Images of the Pageant of Power in 2008 & 2009, held at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire. - at Old Classic Car

Images of the Pageant of Power in 2008 & 2009, held at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire.

Oldclassiccar - visit the classic cars homepage (C) R. Jones 2009

Pageant of Power in 2009.

The second Pageant of Power took place on 18th/19th July 2009, held as in 2008 at Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire. Building upon the success of the inaugural Pageant in 2008 (archive photos further down this page), the 2009 sprint meeting should cement the Pageant of Power in the historic motorsport calendar. There were many high-octane attractions, differentiating this speed event from similar gatherings, courtesy of both airborne action, and high-speed activities on the Cholmondeley lake. However the core event is the timed competition, staged on the circuit laid out within the Castle's grounds. More information on the Pageant can be found on the Pageant of Power site.

2009 Pageant of Power July 18th & 19th.

145 photographs taken at the 2009 Pageant of Power.

2009 Pageant of Power Preview Day April 17th.

A preview day for press & media was held on Friday 17th April, and a number of delectable motor-cars were displayed outside the castle. Following speeches from Lord Cholmondeley, the car's did a number of demonstration runs around the circuit used during the Pageant of Power. Heading this display was a Bentley Speed 8, one of several cars provided by event sponsor Bentley Motors Ltd. The Speed 8 completed two demonstration laps, and then it was the turn of some other historic motor-cars to show what they were made of. Included in the rapid demonstration runs were the Bentley Motors' 1929 4.5 Litre supercharged Bentley, a 1939 V12 Lagonda, ex-BTCC BMW M3, Lister Jaguar, two ex-works Audi Quattros, ex-Jackie Stewart E-Type Jaguar, Austin Healey 100S, Lada rally car, Mercedes Benz 300SL, Metro 6R4, Chevy Malibu and even a Triumph sidecar racer. Following on from the motor-car action, a Squirrel helicopter (ZJ270) from the Defence Helicopter Flying School demonstrated the manoeuvrability of this type, before heading back home to RAF Shawbury.

Below are some images from the 2009 Preview Day, click the thumbnails to see larger versions.

The Pageant of Power course.

The course utilises various sections of existing road running through the Cholmondeley estate. The Start line is adjacent to the main paddock area. As the cars leave the line, the first challenge to master is the narrow bailey bridge that runs at an angle to the approach run. With the bridge cleared, a foot-to-the-floor gentle curve (Chestnut Avenue) enables the cars to reach an impressive speed, before braking hard on the approach to the double left-hander down at Lodge. There then follows a blast down the Polo Straight, interrupted by a chicane. A further short blast, then the drivers arrive at the Chapel section, a tricky combination of tight bends, with gradient changes thrown in to add some colour. The track then drops down slightly on the approach to the sharp left at Castle, before allowing the drivers to open the throttle once more for the final blast to the line, sending the quicker cars airborne over the ancient Stone Bridge, before the final straight to the Finish line at Somerset Lodge.

For more information on the 2009 Pageant of Power, please visit the organiser's website. The latest Press Releases can also be viewed here. Photographs taken at last year's event can be seen below.

++++ ARCHIVE ++++

A look back at the inaugural Pageant of Power in 2008.

The 24th April 2008 saw the launch day for this brand new speed event in Cheshire, the main event being held on August 9th & 10th, in the grounds of the stately Cholmondeley Castle. In addition to an array of classic motorcars competing against the clock on a newly-created course, there was also action courtesy of motorcycles old and new, powerboats including the F1 Hellcat, and even helicopters taking to the sky throughout the day.

70 photographs from the Friday setup day at Cholmondeley, prior to the 2008 Pageant weekend.

70 photographs from day 1 at the first ever Pageant of Power.

Shown below are some of the photographs I took on the preview day earlier in the year, click on any of the thumbnails to see a larger version. Three of the cars, in which I was fortunate enough to get a ride in, I've featured on their own (the Mercedes, the Ferrari and the Bentley) and the remaining exhibits are featured further down this page. For more information on this event, click here to visit the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power website.

1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing.
This example of the SL, built in 1955, spent its earliest years in the London area. Owner number 2 competed in this Mercedes in numerous events, at venues such as Goodwood and Silverstone, and also at the circuit not too far from Cholmondeley, namely Oulton Park, in the British Empire Trophy. In 1959 it headed off to a new owner in Scarborough, until 1980 when it changed ownership once again. The 300SL's current owner bought the car in 1986 and has used it on a number of classic car tours, both in the UK and across Europe.

1930 Bentley Speed Six.
This and another matching model were the final two Speed Six Bentleys produced, both destined to become part of the works Racing Team. Unlike the road cars, the cars destined for competition were built to take on the competition at Le Mans, in the 24 hour race, and at Brooklands, in the Double Twelve. In May 1930 this car competed in the Double Twelve, driven by Sammy Davies and Clive Dunfee, finishing in second position. This Speed Six was destined to also finish the 1930s Le Mans in the same position, but for an unfortunate encounter with a sand bank, forcing the car to withdraw from the race.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB.
This V12 Ferrari, registration 893 UXL, was the 18th of 165 short wheelbase Berlinettas built by the Italian company. Used in competition throughout its life, it made its debut at the German Grand Prix, in a supporting event to the main race of the day, where it finished third. Other races in future years in which this Ferrari competed included the Freiburg-Schauinsland Hillclimb, and the 1000km at the Nurburgring. Nowadays it is used on events designed with historic competition cars such as this 250 swb in mind.

More exhibits at Cholmondeley Castle in 2008.
All the cars on display in 2008 were jolly mouthwatering, and the photographs below go some way in demonstrating the variety of historic machinery that had been pulled together for this launch day. Cars featured included a very nice Austin Healey 100S (1955), the oldest surviving E-Type Jaguar (1961), Cooper Jaguar sportscar (1955), a wonderful Lagonda V12 (1938), a bright red Maserati T61 'Birdcage' (1959), a Rolls-Royce Phantom I (1928), Ford Mustang, Alfa Romeo 1750 Super Sport (1929), plus a number of other superb exhibits, and for those of a nautical bent, a Chris Craft looking resplendant in the Cheshire sun. Press releases from the first, 2008 event, are archived here.