MotoFest Coventry’s Car Weekend saw hundreds of classic cars on display across the city as this year’s new month-long format was hailed a ‘success’ by organisers of the festival.

For Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th August, the Broadgate area in the centre of the city became a showcase for classic Bentleys, Daimlers, Lotuses and many more famous marques, including some fine examples of the city’s most iconic motoring marvel – the Jaguar e-type.

The car clubs and individual enthusiasts had driven from as far afield as Manchester and the South of England, all drawn to Coventry by the clarion call of MotoFest’s annual homage to the city’s motoring heritage. 

Just a short stroll from the city centre display, those attending the Car Weekend were further rewarded as Coventry marque Riley celebrated its 125-year anniversary with a display of vehicles that showcased its own rich automotive history.

With the city’s iconic Coventry Cathedral providing a wonderfully atmospheric backdrop, the city’s University Square was filled with an array of the coupes, tourers and saloons that help shape Riley’s reputation as one of the city’s most famous car and bike manufacturers.

James Noble, MotoFest Coventry Festival Director, said: “We are delighted to have rounded off this year’s new month-long format with the Car Weekend, a great success and a fitting finale to the festival programme.

“It’s amazing to see so many people travelling from all over the country to visit MotoFest Coventry. One such example is a gentleman from the Gay Classic Car Club, who travelled down from Manchester in his Bentley turbo R on Saturday morning and drove home Saturday evening. He enjoyed the day so much he drove back to Coventry again the next day!

“That’s the attraction of MotoFest Coventry, even in a Covid disrupted year people still make the effort to attend the festival and we thank all of them for their support.

“It’s been a difficult event to stage this year due to the challenging circumstances but our incredible MotoFest team, the City Council and all our sponsors and supporters have helped make it a great success. We will return bigger and better next year, with the Ring Road Sprint Circuit and various arenas all set to return, with new elements to the show that will continue to celebrate the city’s rich, automotive heritage.”

Alongside the classic metal on display in the city, there was also plenty of high octane, turbo charged car fun for the modern, motoring enthusiasts. The Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, took part in a Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and the ‘MotoFest Underground’ evening display.

On Sunday, MotoFest celebrated local unsung heroes of the pandemic, as 15 individuals chosen through a public nomination process, took part in a special ‘Heroes Hour’ vehicle parade. The community heroes were taken on a tour of Coventry in a vehicle parade featuring Ecto1 the famous converted American ambulance from the Ghostbusters film escorted by an array of American Police cars and a military vehicle of the type featured in Ghostbusters.  

Following the parade, Ecto1, the American Police cars and military vehicle all parked up as part of the Modern Modified Car display.

MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across three weekends in July and August as part of the new MotoFest Month 2021 schedule.

As the largest free motoring festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and modern vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across three weekends. 

MotoFest Coventry is serving up a music menu to suit all tastes for its finale weekend with an eclectic mix of internationally acclaimed headliners and local talent taking centre stage at the festival.

The MotoFest Drive In show on Saturday 7^th August, doors open at 7pm for a 7,30pm start, is an exciting Drive In show on the Nexus ICA Stage, in Millennium Place. It will feature MOBO nominated Sandra Godley, Coventry singer and songwriter Rob Halligan, who has toured extensively around the world as a solo performer and worked with 80s band Wet Wet Wet’s guitarist Graeme Duffin.

They will be joined on the evening line-up by UK Folk legends The Longest Johns, who’s track WellerMan has become a viral sensation. Other guests include Coventry legend, the Selector’s Pauline Black, The Zodiacs and musicians from the Coventry indie music scene.

As well as the music programme, there will be guest interviews and some of Coventry’s finest vehicles – past, present and future plus plenty of laughs for all the family. Tickets are available in advance or on the gate with details on the events available at https://bit.ly/MotoFest-Month2021

In the afternoon of 7^th and 8^th August, there is a packed music line up, featuring local Coventry bands and musicians.

In addition to the MotoFest Drive In Show, there will also be special Drive In screenings of the new BBC commissioned documentaries – Classic British Cars: Made in Coventry, and Coventry Cathedral: Building for a New Britain – all celebrating Coventry’s contribution to Culture.

Both of the BBC documentaries will be screened in Millennium Place, Coventry on the evenings of 4^th and 5^th August, both days and will be free to attend by registering in advance at https://bit.ly/BBCDrivein.

Following on from the BBC documentaries, there will be the MotoFest Film Festival, taking place on the afternoon and evening of 6^th August in Millennium Place and the evening of the 7^th August in the Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

For the MotoFest Film Festival, there will be an exclusive screening of both Disney’s Cars and the Blues Brothers on the 6^th August, tickets are available in advance or on the gate with details on the events available at https://bit.ly/MotoFest-Month2021

A special screening of The Italian Job, organised in partnership with Flatpack Festival as part of CineCov, will take place in the Coventry Cathedral Ruins, with more details available at https://bit.ly/CineCov.

On Sunday 8^th August, ELO guitarist, Dave Scott Morgan will be headlining the free Hope at MotoFest event with his band, along with Rob Halligan and the Psalm Live Worship experience. Organised by Coventry Churches and Hope Coventry, the event takes place in Millennium Place and starts at 6pm.

The entertainment extravaganza will take place across MotoFest Coventry’s new format for the 2021 festival. For this year, MotoFest Coventry will switch from its traditional date on the first weekend in June, to a new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ programme, stretched out across three individual MotoFest Coventry weekends, from 17^th July to 8^th August 2021.

James Noble, MotoFest Coventry Festival Director, said: “We are delighted at the return of MotoFest Coventry in 2021.

“Following two successful weekends in July, getting us off the starting grid, we now head into the final lap with a full schedule of events and activities.

“The MotoFest Drive In Show is the culmination of a series of Drive In activities offering something for everyone that begin mid-week and ends across the two days of our final festival weekend.

“With the MotoFest Car Weekend showcasing classic cars and modern and modified vehicles, alongside the 125-year anniversary of the city’s famous Riley manufacturer brand and our MotoFest Heroes Hour parade, it’s all set to be a fitting finale to this year’s MotoFest Coventry festival.”

The final weekend on 7th and 8th August is the MotoFest Car Weekend, celebrating both the old and the new, with classic cars over 30 years old and Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, on display across the City Centre.

For the classic car lovers, there will be a dedicated display area in Broadgate and surrounding areas of the City Centre with a showcase of hundreds of classic vehicles.

As well as displays, there will be a special 125-year anniversary celebration of the city’s famous car and bicycle manufacturer brand, Rileys, with an array of festivities planned to mark the occasion.

The Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, will feature a Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and an evening display titled ‘MotoFest Underground’.

On Sunday 8^th August, the new MotoFest Heroes Hour parade will celebrate the local unsung heroes of the pandemic, chosen through a public nomination process. These amazing individuals will be taken on a special parade through Coventry and feature the Ecto1 car from the Ghostbusters film, a flanked escort of American Police cars and a military vehicle

Following the parade, Ecto1, the American Police cars and military vehicle will all park up as part of the Modern Modified Car display in and around the former Ikea Multi storey Car Park.

MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across three weekends in July and August as part of the new MotoFest Month 2021 schedule.

As the largest free motoring festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and modern vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across three weekends.  For more details visit https://www.coventrymotofest.com/motofest-month-2021/.

MotoFest Coventry is getting revved up for its return with a full programme of events unveiled for all of its festival weekends.

The latest additions to the MotoFest schedule are a series of Drive In shows and music events, set to take place from the 4^th to 8^th August 2021.

The Drive In screenings will begin with the special screenings of three new BBC commissioned documentaries – Classic British Cars: Made in Coventry, Coventry Cathedral: Building for a New Britain and Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and the Legendary Tapes – all celebrating Coventry’s contribution to Culture.

Each of the BBC documentaries will be screened in Millennium Place, Coventry on the evenings of 4^th and 5^th August both days, and will be free to attend by registering in advance at https://bit.ly/BBCDrivein.

Following on from the BBC documentaries is the MotoFest Film Festival, taking place on the afternoon and evening of 6th August at Millennium Place and the evening of the 7th August at Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

For the Film Festival, there will be an exclusive screening of both Disney’s Cars and the Blues Brothers on the 6^th August, with details on tickets for the event available at https://bit.ly/CMFportal/. A special screening of The Italian Job, organised in partnership with Flatpack Festival as part of CineCov, will take place in the Cathedral Ruins, with more details available at https://bit.ly/CineCov.

There will also be a Drive In MotoFest show at Millennium Place on 7^th August. A live stage show, it will be packed with awesome music, guest interviews and some of Coventry’s finest vehicles, past, present and future, on both 2 wheels and four. This will be further supplemented with the Nexus ICA stage, also in Millenium Place, on 7^th and 8^th August, featuring local Coventry bands and musicians.

The entertainment extravaganza will take place across MotoFest Coventry’s new format for the 2021 festival. For this year, MotoFest Coventry will switch from its traditional date on the first weekend in June, to a new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ programme, stretched out across three individual MotoFest Coventry weekends, on 17^th to 18^thJuly, 24^th to 25^th July and 7^th to 8^th August.

James Noble, Coventry MotoFest Coventry Festival Director, said: “We are delighted at the return of MotoFest Coventry in 2021.

“As a result of the need to comply with the Covid 19 regulations on large scale crowds at single events, MotoFest Month 2021 will look different to previous years. However, the festival ethos, particularly the commitment to hosting a celebration of the city’s motoring heritage, remains the same.

“The new format gives us a whole month’s worth of activities instead of the usual two-day festival, and whether you are a two wheeled or a four wheeled fan, there is something for everyone.

“We look forward to welcoming the public to a packed programme of events and activities, that will celebrate the best of two and four wheels across three festival weekends.”

Each of the three new MotoFest Coventry weekends will be themed around future innovation, motorcycles and classic and modern modified cars. The initial launch weekend on 17th and 18th July, organised in partnership with the Transport Innovation Board, saw the launch of the ‘Our Future Moves’ exhibition in the Coventry Transport Museum, celebrating new technologies and future innovation.

The 24th and 25th July will go full throttle for two wheeled fans, with the Motorcycle Weekend set to include the traditional MotoFest Coventry Ride In from the historic Coombe Abbey Hotel, Coventry to the City Centre.  For this year’s event, riders need to sign up by registering on the Club MotoFest Portal. For more information on how to get involved visit www.coventrymotofest.com/motofest-month-2021/motorcycles/ 

Alongside the Ride In there will be the Ken Fox Wall of Death troupe, static motorcycle displays, individual and club displays and the MotoFest Classic and Custom Bike Show – with trophies awarded across a number of categories.

On the same 24^th to 25^th July weekend, there is also the annual Coventry Concours event – sponsored by prestige classic, sports and racing car sales brand Car-Iconics and Bike-Iconics – a premium car show with entrants having the opportunity to display their vehicles in the iconic Coventry Cathedral Ruins.

There will be a strong Coventry theme to the cars and motorcycles on display with manufacturer models from Jaguar, Daimler, Standard, Triumph, Rootes Group and Armstrong Sideley, all represented at the show.

The final weekend on 7th and 8th August is the MotoFest Car Weekend, celebrating both the old and the new, with classic cars over 30 years old and Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, on display across the city centre.

For the classic cars big weekend out, there will be a dedicated display area in Broadgate and surrounding areas of the city centre to showcase over 100 classic vehicles.

As well as displays, there will be a special 125-year anniversary celebration of the city’s famous car and bicycle manufacturer brand, Rileys, with an array of festivities planned to mark the occasion.

The Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, will feature a Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and an evening display titled ‘MotoFest Underground’.

There will also be on Sunday 8^th August, the new ‘Heroes Hour’ initiative, with 16 unsung heroes of the pandemic, chosen through a public nomination process, taking part in a special city centre parade featuring the Ecto1 car from the Ghostbusters film and a flanked escort of 14 New York Police Department squad cars.

Following the parade, the Ecto1 and the 14 American police cars will then park up as part of the Modern Modified Car display.

Nominations for the MotoFest Heroes Hour initiative are still open at https://forms.gle/UUHLHCML6eGGSni58.

MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across three weekends in July and August as part of the new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ schedule.

As the largest free motoring festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and performance vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across three weekends. 

For more details visit https://www.coventrymotofest.com/motofest-month-2021/.

MotoFest Coventry is to host its own Concours D’Elegance premium car show with entrants having the opportunity to display their vehicles in the iconic Coventry Cathedral ruins.

The inaugural Coventry Concours – sponsored by prestige classic, sports and racing car sales brand Car-Iconics and Bike-Iconics – will take place on Saturday 24^th July and Sunday 25^th July and follows on from a successful online ‘Coventry Concours’ event last year. Organised and run in partnership with the Association of Heritage Engineers, the winners of the 2020 ‘Virtual Coventry Concours’ will also feature at the show.

The Coventry Concours will begin with all participating vehicles driving into the City Centre, before parking up on display in the world-famous Coventry Cathedral ruins as part of the two-day extravaganza.

With one of England’s finest heritage sites, Coventry Cathedral, providing a wonderfully atmospheric backdrop to proceedings, the Coventry Concours will seek to emulate the glamour and glitz of globally renowned ‘Concours’ such as the Salon Prive and Pebble Beach events.

In line with being Coventry’s inaugural Concours event, there will be a strong Coventry theme to the cars and motorcycles on display with manufacturer models from Jaguar, Daimler, Standard, Triumph, Rootes Group and Armstrong Sideley all represented at the show.

Coventry Concours is free to visit, simply walk up to the Coventry Cathedral Ruins through the weekend to see these excellent examples of Coventry’s designed and manufactured classic cars and motorcycles.

There is also a special bed and breakfast package available for participants at the Telegraph, Coventry’s exclusive mid-century, boutique hotel. On Saturday 24^th July there will be a celebration dinner in the evening at the Telegraph Hotel for the participants and judges.

James Noble, Festival Director, said: “We are excited to announce the Coventry Concours, an authentic Coventry take on the traditional ‘Concours D’Elegance format.

“With renowned car sales brand Car-Iconics and Bike-Iconics as sponsor and the Association of Heritage Engineers helping us to run the show, we have partners on board as prestigious as the event itself.

“It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity to see beautiful, premium heritage cars and motorcycles showcasing the best of Coventry’s car and bike manufacturing expertise in an incredibly iconic setting and we are really looking forward to it.”

Daniel Gannon, Car-Iconics and Bike-Iconics, Managing Director, said: “Car-Iconics and Bike-Iconics are proud to sponsor MotoFest Coventry’s Coventry Concours’ and want to thank Coventry for all of the iconic vehicles it has produced over the decades.

“Coventry continues to lead the automotive industry with engineering, design and innovation, which we are delighted to be associated with.”

Dominic Taylor-Lane, Association of Heritage Engineers Managing Director, said: “It’s a huge privilege to be asked to be a part of this amazing new event and helping to put the judging panel together.

“MotoFest Coventry is an inspirational event, its depth and breadth is quite extraordinary and I’m very much looking forward to seeing ‘Coventry Concours’ taking place in such a unique and iconic setting.”

The judging of the cars and motorcycles will take place on Saturday afternoon and will be evaluated by a panel of judges as prestigious as the cars on display.

Land speed record hero Richard Noble, OBE, Antiques Roadshow regular and classic car fan Marc Allum, classic car expert Ian Tyrell and broadcaster Dr Mark Evans will be among the panel of experts who will decide the inaugural winners of the Coventry Concours event.

MotoFest Coventry is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across four weekends in July and August as part of the new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ schedule.

As the largest free motoring festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and modern modified vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across four weekends.

MotoFest Coventry is to mix the modern with the classic as the ‘MotoFest Car Weekend’ provides the four wheeled entertainment for the final lap of this year’s festival.

The MotoFest Car Weekend will celebrate both the old and the new, with classic cars over 30 years old to first take center stage in the heart of Coventry on Saturday 7^th August 2021 and Sunday 8^th August 2021.  

For the classic cars big weekend out, there will be a dedicated display area in Broadgate and surrounding areas of the city centre to showcase over 100 classic vehicles.

As well as displays, there will be a special 125-year anniversary celebration of the city’s famous Riley, car and bicycle manufacturer brand, with an array of festivities planned to mark the occasion.

The Modern Modified, modern classics and modified cars under 30 years old, will strut their stuff around the Skydome area of the city centre on Saturday 7^th August 2021 and Sunday 8^th August 2021.

A Modern Modified Show and Shine competition and an evening display titled ‘MotoFest Underground’ are set to be among the highlights for the final weekend of MotoFest Month 2021.

James Noble, Coventry Motofest’s Festival Director, said: “The MotoFest Car Weekend is designed to provide a fitting finale to our four weekends of two and four wheeled festival fun.

“With a dedicated weekend for both classic car buffs and modern, modified enthusiasts alike, it’s a fantastic representation of what MotoFest Coventry is all about – something for everyone united by the common theme of celebrating the city’s motoring heritage.

“As a result of the Covid restrictions, there will be no turn up and show as in previous years, and so we are asking participants to pre-register their vehicles for display ahead of the event.

“The displays are an integral part of the MotoFest Coventry programme and we look forward to again putting on a great show for the final weekend of the festival.”

For details on how to register a vehicle for either the Classic Cars or the Modern Classics displays click here.

MotoFest is dedicated to the city’s motoring heritage, taking place in 2021 across four weekends in July and August as part of the new ‘MotoFest Month 2021’ schedule.

As the largest free motoring festival in the UK, it brings live motorsport, including dynamic motorsport displays, classic and modern modified vehicles, and the cutting edge of automotive innovation right into the heart of the UK’s Motor City, free for everyone to enjoy across four weekends. 

A range of partners from across the region have come together to create Our Future Moves which will run from July 2021, at MotoFest Month 2021, through to the summer of 2022 with a series of events taking place over the 12-month period – including demonstrations of the latest technology.

The yearlong showcase – which takes place alongside Coventry being UK City of Culture – will launch with the major exhibition Our Future Moves at Coventry Transport Museum, which opens on 17 July and runs until 31 October. It will feature a diverse range of exhibits that highlight the region’s pioneering work in transport innovation – from autonomous vehicles to one person submarines.

The interactive exhibition will tell the stories of the objects on display by envisioning how future cities may look and exploring how pioneering developments in transport and technology could affect the environment and the way we live.

Objects on display will include a Skyfarer delivery drone, Aurrigo autonomous shuttle, Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR) model, Vital Auto interactive car grill that mimics how you are feeling by reading your facial expression, a Coventry University autonomous racing vehicle and display of unmanned aerial vehicle projects, Jaguar I-PACE, Microcabs hydrogen car, GE electric propulsion unit, KIVNON Mobile Robotics, Triggo electric vehicle (EV) and a University of Warwick nano satellite which monitors wildlife populations.

It will open on MotoFest’s first weekend of MotoFest Month 2021 that usually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Coventry city centre each year.

The strategic partners delivering the ambitious and inspiring Our Future Moves programme include Coventry City Council, CV Life, Culture Coventry, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Coventry City of Culture Trust, Coventry University, MotoFest, Transport for West Midlands, Warwickshire County Council and WMG at the University of Warwick.

Paul Breed, CEO of CV Life and Culture Coventry, said: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to celebrate Coventry and Warwickshire’s past, present and future as a pioneer and innovator in transport – at a time when the eyes of the world will be on the city as UK City of Culture, and when the Commonwealth Games comes to the region very soon after.

“Our Future Moves will see a year of activities, beginning with a must-see exhibition at the Coventry Transport Museum.

“And, over the course of the year of events, it will look at how Coventry and the wider region has become the centre of innovation for future transport, from very light rail through to electric vehicles, battery technology and the world’s first Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Urban Air Port®.”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, said: “Coventry is leading the green industrial revolution and we want to celebrate that, engage and inspire the next generation of innovators and share all of the amazing innovations and solutions that are being pioneered right here.

“The next year promises to be very exciting and Our Future Moves will be a big part of that.

“With projects like Very Light Rail, autonomous vehicles, electric cars and journey planning enabled by street furniture that reports congestion this sector has never felt so exciting or so important.  I hope people will learn a lot, get a glimpse of the future and feel inspired.”

Atkins is an official Sponsor of Our Future Moves.