to diesel.

The “Wee Pink Fergie” was restored by Kevin Innes from Strichen near Fraserburgh, after being discovered in a poor state having travelled down from Orkney in a skip.

Around the time he began the project Mr Innes’s wife Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer. He hit on the idea of painting the tractor pink and taking it around the country to shows to help raise money for the ARI Ward 309 Breast Cancer Fund (see main story in next week’s Shetland Times).

Some of the oldest cars in the show are locally owned, such as Erik Erasmuson’s 1923 Bean 11.9 and Brian Wilkinson’s 1933 Austin 7 Saloon.

Others are much further travelled, such as Bill Barron from Aberdeen’s 1930 Bentley Blower Le Mans Tourer and Alan McKinnon’s 1931 Alvis 12/60 having come all the way from Leicester.

Two of the largest engines, at an astonishing 6,750cc apiece and both coming from Glasgow, could be found on another Bentley owned by David Nimmo and the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow displayed by Nicol Cleland.

At the other end of the spectrum, but no less impressive, was Jonathan Barwick’s Citroën 2CV-6, coming in at just 602cc.