Rally - Far North Classic

Northern DeLights …. Rallying seems to be more of a sprint these days than an adventure with the emphasis on speed and driving skill as opposed to navigation and concentration, but the sport of Targa rallying offers folk the chance to re-live the good old days, albeit it at a less frenetic but still equally enthralling pace!

So if you fancy a wee bit of an adventure why not head north, the real north, up beyond Inverness on the weekend of the 25/26 September for the ‘Far North Classic Rally’. Indeed many folk don’t realise that John O’Groats is 120 miles north of Inverness.

This event was widely praised last year and the eedjits - sorry, that should read - ‘the brains’ behind this year’s event are Peter McInnes and Fraser Hughes who are very experienced in the dark arts of targa rallying. They have devised a 165 mile route through Easter Ross and Sutherland over roads that see more hooves than tyres at this time of year (cos most of the tourists and motorhomes have fled south for the winter) with 5 Regularities and around 18 Timed Tests.

This should be a hoot, because Hughes and McInnes have history! Think back to 2018 and the Mull Targa Rally when this pair left Tain at 3am, caught the first ferry to Mull, did the rally, finished 19th, caught the last ferry and drove back home – all in the same day. By the way, they had no hood on their Mazda MX-5 and it rained all day. They were drookit by the time they got to the ferry, more drookit during the rally and well and truly waterlogged by the time they got home in the early hours of the next day. See what I mean about eedjits, sorry, awfy nice chaps!

That means that whatever they have come up with for their ‘home’ event will be well worth a shottie. Rally HQ will be at the Morangie Hotel in Tain with the clue in the name giving away the secret of the pure, clean air up there!

There are classes for regular Targa cars and Historic road rally cars and if ye’ve got a Willy, or a Jeep or a Land Rover there’s a class for you lot as well. It’s all about inclusion and fun.

Regs are on Highland Car Club website here:

https://f5c914e2-f8ed-45b4-8a59-95d9e6b5e6c6.filesusr.com/ugd/5df0c6_e5ca46c7386b48f489a19c8cfb40d15d.pdf

More Info with flavoursome pics on FB here:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=far%20north%20classic

 

Abbey Road Re-visited

 …. but didn’t quite go to plan! A quarter of a century ago, Coltness Car Club was squeezed out of the Tweed Valley, and then also Dumfries & Galloway, perhaps on the grounds that the Forestry Commission was fearful that this particular Coltness genus of ursine Lanarkshire bears might spread and breed in the Tweed Valley and Ae forests and thereby provide a threat to the FC’s preferred nurturing of the growing lycra clad ‘illuminatti mountainous bikus’ species which was permeating the southern woodlands.

In search of a more hospitable habitat, the Coltness Bears turned and headed northwards to the gateway of the Highlands – Perth. There they were warmly welcomed by the Provost of Perth & Kinross, Mike O’Malley Esq, a kindred spirit by all accounts, and the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally found a new home.

The great and the good from Lanarkshire turned up that day and such was the warm welcome the assembled entourage took inspiration from the Beatles’ Abbey Road album to initiate an image which would re-launch this annual sporting competition but their attempts to re-enact the famous zebra crossing was thwarted by Perth’s traffic. C’est la Vie, eh?

The photographers had therefore to content themselves with the more traditional style of PR fotie and which included a perfect pose performed by the pure dead gallus James McRae Esq along with the traditional line-up showing Oor Wullie, the Provost himself, Ken Dagger of GHI Contracts representing the rally sponsors, and James, the Bears’ overseer.

P&K’s hospitality showed no bounds that day with a variety of beverages and delicacies including raw meat sandwiches, caramel clawgs, scrumptious T-bone cakes and fangtasy fairy cakes.

There was also one other dignitary of note, amongst the Coltness delegation there was a rather unique and unsettingly upsetting sighting of a certain personage without his customary and well-worn ‘rid-jaikit’, none other than ex rally driver and Ford ‘works’ guru, ‘Rockers’, resplendent in a collar, tie and suit – a sight never likely to be repeated!

 

Latest Government ‘emission’

Not that they are giving us much time to respond but the Government is at it again.  It has announced yet another public consultation, this time affecting users/owners of used, not-so-new and elderly motor vehicles and which might well affect those motorists and enthusiasts who own and use veteran, vintage, classic and not-quite-classic-yet vehicles. 

The proposals might also affect current and ‘historic’ competition cars so that should be of concern to all the folk who enjoy motor sport as well as those who attend classic car shows, like the thousand or so enthusiasts who attended Biggar Vintage Show at the weekend, and all the other thousands who attend such shows right around the country!

In seeking to tackle poor maintenance, emissions tampering and deliberate ‘delete’ modifications, the Department for Transport is proposing tougher rules to ensure vehicles continue to meet the emissions standards they were built to comply with when new.

Under these proposals, vehicles could be deemed non-compliant and their owner fined if emissions control systems no longer operate as originally approved. The consultation also goes further, indicating that the removal or manipulation of certain systems –  such as DPFs, GPFs, catalytic converters, AdBlue/SCR systems and diesel EGR systems – would be treated as illegal, regardless of whether there is an impact on the vehicle’s real-world emissions.

These proposals could leave modern classic owners with no lawful repair route for failed emissions components.

According to Footman James, the classic car insurance specialists, modern classics could be under threat. Many cars, LCVs, campervans and trucks from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s are now entering classic status, but were built with increasingly complex emissions equipment, including catalytic converters, lambda sensors, EGR systems, early engine management, DPFs, AdBlue systems and manufacturer-specific control software.

As these cars age, original parts can become unavailable, prohibitively expensive, or unsupported by manufacturers. Existing legislation demands that owners fit only type-approved components to the emissions control system, yet vehicle manufacturers are not required to keep these components in production indefinitely.

Plans may catch cherished, well-maintained vehicles as well as deliberate emissions cheats with Footman James leading the call for clear exemption where compliant repair is impossible, unavailable or disproportionate

The consultation document is open until 11:59pm on 6 September 2026 and anyone likely to be affected or worried about future effects and impact is being urged to respond before consultation closes on 6 September 2026.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/in-use-emissions-of-road-vehicles-regulating-environmental-impacts/regulating-environmental-impact-of-in-use-emissions-of-road-vehicles

It is being suggested that owners and enthusiasts should make three points to Government:
1.  Enforcement should target deliberate emissions defeat, not responsible preservation.
2.  Owners should not be penalised where compliant repair is impossible, unavailable or disproportionate.
3.  Classic and modern classic vehicles should be given a clear exemption where required emissions components are no longer reasonably obtainable.

And if you’re feeling up to it, add in your own thoughts, opinions and insights in your own words – but keep it clean and respectful!

Note: Pics for illustrative purposes only.

 

Live music

 Music while you work - at Biggar Show.

At the Show

 Dae ye think he is at the wrong show, or does he just carry these in case he runs out of battery?

Biggar Show

 Biggar Vintage Show .... damp start to the day in southern Lanarkshire but the burger (roll and sausage) van is open for business so that's a promising start. Don't know how long the club members took to layout the field but what a job. Thoosans of stakes and miles of red/white tape mark out every site and individual pitch. They have had plenty of practice, this is the Albion Foundation's 51st year at it. Got a corner site this year so didn't know which way to face. Looks like a lot of folk arrived yesterday to set up but there's still a lot more to come today.  Oops just found put they've put me on the wrong pitch and they've asked if I want to move. A bit too late for that now !!

Show - Biggar Vintage Show

Book-tique is Biggar bound …. This Sunday, 16th August, one of the highlights of the Classic Car Show season takes place at Biggar Showground, on the eastern outskirts of the south Lanarkshire town, famed for its ice cream, frozen yoghourt and chippie teas – and of course the annual Biggar Vintage Rally.

Organised by the Biggar Albion Foundation, this year’s entry features over 800 vehicles ranging from stationery engines and tractors to commercials and cars of all ages and vintages plus military and motor cycles – as well of course, a grand display of Scots-built Albion vehicles. It also has one of the better autojumble markets so while the weans are scoffing ice cream the tinkerers and collectors can have a good old rummage.

I don’t know where the Book-tique will be sited but just raise your eyes upwards and look for the chequered flag! The only regret I have is that I don’t get a chance to see round the whole show.

Further to yesterday’s progress report, David the designer has got back to me and says the text element of the next book has been laid out, or typeset, and he’s now working on the photographs. Also since yesterday another advert artwork has arrived leaving just one outstanding, but apparently it’s in hand !! Exciting times are here again.

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