CLUB AWARDS

 

There are two main trophies currently given out at the Stoneleigh National Kit Car Show.

  The Member of the Year award and the Vince Hill Trophy.

This year the 'Member of the Year' went to Mr Cliff Wakelin, your very own chair of the club!

It's not hard to see how he won this award this year.  Although now retired for a 'few' years Cliff has spent the last 9 or 10 months providing vital Gentry building and general engineering advice to Geoff at The Gentry Motor Car Company.

Geoff would be the first to tell everyone in the club that Cliff has been a major part of the work completed to get the car back out onto the market and once again available to the next generation of Gentry builders.

Not only has he provided the necessary advice and guidance but he has relentlessly been there in the workshop providing hands on labour in order to ensure that the car was ready for its launch at Stoneleigh.

His wife Gill has found it very reminiscent of when he was working full time and commented that when he needed to take time off for his knee operation he was becoming restless and almost grumpy because he wanted to get back to see what had been happening whilst he was away!

Cliff finished his own Gentry some 17 years ago now and the condition of it today is testament to the skill and hard work he put into it all those years ago.

Not quite sure whether he is actually working or posing!

 

Cliff alongside his Gentry 'XWD' before the start of the London to Brighton run 2007

 

 

The next award is the

 

VINCE HILL TROPHY

The Vince Hill Trophy is awarded at the Kit Car Show at Stoneleigh each year.  The members attending the show are allowed one vote each and this goes the car that they would most like to go home in (apart from their own, which they are not allowed to vote for!)

For 2008 this award went to Martin and Celia Allinson and their silver coloured Gentry

We asked Martin for a few words about him and Celia and this is what he said,

'The engine is a 2000 Litre 6 cylinder Triumph. It is built on a MK. 2 chassis originally from 1969. I am told that when built it was painted black, but then in in 2000 was resprayed silver.

I purchased it in August 2007 from Grimsby.

I have basically made it feel wanted as the car was not used much by the previous owner. I have added finishing touches, with a lot of input from Celia.who calls the car Hattie

It has a crocodile mouth bonnet which I hope to change to a split 2 piece soon.

Celia and I have found a new and very interesting part of our lives since we got our gentry, and have made a lot of new friends in the Gentry register. We seem to be always making new friends as there is always a lot of interest in the car, no matter where you go! If I go out on my own Celia never knows when I will return, as I will often meet someone with the same anorak on as us.'


Martin & Celia at the Midlands Area meet after the Kit Car Show proudly showing their trophies

 

 

Well Done Martin & Celia.  The car looks great and you seem to be enjoying 'Gentry Life' already.