Almost 450 heritage organisations in England, including MotoFest Coventry have been awarded cash from the first round of the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage.

This financial boost from the government, thanks to the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will help MotoFest Coventry and many more projects across the country through the coronavirus pandemic.

2020 has been a difficult year for all events and heritage organisations. MotoFest Coventry was no exception, with the postponement of their June 2020 automotive-themed, cultural festival.

MotoFest Coventry is one of 433 organisations who will receive a share of £67 million from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage to help with costs for operating and recovery.

MotoFest celebrates Coventry’s influence worldwide, past, present and future, on two wheels and four. The weekend long festival mixes live motorsport with heritage vehicle displays, music, food and film.

James Noble, Festival Director said:

“This government funding allows us to start planning for a Covid secure festival in 2021. We are delighted that the government have recognised the important work that MotoFest Coventry does in protecting and showcasing our mobile heritage.”

“MotoFest Coventry is unique in demonstrating the significant role that automotive heritage plays in providing a context for future transport innovation.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said:

“As a nation it is essential that we preserve our heritage and celebrate and learn from our past. This massive support package will protect our shared heritage for future generations, save jobs and help us prepare for a cultural bounce back post Covid.”

Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive said:

“The funding is an essential lifeline for our heritage and the people who work tirelessly to conserve it for us all, so that we can hand it on to future generations.”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“It is absolutely right that investing in heritage should be a priority during this crisis and this support by Government is crucial.  Heritage creates jobs and economic prosperity, is a major driver for tourism and makes our towns, cities, and rural areas better places to live.  All of this is so important for our wellbeing and will be particularly vital when we start to emerge from this incredibly difficult time.

“Our heritage is still facing a perilous future – we are not out of the woods yet. But this hugely welcome funding from Government, and the money we continue to invest from the National Lottery, has undoubtedly stopped heritage and the organisations that care for it being permanently lost.”

MotoFest Coventry was founded in 2014 and has run annually until the hiatus caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. In 2019, MotoFest had a footfall of 229,000 individuals over the two day festival weekend, making it one of the largest and most important automotive events in the country.

The streets of Coventry rose once more with an exciting Covid secure automotive event, the Shakespeare Run – Revival, organised and run by the Coventry MotoFest team. As Saturday 26^th September rolled around, classic, vintage and veteran vehicles and motorcycles from across the region took to the streets of Coventry. The Run began on the Coventry Ring Road for a mobile start to enable compliance with current Covid-19 government guidelines. At 10.30am the Shakespeare Run – Revival left on a pre-planned, beautifully scenic route through Brinkford, Bretford, Princethorpe, Long Itchington, Offchurch, Cubbington, Beausale and finally back to Coventry through stunning Kenilworth via the Castle.

The Run was organised as the first Club MotoFest event. Club MotoFest is a new members club launched in June 2020, to bring together our thousands of MotoFest fans and publicise the return of the festival in June 2021.

Festival Director, James Noble said: “The Run has been an amazing success. Being able to organise and carry out a Covid-compliant event was a logistical triumph, of both the team and the participants. It was wonderful to bring a bit of joy to participants and onlookers.”

The specialist vehicle recovery operators, Carman Recovery,  were on hand to assist if there were any issues or breakdowns. Magnificently with the array of 66 classic vehicles and motorcycles, no recovery assistance was required.

The sunny but chilly day brought out a variety of vehicles from open top MGs to Lotus Sunbeams and Rolls Royces. With many taking part in the organiser’s anagram puzzle to win free entry to the next Club MotoFest event.

With so much positive feedback, the Coventry MotoFest team hope to run more Shakespeare Run – Revival type events in the near future with less restrictions. The events are designed to bring people together and celebrate Coventry and the automotive innovations from the past, present and future.

To get involved, sign up for free to Club MotoFest and receive the latest event related news.

Club MotoFest – https://bit.ly/2Ff50Q8

Facebook – @CovMotoFest

Instagram – @CovMotoFest

Twitter – @CovMotoFest

Website – https://www.coventrymotofest.com/

Coventry MotoFest may have been postponed until 4 – 6^th June 2021, but that does not mean all the action has to stop.  The team behind the much loved Coventry MotoFest event have been working hard to organise a Covid secure event for their Club MotoFest members.  Introducing the Shakespeare Run – Revival which has taken inspiration from the traditional Coventry Shakespeare Run, celebrating the motoring heritage of Coventry’s automotive industries.

How to get involved

The Shakespeare Run – Revival is an exclusive event aimed at Club MotoFest members. All members are able to register their classic, vintage and veteran cars, motorcycles and vehicles, aged 30 years and older, through the MotoFest website.

Where and when

The Shakespeare Run – Revival is on Saturday 26^th September 2020 and will take a drive (or ride) out through Coventry and the stunning scenery of the South Warwickshire countryside. More details on the event will be communicated to participants closer to the event itself.

Covid Secure

The Run will operate as a Covid secure event and feature an innovative mobile start and finish with no static displays, avoiding the possibility of crowds. Participants will be encouraged to stay within their vehicles and be advised on bringing Covid protection in case there is a need to stop.

For more information please visit – https://www.coventrymotofest.com/the-shakespeare-run-revival/

To register for the event please visit – https://www.coventrymotofest.com/the-shakespeare-run—revival-application/

Coventry’s prominent MotoFest event may be postponed to 2021, but fans can still get in on the action. The MotoFest team have been working hard from their new home offices to deliver a brand-new experience: Club MotoFest. The club brings the most dedicated fans a range of benefits, including exclusive member only events, discounts from sponsors and a monthly newsletter – all for free.

Exclusive Discounts

To sweeten the deal, members are entitled to a 25% discount on all Power Maxed products, as well as massive discounts on Pro-GreenMX, Old Hall Performance, Rugby Shot Blasting, Electric Zoo and Spec Prep products and services.

Director James Noble said: “We are proud to work with our longstanding sponsors, born and bred in Coventry, to bring our dedicated supporters a host of exclusive benefits all for free during these trying times and inspire hope and confidence in the festival as we gear up for 2021”.

More to come

As the UK adjusts to social distancing, the team is hard at work to bring even more benefits to dedicated club members. In the lead to what would have been this year’s MotoFest, the team created a virtual concours on their Facebook page. The competition, in partnership with the Association of Heritage Engineers, took place over four weeks showing the finest vehicles from pre-war through iconic classics to modern vehicles. Hugh Conway, Chairman of The Bugatti Trust, said the following of the concours:

“The Coventry Concours featured a brilliant display of cars with a tenacious link to British engineering and indeed a celebration of the heritage and culture, past and present of Coventry”.

Each of the five winners received a Golden Ticket guaranteeing their vehicle a place at the inaugural Coventry Concours event at MotoFest Coventry 2021 and two admissions to the Bugatti Trust Museum and Study Centre, courtesy of Angela Hucke Curator.

MotoFest and Coventry

MotoFest celebrates Coventry’s motoring heritage and drives a profit to the city’s economy. Club MotoFest allows the team to give back to the community, supporting the local brands which would have attended this year’s festival, boosting the local economy and their brand recognition. In 2018, the Coventry BID estimated MotoFest contributed an astounding £10 million to the local economy. In 2019, the festival propelled past previous years, attracting an unbelievable 229,292 visitors, raising the profile of the city and bringing about hope.

Even though MotoFest Coventry 2020 has been postponed, there is a new way to keep close to MotoFest, even in this time of social distancing. The MotoFest team have been working hard from their new home offices, to bring together the brand new – Club MotoFest.

Club MotoFest will bring club members a monthly newsletter with previews of MotoFest activities and events before the public find out. Along with amazing benefits including being invited to four exclusive membership only events per year and discounts from their sponsors, partners and exhibitors.

Edition one of Club MotoFest News is published this Saturday giving information and exclusive membership only discounts from MotoFest exhibitors including Pro-GreenMX, Old Hall Performance and Life-Line Fire, Power Maxed, Rugby Shot Blasting and Spec Prep.

Club MotoFest member are invited to the first exclusive members event; a live webinar with the MotoFest team, some of the Coventry Concours celebrity judges, and the Association of Heritage Engineers. After watching the results of Coventry Concours this Sunday (7th June) at 5.30pm on MotoFest Coventry social media, head over for the live zoom webinar. Members will receive the log in code in the first edition of Club MotoFest News this Saturday.

MotoFest Coventry and the Association of Heritage Engineers have created a fantastic new opportunity for all those hoping to enter their vehicles into car shows and concours competitions up and down the UK this spring and summer. Like many of these events, MotoFest Coventry has unfortunately had to postpone the event until 4^th, 5^th and 6^th June 2021.

The 2020 event was going to host our first concours event in partnership with the Association of Heritage Engineers, within the stunning Coventry Cathedral ruins. Our teams have been working extremely hard during these testing times, to bring to you the virtual Coventry Concours. We have taken a much loved concours style event and are delivering it to you on the digital platform of Facebook.

We have an array of celebrity judges including Allan Winn, Amanda Stretton, Angela Hucke, Drew Pritchard, Ralph Hosier and Neil Campbell with more judges to be added in due course. Look out for profiles on each of our judges on the dedicated Facebook event page (link below).

Over the next four weeks, the competition will have four dedicated rounds dependent upon the age of your vehicle.

Round 1 – Vehicles produced in the 40s and 50s (Pre-war vehicles will be accepted in this category) – Saturday 9^th May to Saturday 16^th May

Round 2 – Vehicles produced in the 60s and 70s – Saturday 16^th May to Saturday 23^rd May

Round 3 – Vehicles produced in the 80s and 90s – Saturday 23^rd May to Saturday 30^th May

Round 4 – Vehicles produced in the 00s and 10s – Saturday 30^th May to Saturday 6^th June

The criteria for all entries can be found here

Each entry will submit an array of unedited photographs of an original or restored vehicle, which should have a link to the city of Coventry. This link can be strong or tenuous with the most creative and interesting tenuous link, from all entries submitted, will receive a prize.

The winner of each round, decided by the judges, will receive a Golden Ticket guaranteeing their vehicle a place at the inaugural Coventry Concours event hosted at MotoFest Coventry 2021.

Coventry Concours event page – www.facebook.com/events/863620364138342/

MotoFest Coventry Social Media – @CovMotoFest

MotoFest Coventry Website – www.coventrymotofest.com

Association of Heritage Engineers Social Media – @AOHEreng

Association of Heritage Engineers Website – www.associationofheritageengineers.co.uk