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SGMW Heritage Driving Day Merges Classic Charm With Modern Innovation
A fresh perspective on a classic event made the Southern Group of Motoring Writers’ (SGMW) annual heritage day unforgettable. This year marked the seventh time SGMW hosted the event at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire. The group also introduced a driving day for new manufacturers without heritage fleets.
The event saw 20 SGMW members joined by 29 PR representatives from 14 brands. They drove 32 cars, including a dozen heritage models, various electric vehicles, rugged off-roaders, and pick-up trucks. The mix included Abarth’s 500e Convertible, BYD’s Dolphin, Atto 3 and Seal, Fiat’s 600 Hybrid and 600e, and Ford’s Capri L, Racing Puma and latest Puma.
Other notable cars were Genesis’ GV60, electrified GV70 and G80, Honda’s Civic Type R (FK2), S2000 and latest Civic Hybrid. Ineos showcased Grenadier 3.0 petrol and diesel versions while Isuzu brought D-Max AT35 Arctic and Basecamp models. Jeep presented Avenger MHEV, Kia had Stinger GT-S, Picanto Strike Mark 1 and latest Picanto GT-Line.
SGMW members also displayed their own cars. Highlights included a vintage Volkswagen Beetle Herbie tribute, an Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Ti, and an immaculate Mazda Eunos. Modern vehicles featured an Alpine A110, Volkswagen Polo Blue GT, Jaguar XF Sportbrake, Saab 9-3 convertible and Abarth 595.
As tradition dictates, attendees voted for their favourite member’s car and manufacturer’s car of the day. Stu Bird’s Beetle Douglas Special won the member’s best car prize over Julian Rendell’s Alfa. The Beetle impressed with its looks, sound and intricate details reminiscent of the original movie star car.
Manufacturer Highlights
Volvo's P1800 was voted best manufacturer’s car. Members queued to drive it all day long. Volvo Car UK head of communications Tom Lynch said: "We have a deep and rich heritage stretching back nearly 100 years but it is also lovely to see people in the industry driving each other’s cars."
The SGMW quiz ended in a tiebreaker with David Wilkins emerging victorious over Peter Nunn. The heritage driving day remains popular with PRs as well as SGMW members for its relaxed atmosphere conducive to networking.
PR Perspectives
Simon Branney from Genesis Motor UK praised the event: "Definitely one of the highlights of the summer...the group has been very welcoming and supportive of the Genesis brand." Rachel Goodwin from BYD echoed this sentiment: "It was a great day...useful for PRs to drive competitors’ products."
Kia UK press officer Will Rees appreciated the opportunity to catch up with colleagues: "It is about getting to chat with other PRs...a lot of SGMW members we don’t see regularly on driving days." Mazda UK PR director Graeme Fudge added: "Beaulieu is also a lovely location."
The Southern Group of Motoring Writers represents motoring writers around the M25 motorway region. It assists communication between its members and the motor industry. Currently, it has 31 members working across various media platforms providing motoring information to both public and specialist sectors.
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