Saying Goodbye (Again) – 1972 Chevron B20
November 21, 2022
It doesn’t seem that long ago that we first said goodbye to our 1972 Chevron B20. There was a mix of emotions felt when it
1972 Chevron B20
Asbestos In Classic Cars
November 9, 2022
Asbestos used to be used for a wide range of functions. However, in more recent times, the detrimental impact it can have on people’s health
A Special Car Returns
October 26, 2022
A little over a year ago, we said goodbye to our 1972 Chevron B20. Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars loved this formula 2 car
Hush Hush – 2022 Williams FW44 at The Hush House
February 15, 2022
Williams F1 has just released their lastest 2022 season livery. Along with it looking absolutely brilliant, does the background look familiar? Well, this was shot
Chevron B20 – a new adventure
July 20, 2021
The day has come where we wave goodbye to our incredible Chevron B20-72-2. The car is now on it’s way to it’s new owner who
Chevron B20 Auction Begins Tomorrow
June 30, 2021
Our incredible 1972 Chevron B20 Formula 2 race car is up for auction on Car and Classic and will be going live tomorrow! We are
Chevron Up For Auction
June 22, 2021
We recently had a photographer from Car and Classic come over to Bentwaters to photograph our stunning Chevron B20 for an upcoming auction. The Car
Chevron with Collecting Cars
April 30, 2021
Introducing Collecting Cars: Collecting Cars has established itself as a leader in the world of online auctions. Their streamlined process is making buying and selling cars
2020 In Reflection
January 4, 2021
It goes without saying, 2020 has been tough for everyone but there have been some positives! Bridge Classic Cars turned 16, we welcomed in more
Behind The Scenes: 1972 Chevron B20
December 8, 2020
Join us on the third instalment in our new series: Behind The Scenes. Although we give frequent behind the scenes updates on our workshop, we
Friday Snapshot
November 27, 2020
We’ve been very busy this week with winners and photoshoots as well as ongoing works to our current projects! Check out the news section of
Life In The Fast Lane
November 25, 2020
We’ve recently acquired what we believe to be an original 1972 Chevron B20, one of just 7 ever made and raced for Formula 2. The
Saying Goodbye (Again) – 1972 Chevron B20
November 21, 2022
It doesn’t seem that long ago that we first said goodbye to our 1972 Chevron B20. There was a mix of emotions felt when it left as this is a special classic car that we don’t usually see in the workshop. That being said, we were excited to see it move on to the next stage of its adventure.
When it returned to us last month, we were happy to have it back in the workshop and our team of classic car technicians were very keen to get their hands on this incredible car one more time.
Although its time with us was short, our 1972 Chevron B20 was stripped and underwent checks for asbestos here at Bridge Classic Cars before being given the all-clear to continue with the plans to move it to Victoria, Australia.
The F2 race car was collected from our secure storage facility, The Hangar, and set off for the next stage of its epic journey to the other side of the world.
Even when being loaded into the back of a transport lorry, it’s hard not to stare at a car like this. It looks extremely cool whether it’s sat on the tarmac, in our workshop, or in the back of a lorry.
Our 1972 Chevron B20 is moving on to the next chapter of its story in Australia. We hope that, eventually, it will end up back on a race track but, whatever happens, we hope its owner enjoys having such a special car in their collection.
We have said goodbye to this car twice now and, although this seems like it could be the last time, we hope that we see it again in some form in the future as we really do like having our 1972 Chevron B20 with us.
For now though, we will admire it from afar!
Asbestos In Classic Cars
November 9, 2022
Asbestos used to be used for a wide range of functions. However, in more recent times, the detrimental impact it can have on people’s health has given it a bad reputation. As the majority of the cars that come into our workshop are classics, sometimes we come across some that may contain asbestos.
One such car that we currently have in the workshop is our 1972 Chevron B20. After leaving us last year, our 1972 Chevron B20 recently returned to us much to everyone’s excitement.
The reason for it returning to us is for it to be prepared for export. This F2 racing car is moving on to Australia in the near future. Australia has extremely strict laws surrounding asbestos. When it comes to importing vehicles into the country, any vehicle entering Australia must be completely free from the controversial material.
Checking For Asbestos In Classic Cars
Asbestos could potentially be found in a few areas of a classic car. Classic car technician Rob has been working alongside Richard from Positive Waste Solutions. Together, they stripped our Chevron B20 and made sure it was free from asbestos and ready for its trip to Australia.
Rob began the process by stripping the head while a poly drop sheet was placed underneath the engine to catch any falling debris. After Rob removed the head gasket, he carefully passed it to Richard who bagged it securely. The same process was followed for the brakes and clutch.
Richard also removed the insulation from the back exhaust.
Safety First
As asbestos can cause some dangerous health consequences, it’s extremely important that the appropriate precautions are taken during the removal process.
The photos below show Richard in his protective gear as he handles parts of our Chevron B20 that may have asbestos in them.
Once our 1972 Chevron B20 is given the all-clear, it will be ready for its long journey to Australia. We have loved having it back in the workshop and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for this rare classic car.
A Special Car Returns
October 26, 2022
A little over a year ago, we said goodbye to our 1972 Chevron B20. Everyone here at Bridge Classic Cars loved this formula 2 car and, although we were happy it was going to a new owner, there was still quite a bit of sadness to see this very special car leave us.
However, today we are all very happy to see it back in our workshop!
Yesterday, we collected the car and transported it back to the workshop here in Suffolk. We were excited just seeing the B20 on our trailer making its journey to us, so you can imagine how excited we have been to actually have it back with us in person.
It has come back to us to be prepared for export as its adventure is set to continue overseas. Our classic car technicians will soon get to work on this very special car and we will certainly enjoy looking after it until the time comes for it to move on once more.
Hush Hush – 2022 Williams FW44 at The Hush House
February 15, 2022
Williams F1 has just released their lastest 2022 season livery. Along with it looking absolutely brilliant, does the background look familiar? Well, this was shot in the hush house.
The old engine testing complex on the same site as our secure storage facility, The Hangar.
We shot our very own racing car in the same spot! The 1972 Chevron B20 Formula 2 racer last year for Collecting Cars.
Click the link below to watch our video for the Chevron B20 in the same place as the FW44.
Chevron B20 – a new adventure
July 20, 2021
The day has come where we wave goodbye to our incredible Chevron B20-72-2.
The car is now on it’s way to it’s new owner who has already made the necessary plans to have her restored and prepared for the track.
The new owner is very well known in the motoring scene and this will be added to a collection of race cars that he already owns.
We hope to see the progress and results in due course. For now, it’s been fun…
Chevron B20 Auction Begins Tomorrow
June 30, 2021
Our incredible 1972 Chevron B20 Formula 2 race car is up for auction on Car and Classic and will be going live tomorrow! We are eager to see this very special car find its new home. Packed full of amazing history, our Chevron will be a wonderful addition to any race lovers collection.
You can see our two previous shoots below:
Photos provided by Car and Classic.
Chevron Up For Auction
June 22, 2021
We recently had a photographer from Car and Classic come over to Bentwaters to photograph our stunning Chevron B20 for an upcoming auction.
The Car and Classic auction starts soon and bids open in 9 days! Keep an eye out on the website linked below to track its progress.
Chevron with Collecting Cars
April 30, 2021
Introducing Collecting Cars:
Collecting Cars has established itself as a leader in the world of online auctions. Their streamlined process is making buying and selling cars via online auctions one of the most effective and painless ways of transacting. And their results are very impressive to date!
With customer’s and collectors all over the world, we have enlisted the knowledge and expertise of Collecting Cars to find our Chevron B20 a new home.
Coming soon to Collecting Cars
2020 In Reflection
January 4, 2021
It goes without saying, 2020 has been tough for everyone but there have been some positives! Bridge Classic Cars turned 16, we welcomed in more unique and interesting cars, expanded the team and took new ventures.
2020’s Winners
This year we introduced our competitions back in May. With an uncertain year ahead of us, we wanted to provide some excitement to our followers, and what better way than to offer the chance of winning a car for less than £20! It wasn’t easy at first, but now with over 21 winners and up to 4 competition cars running at the same time, we’re doing better than ever. So far we’ve given away £561,197.00 worth of classic cars!
This week we’re delivering our latest winning cars, our 1974 VW Beetle that was won by Colin Knight and our 1995 Jaguar XJ6 who was won by Nick Nicola just before Christmas! We’re being careful to make the delivery as safe as possible, complying with tier 4 guidelines but we can’t wait to see Colin and Nick’s reactions!
1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Race Car Replica Completion
Its been a long restoration, but we were delighted to announce the completion of our very own project, our 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Race Car Replica. Its come a long way from the decrepit shell we started with in 2017. Every detail, right down to the colour has been custom made and designed. This truly is a Bridge Classic Car. You can see it’s story here.
The Year Of The Jensen
We love every and any classic car and are in turn, we’re equipped to fix and restore any classic too, but 2020 for us was the year of the Jensen. We’ve had eight 541R/541S’s in this year, some of which are still with us being completed. With only 193 Jensen 541R’s and 127 541S’s ever made worldwide, to have so many in at all really is outstanding, let alone all at the same time.
The 541R models were manufactured between 1957 and 1960 when they were later replaced by the 541S that ran from 1960 to 1962. Whilst each car is incredibly unique with its story and bespoke restoration, they are also very similar, and as you can imagine, with 8 very similar cars in at the same time, it took a while to get our heads around which was which when referring to them.
Expanding the team
2020 saw the birth of the Trim Shop. Whilst we’d had individual trim specialists working with us before, we were yet to dedicate a department to it! Last year saw the creation of the Trim Shop, giving the speciality its own workshop and team which continued to grow throughout the year. Originally just Kath and Brian, we have welcomed a new face to the team recently. Lydia has now joined us and is another much-valued member of the trim shop. Having our own trim department allows us to continue keeping all our restorations under one roof, limiting the outsourcing as much as we can.
We’ve also had Ellie join this year, adding to the marketing department. Previously we had just Freddie, and briefly Charlotte doing our marketing, but as the company started to grow, we found the need to take on another set of hands for our marketing and visuals.
One of a kind – Chevron B20
We’ve had some very unique cars in this year, including this original 1972 Chevron B20. Its seen top racing drivers, international races and a big crash in its lifetime and nowWe’re selling this on behalf of the owner but in the meantime, we’re enjoying housing this incredible special car. You can find out more about its history on our blogs.
Introduction of editorial shoots
The latter part of this year saw us start shooting some of our cars in a more editorial and creative style. Whilst we’ve always organised high-quality shoots of all our competition and for sale cars, we decided to add models to some of the shoots to make them a bit different.
Now we have both Freddie and Ellie on shoots, it means we can also get behind the scene insights into our shoots.
Bespoke restorations; A tribute
Another interesting and heartfelt restoration this year was our 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 that we restored. In memory of their late uncle, the owner paid to have a commemorative plaque fitted by the handbrake. We also embedded one of their Uncle’s favourite cufflinks above it as well. As we always say, each restoration is special and every car carries its own stories, but this one was particularly special.
Car Show 2020
Last January, we had our open morning car show that proved to be incredibly popular. After having to cancel our 2021 January open morning show, we hope to organise one for later this year.
Behind The Scenes: 1972 Chevron B20
December 8, 2020
Join us on the third instalment in our new series: Behind The Scenes. Although we give frequent behind the scenes updates on our workshop, we wanted to show you some of the processes that go into our visuals.
With every competition car and for sale car, we arrange a full photo shoot to capture our beloved classics in the best possible light. Some of these shoots include models and locations and some include members of the Bridge Classic Car team hopping in and helping out at Bentwaters. No matter the setup, the aim is always the same. To tell a story and capture the car in the best way.
It was a particularly cold and seemingly dreary morning when we set out to photograph our Chevron B20. Not wanting to risk attempting to start it, and without a racing driver, we pushed the Chevron over to the runway that would act as our backdrop. We soon realised that the thunderous skies cast the perfect mood for such a powerful and foreboding car. Having survived an extreme crash, giving the driver a near-death experience, this beastly motor is not something to misjudge. Not only does this car hold a historic past, but it also holds an early Ford Cosworth engine, now thought to be extremely valuable. As the sun peeked behind the clouds, oranges and pinks tinted the charcoal skies.
We shot for a while, even giving it a go to sit behind the wheel which we soon discovered was just as hard as driving it. The sleek body leaves little room inside the car. Specially designed for the driver in mind and to be as aerodynamic as possible, the interior is simple. Soon the skies began to change and we switched sets to the Hush House, a building originally designed as a jet engine testing facility with an impressive exhaust tunnel.
Here we shot our video and a few creative light trail photos as seen below.
You can keep up to date with our behind the scenes videos on our Instagram page under ‘BTS’ highlights! Keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook stories as well as we often put up sneak peaks on there too!
We also offer photoshoots as a service, so if you’d like your beloved motor photographed by the team at Bridge Classic Cars, click the link here.
Friday Snapshot
November 27, 2020
We’ve been very busy this week with winners and photoshoots as well as ongoing works to our current projects! Check out the news section of our website for in depth exclusives on our current cars.
Live Draws and Winners
This week we aired to live videos! One being on Wednesday night as a Hanger walk around, teasing some of the cars to come which must have enticed some extra ticket buyers as all three competition cars were drawn and won last night!
A big congratulations to James Colwell for winning our 1979 Mini Clubman with his lucky ticket number 850. Our 1998 Jaguar XJR Supercharged was won by Sam Holmes with his ticket number 134. Finally, our 1999 Mercedes was won by Robert Read with ticket number 131. Although his ticket number was selected, it wasn’t the first ticket number to be chosen by Google’s random number generator. The first ticket pulled was 183, a number assigned to an unbought ticket. This just goes to show it’s worth buying those extra tickets as that could have been you!
Closer look at the Chevron
We released some details about our new Chevron B20 earlier in the week. Here’s a closer look at our new race car. We’re planning on doing an official shoot for this iconic vehicle next week, so stay tuned!
New arrival of an Austin Nippy
Yesterday we welcomed this 1934 Austin Nippy to the workshop. This little car is visiting us for an engine rebuild. We’ll be uploading more details about the car and its restoration soon!
Finishing touches on the Jaguar
As you may have seen in our previous blog, our beautiful 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Race Car project has finally been completed. This has been in progress since 2016 and this week we saw the finishing details such as these pinstripes added.
We can’t wait to start it up and photograph it! Keep an eye out for its full story and photoshoot coming next week!
Life In The Fast Lane
November 25, 2020
We’ve recently acquired what we believe to be an original 1972 Chevron B20, one of just 7 ever made and raced for Formula 2.
The original owner of this B20 was one of the partners of Chevron, who recently passed away. His son then took on the car and has come to us for Bridge Classics to sell it on his behalf. We’ll be selling the Chevron just as it is, no modifications made.
We believe that this car was re-built in 1972 after it was crashed on the track.
The engineers who built this particular B20 was Steve and Nial from Chevron who now own their own company called Red Rose Racing.
History
This vehicle has had quite a dramatic life. It’s been raced by Peter Gethin who won at Pau in 1972. It was also raced by Vic Elford and John Watson with a 1900cc Cosworth FVC in the Rothmans 5000. It was then believed to have been leased by Ed Reeves for David Morgan to race in the Torneio in Brasil at the end of 1972 however Morgan, unfortunately, crashed it in practice. It’s said to have been “extremely badly bent” as a result of hitting the barrier head-on, with Morgan unhurt but having to be cut out of the wreckage.
Interestingly in the naming of Chevrons cars, there were no recurring master numbers such as 11, 22, 33 etc. This was due to a superstition held by founder Derek Bennett who had been in an accident where the number 11 kept being linked to the crash. From then onwards, he made the decision to avoid naming his cars after those master numbers. However, this didn’t spare our B20 from its serious crash in 1972.
Keep your eyes peeled for the official photoshoot coming soon!
