This year’s Pride of Longbridge (POL) Rally in Cofton Park, Birminham on Saturday (April 12) was the best-attended in its nine year history after 2,800 people went along to the event.
The annual event, which began after the collapse of MG Rover, saw hundreds of car enthusiasts from all over the country and even as far as Belgium and Holland bring a multitude of vehicles ‘back home’ to where they were built.
Among the motors on show were everything from Minis, Metros and Allegros to Autin 7s, MGs and Rovers. Dave Coulson, who used to manufacture engines at the Longbridge plant, was there in his 1968 Austin Mini Cooper Mark II.
The Mercia Minis club member told The Standard: “I was there for 21 years, so it’s like coming home.”
John Collins and his aptly-named son Austin from Tamworth went to the event in their MG.
Aware that enthusiasm for Pride of Longbridge grows every year ALF, the organisers of the motoring section, took the bold step of expanding the event into the greater park area this year in order to accommodate the predicted extra vehicles. The new layout proved a great success; the event felt busy but not cramped and this, allied to good weather, is surely why so many felt 2014 was the best POL to date.
However, even ALF committee members were amazed at the numbers attending, at least 2000 vehicles. For the first time clubs belonging to ALF were able to pre-book an area for their display and this also proved a great success with over 40 taking the opportunity to do this.
Read more: This year’s Pride of Longbridge ‘the best attended’ | Bromsgrove Standard
