Lancaster Insurance Pride of Ownership
Celebrating classic cars and their owners, this fantastic display gathers together enthusiasts with the best stories about the rarest, most unusual and cherished vehicles.
We have seen cars found as a wreck and restored to its former glory, those that have been owned over decades from new by the same owner, some extremely rare examples and many with wonderful stories of how they hold significant sentimental value to a loved one.
The winner is chosen by you, the visitors, voted for throughout the show giving owners the opportunity to tell you their story and why you should pick their car.
The awards presentation takes place among the competing cars on Sunday afternoon.
The 2025 finalists
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This 1971 Citroën SM is a rare and iconic fusion of French engineering and Italian performance. Designed as Citroën’s flagship luxury GT, the SM combined cutting-edge hydropneumatic suspension with a Maserati V6 engine, offering a truly unique driving experience. This particular SM has had just thre ... -
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The story starts with an Irish single mother and child—if you couldn’t afford it, you didn’t have it or fixed it. Years later, that child, now an adult, loved nice cars but had to settle for fixing up cheaper ones. In 2011, Nicola bought a Generation 6 Celica convertible with her savings and used it ... -
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Alexandra discovered ‘Peggy’ on eBay in 2014, still in remarkably original condition after spending years with her first owner. The purchase price was a modest £800. With minimal recommissioning, Alexandra brought her back to life, carefully restoring her to her former glory. Over the years, Alexand ... -
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Nikki has owned her Pagoda for 24 years and it’s become one of the family. “The car has always been there for major events in the family and to nieces and nephews, the two are inseparable.” A lot of restoration has taken place, and Nikki has done a lot of the work herself. She has loved and prepared ... -
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This stunning Esprit S3 was built in 1984 and specified with every factory option available that year, including a unique all-over ‘white out’ paint finish and a lift-out tinted glass ‘targa’ roof panel. It has been meticulously maintained for peak appearance, performance, and pleasure, always store ... -
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Simon rescued this unusual car, in its original UK spec, eight years ago from a barn in Norfolk. “I like a challenge,” owner Simon explains. “This was just the rarest car I could find! I have restored this myself, having been chemically stripped, repaired, and epoxy coated and rebuilt, I had to fabr ... -
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In 2003, Paige’s dad spotted a Renault 5 GT Turbo for sale on the roadside for £500. He cheekily offered £100, and to his surprise, the owner accepted. He towed it home, and for years, it sat in the back garden - Paige’s first memories of it. At six, she turned it into her spaceship, the cats as her ... -
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Purchased in January 2010 from RS Direct in Bristol, this Ford Focus RS was originally Jackson Ford’s demo car before being sold to a well-known Ford enthusiast who installed many Mountune upgrades. Initially, Mike used it as a fun weekend car, taking it to the Nürburgring, the Stelvio Pass in Italy ... -
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This 1989 Nissan Micra MK1 is a rare survivor from an era when small, reliable cars ruled the roads. With just 56,000 genuine miles, it remains in original condition, featuring its lovely interior, comfortable seats, and even its original radio. Originally owned by two lady drivers from new, this li ... -
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In 1989, as a Serviceman in HM Forces, Paul was posted to Gütersloh in Germany for three years. On arrival, he chose a car that was as close to the Vauxhall Astra GTE Mk1 that he hankered after but within his financial budget. The car that fitted the bill was the Opel Kadett 1.3 SR with one availabl ... -
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Purchased from South Wales in the early part of 2024. The MGF Trophy had been off the road since 2019. It had extensive problems with the paint work, wheels and engine. The biggest problem of all being the sills and part of the rear bumper mounts had rusted to the point the previous owner had decide ... -
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This immaculate Capri – affectionally named Colin – has been in Stuart’s family from new. Purchased by his dad in 1973 to replace his Capri 1600 GT, Stuart just thought he’s replaced the roof! Colin was taken on family holidays and outings, and Stuart loved the excitement of going up and down the hi ... -
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Rory found this Vauxhall Nova in 2016, rescuing it from a scrapyard where it was on the brink of being lost forever. Since then the car has undergone a full restoration and custom rebuild which was all done by Rory, transforming it into something truly unique. The restoration was an extensive proces ... -
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This Datsun 330 260C is a rare gem among classic cars, believed to be one of just six still on the road in the UK. Originally imported from Australia, this striking Japanese saloon is a testament to Mike’s dedication and passion for classic Datsuns. Mike’s journey with this car began long before he ... -
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This 1960 Mini has a story like no other. Spanning four generations, it has taught two people to drive, travelled across France and Italy, and was even given away for 20 years before a secret restoration brought it back home. It was purchased by Jamie’s grandfather in 1965. His grandmother, father, ... -
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Nathan has owned this car since he was 17 years old. The car has had only one previous owner from new, which is extremely rare for these models. It comes with an extensive history file, with thousands of pounds spent by the original owner and over £10,000 in bills accumulated by Nathan over the past ... -
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Presented in Rosso Red, the XR3i or ‘Rossie’ as it is nicknamed, was supplied new by Trimoco Motor Group Ltd Luton. First registered on 4th February 1988 to the first owner being a Luton resident. With nine previous owners, the seventh owning the car for 22 years, Wayne is the tenth and was responsi ... -
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The MK1 Golf was Tracey’s dream car in her 20s, inspired by a friend who had one. She couldn’t own one back then, but years later, saw a VW Golf convertible on eBay for £650, placed a bid, and won it. “I picked it up from Essex and drove it home without issues,” says Tracey. “I named her Marilyn and ... -
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Dean always wanted an BMW E36 325i Cabrio in silver with grey leather interior so when he found this car for sale in 2007, he fell in love and had to buy it. His two sons have grown up driving around in this car. “I managed to buy a Hardtop roof to match the colour and trim, which is a rare option d ... -
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Back in 2017, Jason wanted a grey Ford Puma Thunder. He saw one for sale in Northampton as a dealer. It had 60,000 miles on the clock but, before he could get to view it, it was sold. About a year later, the same car appeared for sale on the internet auction site and was now in Nottingham. “It turne ...
How to enter
Vehicles manufactured before 31 December 2004 were invited to enter into the Pride of Ownership competitions for consideration.
The full Terms & Conditions are available on our T&Cs page.
Competition Rules
Unlike other competitions, this is not a concours event. Whilst the standard of the car is still paramount, it’s the story the owner and the car have shared that will be taken into consideration when deciding who makes it onto the final centrepiece display. Modified and replica cars will be considered alongside their original counterparts.
A vehicle can only be entered once in a three-year period for the physical competition. Any online versions are open to previous entrants and finalists. An owner can enter one vehicle per year but it must be a different one each year.
Clarion Events will not contribute to any transportation or accommodation costs for entrants.
The competition is presented in the spirit of like-minded enthusiasts coming together to celebrate their vehicles. Entrants are asked to keep this in mind when submitting their application.
Voting
Visitors can vote for their favourite car having had chance to not only inspect the cars at close proximity but also chat to the owners and hear their stories.
While the owners can engage and campaign with other entrants and visitors, any form of intimidation, cheating, derogatory remarks or bad mouthing is not tolerated and those involved will be disqualified and asked to leave.
Votes must be completed at the event within the competition display area. Votes will be counted and verified by Clarion Events Ltd and the organiser's decision is final.
The car with the most visitor votes wins with trophies awarded for first, second and third place. The first place winner will be invited to display their car at the next edition of the show.
Yvonne Gosney, Senior Trading Manager of Lancaster Insurance, sponsors of the Pride of Ownership, said: “This competition is an integral part of the show and a real highlight of the weekend for many visitors. There have been some outstanding winners and participants over the years and we know there’s still some real gems out there waiting for their time to shine."
Find out more about Lancaster Insurance. 
