This event enjoys a special relaxed ambience, a wide variety of interesting vehicles, entertainment from a ‘big band’ and being so close to Luton, some wonderful home grown  cars from the Vauxhall stable, from vintage to modern classics.

The five acre Walled Garden itself was designed by Capability Brown in the 1770s for Lord Bute, a noted botanist and Prime Minister under George III, his garden was second only to the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew.  It suffered a decline following WWII and by the late 1980s the gardens stood dilapidated, overgrown and neglected. Plans are now underway for a major restoration and indeed some of the proceeds from the car show will go towards the ￡7 million needed for the project to reach fruition, this year’s other recipients being Help for Heroes and Jumbulance Trust charities.

Several cars from the nearby Vauxhall Heritage Collection were on display, along with others owned by  staff members, and included a 23/60 model, a 1960 Cresta in historic rally guise, and one of the last of the line of Victor models. These were joined by a fine mix of other Vauxhalls  to include Tony and Marion Parks’ 1957 Velox and a 1928 20/60 “Bedford Saloon” owned by John and Shirley Mullen, to name but a few.

The oldest car on show was John Worth’s 1900 Daimler 6HP Tonneau Type A, one of the very first Daimlers to be produced, and reputed to be the most original. Italian machinery was well represented by Fiat Abarth, Ferrari, and Barry Twitchell’s 1971 ISO Grifo IR8 Series 2, finished in metallic Champagne Cocktail, one of three built in RHD and the Earls Court Motor Show car from 1971.

The Land Rover Experience has recently moved to Luton Hoo with an Off-Road course in the grounds and fittingly, there was also a good many very early examples of Land-Rovers on display. Indeed, Classics in The Walled Garden has something to appeal to all enthusiasts.