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A warm welcome to totalkitcar online … sad news this week to hear that the Replica & Self Build Festival has been cancelled. Below is the press release that was sent out on Tuesday morning:
“Dear Exhibitor
I’m writing to you personally to confirm the cancellation of the Replica & Self Build Festival. This has been an extremely difficult decision.
We had successfully brought together what I genuinely believe to be the largest collection of kit manufacturers seen for many, many years. Alongside that, we had planned a full weekend of festival entertainment at a fantastic venue, with a great deal of passion and effort invested by everyone involved.
However, despite very significant advertising spend and extensive promotion, we have not been able to attract sufficient ticket sales.
Ultimately, I could not be confident that the event would deliver the quality of audience and level of engagement required to ensure that you would have had a good return on your time, effort, and financial investment.
Many people told me I was mad to try to run this event, and it appears they may have been correct. While I always accepted that I would lose money on this project and was comfortable with that, I am not comfortable running an event where your commitment and investment would not have been matched by the outcome you rightly deserve.
I am truly sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience this decision will cause. Please be assured that any payments made will, of course, be refunded in full, and our team will be in touch shortly to handle the practical details.
For clarity, in addition to refunds to traders and manufacturers – all 1300 ticket holders will also be fully refunded, with refunds starting today and completed within the next two weeks.
Thank you sincerely for your support, belief, and willingness to be part of this journey. I regret that we could not take it across the finish line together.
Kind regards,
Simon Bennie
Managing Director
TOTALKITCAR UPDATE – I know that lots of readers used our GOODS & SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY listing as a guide to the specialist car aftermarket, so essential did they regard it. It needed an upgrade but it took a couple of years to get it right.
GOODS & SUPPLIERS is BACK. It’s certainly less wieldy, is easier to use and well, see what you think. It’s not yet complete by any means but is a workable and useful A-Z listing that I hope you enjoy using and check back regularly because I will be adding to it daily, almost. CLICK HERE
TKC MAG – MAY/JUNE 2026 ISSUE – AVAILABLE NOW
Here’s this issue’s menu, or at least some of it.
Welcome to the ‘Groovy Baby’ issue. Why groovy baby? Well, four of the cars starring this time are inspired by, or are replicas of, sixties classics … not big, not clever, but quite descriptive we thought.
So, what have we got to tickle your fancy this time?
INDUSTRY GREATS – ULTIMA SPORTS – The Lee Noble and Marlow family years. The full story.
MYTHRON CARS SEBRING FASTBACK – No, it’s not a replica or a continuation or a kitcar. This is what the company call ‘ a reimagining of a sixties Sebring Sprite’
TORNADO TS40 MKII TRIBUTE – A superb example of a Tornado TS40 (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad one) which is intended as a tribute to the late Dan Gurney.
ACE HAWK! – A glorious new build Hawk inspired by the AC Ace, which is the second Hawk built by Adam Cleden nearly twenty years after the first one, which was also a stunner!
WITHOUT OUR PAST SPECIAL! – This time we focus on four beatiful sports racers from the sixties.
MCLAREN M6GT – People often understandably believe that McLaren’s first road car was Professor Gordon Murray’s F1. However, a generation before that, Briuce McLaren had the idea for the GT. We tell the car’s story and also feature the replicas, the UVA M6GTR and Montage and also the Tornado TS70.
SINGLE SEAT RACECAR CONVERTED TO ROAD USE – There have been plenty of single-seat road-legal kitcars over the years but very few racing cars have been converted for use on the road, other than the Lotus 51 ‘Flower Power’ and a Van Diemen conversion back in the eighties. The latest to tackle such a monster project is serial kitcar builder Dave Swift who found an OMS hillclimber on eBay and yep, converted it to a road car!
Hope you enjoy the issue.
TKC MAG – MAY/JUNE 2026 ISSUE – AVAILABLE NOW
IF YOU LIKE CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS you are in luck. Clicking that button will take you back in time with features on old kitcars, personalities and generally interesting companies who worked within the specialist car and sixties motorsport movements. I really hope you are enjoying them. Not all of them are kitcar-related per se but they all celebrate the underdog and often feature the wonderful world of sixties motorsport.
Classic Kit Cars & Specials has a new home at totalkitcar.com.
A lot of classic clubman motorsport features highlight underdog artisans that we hope will appeal to you dear reader, the sort of companies that we’ve often all heard of but on whom detailed information is often hard to find. Shorrock, Wade Turbochargers, Jack Knight Developments, Cannon Cars, Tom Killeen, David Ogle the list goes on and on. The sort of companies and individuals that our specialist and kitcar forebears from the sixties would have been very familiar with. You’ll find these subjects featured in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS.
This week in CLASSIC KIT CARS & SPECIALS (click on the link and you’ll find the full list of features) you’ll find a revised and updated story on the history of the Bonito/Seraph in the UK, which first appeared on the site in 2022.
We’ve given it a bit of a restoration! CLICK HERE to go there.
DON’T WANT PAPER? TRY OUR DIGITAL EDITION
An EXACT replica of the paper version it currently costs just £23.99 for a TWELVE MONTHS DIGITAL subscription to TKC MAG ANYWHERE in the world. Visit Pocketmags.com and type in ‘TKC MAG’ and all will be revealed. Alternatively, you can download our APP on your mobile and download single issues or a subscription on your phone or tablet.
Do you tube? totalkitcar History File Series (in association with the Enwin Motors channel). Don’t miss out, subscribe for FREE now.
Search YouTube for the ‘totalkitcar YouTube Channel’ or follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/@tkcmag.
Our popular TRACKDAY CALENDAR is where you can find out where, when and how much by CLICKING HERE. Now updated to cover MAY, JUNE and JULY 2026.
SNIPPETS 1 …….. Shaun the Sheep and Lara Croft Land Rovers join adventure winners and unique historic vehicles at one of the UK’s largest and most exciting shows for the iconic British vehicles.
· Photo competition to win a VIP day out at the museum for your family
· Dakar-winning Defender, one of the world’s fastest, toughest off-road vehicles
· Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 May
Adventure in motorsport and films takes the spotlight at the hugely popular Gaydon Land Rover Show (May 2 & 3) hosted by the British Motor Museum. With support from Land Rover Classic and the Museum’s expert curators, the show brings together a fabulous collection of vehicles from the earliest Series 1 ‘Landie’ through Defender, Discovery and Range Rover to super-tough racers and unique builds for the movies.
“The show will be packed with vehicles and displays for knowledgeable enthusiasts, alongside exciting activities for families of all ages,” says Head of Collections, Stephen Laing.
This year’s show features an extraordinary lineup, including the Defender Dakar D7XR, fresh from making history as winner of the Stock class at the 2026 Dakar Rally, one of the world’s toughest endurance races.
There will also be the Classic Defender Works V8 Islay Edition, displayed alongside the original 1965 Land Rover Series IIA ‘Wilks’ – the very vehicle built for Spencer Wilks. Adding even more heritage to the mix are the Defender Works V8 Trophy, a tribute to Land Rover’s expedition roots, and a Classic Defender Works V8 rolling chassis, offering a rare look beneath the skin to reveal what makes these vehicles an enduring legend.
In the Arena, Dave Barker will lead an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team providing live commentary, inviting selected owners, restorers and enthusiasts to share the stories behind their vehicles. Trade stands will provide Land Rover clothing, models, tools and accessories to buy while catering will provide refuelling for visitors and hundreds of club members bringing their own Land Rovers of all types and ages.
Family Day Out with Film Cars
On the hill above the arena, alongside the Museum’s adventure playground, children of all ages can explore Land Rover’s factory-built, full-size recreation of the Farmer’s car from Aardman Animation’s Shaun the Sheep (available on YouTube and BBC iPlayer). “This isn’t just a Series 1 with a sheep in the back,” explains Stephen Laing. “Aardman’s model makers created a unique vehicle in plastic, cardboard and clay, changing dimensions that required painstaking work by Land Rover’s team to bring to life.”
Also on display will be one of three Land Rover Defenders specially built for the 2001 Tomb Raider film and driven by Angelina Jolie in her role as Lara Croft. Chosen to be ‘super-tough’ so it could withstand the film’s dramatic stunts, the vehicle looks every inch a film star.
Entry to the show includes entry to the British Motor Museum, where visitors can see many other genuine movie star cars, including one of the Reliant Regal vans created for the BBC series Only Fools & Horses, one of the few surviving ‘enchanted’ Ford Anglias used to fly Harry and Ron to Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and Lady Penelope’s Fab 1 from the 2004 Thunderbirds feature film, driven by actor Ron Cook (as Parker) with Sophia Myles as Lady Penelope.
Win a VIP visit
The museum is offering a VIP guided tour of its collections, including a look behind the scenes, for the family posting a photograph that best encapsulates the adventure theme of the show. “Shaun the Sheep’s Land Rover will be open to sit in and on. We are looking for the most exciting, creative picture of your family, children or child with the vehicle,” says Show Manager Tom Caren. Post the pic on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #familiesatBMM.
Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum, concluded: “Whether you’ve lived and breathed Land Rover for decades or you’re simply hungry for adventure, this is your chance to get up close to the vehicles that shaped history and the pioneers who drove them. This exciting weekend brings together legendary expedition machines and modern trailblazers, each with a story forged at the limits of people and vehicles!”
Camping in the grounds is available on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May in the evenings for those wanting to make a weekend of it in a motorhome, tent, or caravan. Camping is just £27 per pitch per night when booked in advance.
Anyone wishing to park their Land Rover as part of the show displays can do so online for just £13. This includes entry to the show for the driver and one passenger for the weekend. Additional tickets are available to purchase if extra passengers are required. Advance Show tickets cost £18 per adult, £9 per child and £16 per concession. Choose to donate your ticket and upgrade to an Annual Pass at no extra cost!
To find out more information about the show please call 01926 895 300 or visit the website at https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/gaydon-land-rover-show.
SNIPPETS 2 ……. Santa Pod Raceway has renewed its partnership with Coated Race Bearings for a further three seasons, building on two successful years of collaboration. The agreement strengthens a shared commitment to performance, innovation and excellence in European drag racing.
As the home of UK drag racing, Santa Pod continues to work with leading industry partners who push the boundaries of motorsport technology.
“We’re delighted to continue our relationship with Coated Race Bearings,” said Caroline Holden, Commercial Manager at Santa Pod Raceway. “CRB has proven its expertise in advanced bearing coatings, delivering measurable performance benefits in demanding race conditions.”
Known for its Race Series and Performance Series products developed alongside leading bearing brands, Coated Race Bearings also offers specialist services that go beyond its core range. These include a Coating Only Service for customer-supplied bearings and a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating service for components such as piston wrist pins, cam followers and rocker arms. DLC coatings deliver exceptional hardness, significantly reduced friction and outstanding wear resistance, improving efficiency and component lifespan.
Richard Batist, Owner of Coated Race Bearings stated: “With a partnership, you can go further. Racers buy our products because they appreciate quality and reliability; we, too, appreciate them and the event organisers who make it all possible. It’s an iconic venue, and we value supporting racers at the highest level. As a result of our involvement with Santa Pod, we are delighted to see that many drivers have now fitted our bearings!”
As part of the renewed agreement, Coated Race Bearings will also become title sponsor for 2026 of the Front-Wheel-Drive class at The Doorslammers Powered by FuelTech race meeting (May 15th-17th), one of the most anticipated events on Santa Pod’s calendar. The fast-growing FWD category, known for its technical innovation and sterling performance, is a natural fit for the brand’s expertise. Many competitors are successfully harnessing the benefits of CRB products.
Coated Race Bearings will maintain a strong presence across key events, supporting teams, engaging with fans and contributing to the continued success of drag racing at Santa Pod Raceway. More from www.santapod.com.
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So, that’s about it from me for this week, so I’ll bid you a great seven days, with plenty of enjoyable driving and I look forward to welcoming you once again next week on Friday, May 8, 2026
Best regards
Steve