The weekender kicked off on Friday night, when following Robbie Williams’ switch-on of the illuminations, around 100 TVRs thundered down the promenade

AS homecomings go, this one as good as they come. ‘Back to Blackpool’ had the seaside town rumbling to the core as hundreds of TVRs arrived to celebrate the currently-moribund marque’s colourful history in the town that they were built in. But then, the TVR Car Club always knew how to put on a good show.

The weekender kicked off on Friday night, when following Robbie Williams’ switch-on of the illuminations, around 100 TVRs thundered down the promenade. For the rest of the weekend, there were all manner of events to keep TVR fans happy.

We’d driven to Blackpool that morning in James Agger’s T350C, and felt suitably at home, waving at and being waved to by every other TVR driver in town. And that was a lot. A half-mile stretch of promenade had been put aside for TVR car parking, and it was here that the crowds came to flock. By 10.00am they were thronging around what must have been the largest gathering of TVRs ever seen in Blackpool.

The main event took place on the lower promenade, and comprised of a concours event; a TVR timeline; trader stands; and a public rolling road session (very popular, and very noisy).

If the idea of a concours event for TVRs seems rather odd, as these cars are meant to be really driven, it didn’t show. The turn-out was strong, and the standard was very high.

However that display was overshadowed by the TVR timeline. In the run-up to the event, the TVRCC had promised to show an example of every car made by the company, and barring one or two oddities, they did it. Seeing the cars lined-up, it’s clear that the earliest cars’ DNA remained very much intact right up to the final Sagaris.

The factory tours proved a revelation. The buildings are still owned by Peter Wheeler’s widow, and she has rented out portions of the factory to ex-TVR employees who have set-up their own businesses, working primarily on the cars they helped build. On the day, the workshops were full of owners, whose cars lined-up outside, just like the old days at Bristol Avenue.

Then there were the convoy runs to the Trough of Bowland, the hills nearby Blackpool, that TVR shot many of its press photos – keen drivers loved this.

And overall, it was a great event that showed TVR owners are a great bunch, who really love their cars’ heritage.

Thanks to James Agger, www.jamesagger.com