Practical Classics Practical Challenge
on the discovery + Live Stage
From a bare chassis to the finished article , the Practical Classics team enjoy getting stuck into a challenge over the course of the show , but this year is different .
While at previous NEC events they ’ ve restored the likes a Morris Minor , Riley to a Jaguar E-type to perfection , in 2022 it ’ s very personal . In line with the show ’ s family theme this year , the crew will be bringing back to life a car with a long family history – which almost came to a crushing end in the summer .
Following a 2000 mile road trip around Europe , the Citroën 2CV owned by James Walshe suffered a crash at Dunkirk . A rescue operation ensued and weeks later , thanks to Lancaster Insurance , the car was recovered from Dunkirk . James stated : ‘ It mattered so much to me , as I ’ ve been around 2CVs my whole life and before I bought it , this one was family owned from new . I felt a real sense of duty to it , and to the family who cherished it for all those decades . Those very same previous owners of the car , Barry and Peter Annells , will be on stage over the weekend to assist with the car ’ s revival . With all the tricky welding complete beforehand , the car will be ready for final assembly at the show where it ’ ll begin as a bare chassis on the Friday , ending up as a roadworthy classic again on the Sunday when it ’ s hoped the car will start again for the first time since the day of the accident .
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