Vintage car show set to return to Eastbourne

Magnificent Motors is planning to return to the seafront lawns between May 22-23.

The annual free motoring festival has moved its dates to late May to enable visitors to stay overnight in the town’s hotel accommodation, once the hospitality industry has reopened.

The socially distanced exhibition will cover more than a century of motoring on the seafront Western Lawns – and car and vintage vehicle owners can register their interest in attending now.

Featuring classic cars, vintage buses, motorbikes and old engines, a daily seafront motoring parade from 10am will also see a gleaming cavalcade, with plenty of vantage points along the route.

Councillor Margaret Bannister, Eastbourne Borough Council lead cabinet member for tourism and enterprise, said, “After a year of many cancellations, we’re delighted to be reopening this vintage favourite to kick start the events season.

“Subject to government guidance, this will be the beginning of a gradual roll out of many of our events, slowly but surely, in a safe and covid-secure way.”

The two-day festival is popular amongst car owners and car clubs with past exhibits ranging from Ferraris, Maseratis and Jaguars to Aston Martins, Cadillacs and a turn of the century Brush Runabout.

A cars of the future display will also include a range of some of the latest electric and hybrid vehicles, along with advice on how to switch to alternative fuel technologies.

Motoring fans can also look forward to browsing the food and drink stalls during the festival.

Covid-secure measures will be in place throughout the event, ranging from sanitising stations and extra distancing to one-way walking routes.

Eastbourne’s Beer & Cider by the Sea event, which was due to take place over the same weekend, will now be rescheduled to later in the season, with dates to be announced.

For more information or to register interest in exhibiting a vehicle visit www.MagnificentMotors.co.uk.