On Sunday 11th September 2022 will be the 13th Concorde Classics Car Show held at the Concorde Club in Eastleigh. The show first started in 2008 when a group of like-minded people wanted to support local businesses, as well as raise money for worthy causes.
It was decided to utilise the lovely grounds around the Concorde Club to stage a charity car show, little did the small organising team realise what a great success the show would become and now features as one of the best Car Shows in the area. Many visitors describe the show as a garden party for car enthusiasts.
The show in the first year featured a few cars on display and was really just for owners and their vehicles taking part. After two years of running the show, the organising committee teamed up with Naomi House Children’s Hospice to make the show primarily about supporting and raising funds for Hospice. In fact, every penny made from the show goes to the charity.
Naomi House is a children’s hospice providing a professional palliative care service for families whose children and young people have a life limiting illness and their families from central southern England. The charity provides care to families living in communities across the seven counties of Berkshire, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, West Sussex and Wiltshire. The children’s charity has two specialist units, Naomi House for children, and jacksplace for young people. Each unit is purpose built and provides an appropriate environment for each age group. It costs around £4.5million a year to run the two units. The vast amount of money for running the hospice come from donations and fund raising like Concorde Classics Car Show. In the last 12 years the Car Show has now raised over £107,000 for the charity and in November 2019 was awarded the Dr Peter Lee Award for long term support to Naomi and jacksplace.
As the word spread, and the show changed from not just a show for owners but for visitors as well and began growing in popularity. Today the show attracts over 3,000 visitors with around 160 cars on display at any one time. The cars on display vary from vintage right the way up to modern supercars and is very family orientated.
Being family orientated the organizers understand how expensive it can be for a family day out and therefore set the entry cost to visitors low, being £5 per adult, £1 for a child under 12 and children under 3 can get in for free. Tickets are purchased on the day only at the entry gate, and payment by cash is requested. All display vehicles need to prebook, and the show is so popular most of the display places go by June before the show. Display owners pay £8 per car to display. During every show the public vote for their ‘Car of the Show’ and the winner has a lovely photograph taken of their vehicle and awarded a trophy. In 2019, the last full normal show before Covid, the winner was beautiful Jaguar E-Type.
Every year the organizers want to have a special attraction for people and over the years we have had an array of attractions like Michael Schumacher’s Benetton winning F1 car, Dragsters, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Batman and his Batmobile and much more
The show always attracts a lot of attention, and the show often gets celebrities attending to help support the show. The TV chef James Martin is a big petrol head and has a wonderful array of classics cars and often attends the show with one of his beauties. The photograph shows James being interviewed with his beautiful Ferrari 275 GTBC. You will often see ‘The Stig’ at the show, although don’t expect him to talk to you, but he does enjoy sitting in people’s cars. 
Whilst wondering around the show you will see a great selection of cars, treasured by their owners all willing to chat about their cars and what they have and do to maintain them, whilst relaxing and enjoying the show themselves. The show has a Ferrari and Super Car section, often sporting the newest Super cars on display for visitors to see. At intervals during the show you will hear the ‘Sound Off’ competition and this is great to hear the rumble of V8 and V12 engines.
The show has a large marquee with trade stands, and you can have a go on a large Scalextric track, the fastest person around the track over a number of laps will win a prize. If you’re hungry then there is a BBQ, Ice Cream Van, Bar and Coffee van. Attention to detail is the show organizers wish and they are always looking for new and exciting things to bring enjoyment and fun to all who attend.
If you fancy a ride out in a car, then the show has Sporting Bears Charity running ‘dream rides’ for a donation to the show charity. You will be taken on a 10-mile drive to experience an array of different cars and is a must do for any visitor, so make sure you book your slot on the day early as places go quickly. Visitors attending the show are directed to nearby car parks and the show runs a Park & Ride scheme as well, so look out for the signs when arriving. To help transport people across the car parks they have Trigger the Train which you can ride on for free, the kids love this experience 
This year the show is being sponsored by Airsports Insurance Bureau (AiB) in Chandlers Ford and the show organizers are planning a special show to welcome people back after the recent pandemic. The show this year will feature a Movie and TV car and bike display. The show will have a wonderful ‘Back to the Future’ DeLorean, Herbie the Love Bug, James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 and many more.
To find out more about the show visit www.concordeclassics.co.uk
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