Saturday 8th June saw the sun struggling to make an appearance at the 2024 Dunstable Classic Motor Rally. Clouds early in the day had everyone expecting gloomy weather but things brightened considerably later on and the sun finally showed its face.
Although the rally has been a recurring event, this was the first time that Regtransfers had been the event's official sponsor. More than 200 heritage and vintage vehicles participated in the rally, which required pre-registration for all entries.
Dunstable's Priory Gardens provides a great setting for an event of this kind. With plenty of space, green grass, trees, and the town's Grade 1 listed, 900 year-old Priory Church of St Peter, it's the perfect location for photographs.
The winners
Four prizes were awarded on the day: three by Councillor Louise O’Riordan, Town Mayor of Dunstable, and one by Regtransfers marketing manager Angela Banh.
- The mayor awarded first prize to a Ford Model A (a successor to the famous Model T), owned by Dave Bartlett.
- Second place went to a DKW F102, owned by Paul Collins. DKW was one of the four manufacturers that later came together to form Audi. That merging of four companies is symbolised in the famous four rings of the Audi logo.
- Third place was awarded to a Moto Guzzi motorcycle, owned by a gentleman named John. Sadly, we didn't catch his last name. Italian motorcycle brand Moto Guzzi was established in 1921. It boasts the longest record of continuous production achieved by any European motorcycle manufacturer.
The Regtransfers award, went to a fine 1954 MG Midget owned by Richard Edwards.
Attractions
In addition to the car rally, the event offered live music performances and a range of activities that included crazy golf, arts and crafts, animal encounters, a history trail, and more. There were also food concessions, and stalls selling various goods.
A weekend of wheels
On the same day, a separate automotive event visited Dunstable as the 2024 Dunstable & Leighton Buzzard Truck Convoy made its way through the town. Part of the convoy's schedule had to be changed due to conditions caused by recent bad weather but, nonetheless, a vast procession of vehicles was watched by thousands of supporters at various points along the route.
Nearly 200 vehicles were reported to have taken part, including lorries, trucks and motorcycles.
