CLASSIC DRIVES CLASSIC DRIVES Blackpool Illuminations

Blackpool Illuminations

Power to the tower36 | CLASSIC CAR WEEKLY | Wednesday 30 October 2013 Wednesday 30 October 2013 | CLASSIC CAR WEEKLY | 37

Stay hereNorbreck Castle Hotel Queen’s Promenade, Blackpool FY2 9AA ■ 0871 222 0031

Eat hereSquires Gate Fish & Chips 9 Squires Gate Lane, Cartmell Fold, Great Marton, Blackpool FY4 1SN ■ 01253 349261

If you’re hitting Blackpool’s bright lights, show off some V8 muscle, says DAVID SIMISTER in a Corvette

At night, Blackpool turns into Las Vegas... almost

The glow of a thousand neon lightbulbs pierce the black of the night sky as I power the Corvette along Blackpool’s windswept promenade. This is a classic

drive in every sense of the word.There’s a gaudy glitz about any Chevy which

makes it perfectly suited to enjoying the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations. Cruising behind the wheel of an open-top burbler makes you the centre of attention. Even though you’ll be lucky to hit 30mph and the only hairpins you’re likely to see are atop the scalps of women in the resort on their hen nights, driving this stretch of road is one of the most enjoyable drives you can undertake at this time of year.

In the daytime, Blackpool has a very British sort of charm, encapsulated by its rock stalls, Victorian piers and fish ‘n’ chip shops. But, when darkness falls, and the six miles of lights are switched on, the vibe starts to turn ever so slightly Las Vegas.

That’s why to get the best out of driving the Illuminations you need a classic that’s brash, in-yer-face and unashamedly proud of its heritage. Something outlandish, open to the autumn weather and audible with a hint of a small rumble – a Chevrolet Corvette is perfect.

Once you lift out the twin panels on its T-bar roof, fire up the 5.7-litre small block V8 and engage its three-speed auto, you’ll discover this lazy, loudmouthed left-hooker is more than suited to the job in hand. You might think having the steering wheel on the wrong side would be off-putting, but as it’s unlikely you’ll be doing any overtaking, you soon learn not to let it bother you. In fact it works to your advantage, allowing you to indulge in a spot of banter with the pedestrians as you thread your

way through the many traffic lights as you rumble North from Starr Gate through the glittering lights.

The Corvette’s bright white paintwork, pop-up headlights and the red leather lining the two-seater cockpit place you in the chintzy mindset you need to enjoy the spangled nights when this Lancashire seaside resort turns peacock and struts its stuff to thousands of visitors. Dazzling displays celebrating everything from Doctor Who to old Routemaster buses, beam from the side of the road. Occasionally you’ll glide past vintage trams dressed up as trawler boats and draped in hundreds of lights – probably the only thing on the prom to positively outglam the ’Vette.

Then, of course, you reach the jewel in this seaside resort’s spectacular autumn tiara – Blackpool Tower, which flickers and sparkles every few seconds as it climbs hundreds of feet into the sky above you. The staccato bark of the Corvette’s exhaust is its audible reflection. Seeing this Grade One-listed masterpiece gradually crawl up the wild contours of the Corvette’s bonnet as you cruise along the town’s

Golden Mile has got to be the one of the best thrills you can experience in British motoring.

Eventually, you’ll reach Bispham, the point in Blackpool’s northern reaches where the fantastic luminance of the display reaches its end, giving way to street lights, which seem drab by comparison.

Naturally, there’s only one thing to do if you’re in a Corvette and the whole of the Blackpool Illuminations at your beck and call. Turn around, go straight back and congratulate yourself on a drive well done over some well-deserved fish and chips.

Blackpool

Bispham

Starr Gate

David’s face lit up at the

wheel of the Corvette

The Corvette we drove was a 1980 C3 Stingray, which blends General Motors’ venerable 5.7-litre V8 with a three-speed auto that offers easy-going sports car thrills.

While it’s never going to offer you Lotus-like steering, its well-mannered, torquey driving experience makes it perfect for relaxed cruising.

The twin roof panels are easily unclipped and stow neatly behind the two seats, transforming the Kentucky-crafted classic from a cosy coupe into an al fresco motoring experience.

The combination of bright white paintwork and red leather interior is definitely an acquired taste but is certainly in keeping with the brash glamour of the Illuminations, while the power-assisted steering helps ensure the sheer size of the car and its left-hand-drive layout never feel intimidating.

This Corvette is one of more than 80 classics on offer from Great Escapes Classic Car Hire, which has a number of outlets across the UK.

Founded in Worcestershire in 2006 by Graham and Janine Eason, Great Escape is now the country’s largest classic car hire company, offering everything from small Brit favourites like the Mini and Morris Minor to full-on exotics such as the Ferrari 456GT and Jensen Interceptor. Graham said: “Each of our sites are owner-operated by classic car enthusiasts.”■ 01527 893733■ www.greatescapecars.co.uk

ABOUT THE CAR

HIRING THE CARBlackpool’s Promenade, which now forms part of the A584 road, has been at the heart of the resort’s fortunes since it rose to prominence as a bathing resort in the 19th century.

With no less than three pleasure piers on one side and the thrills of the Grade One-listed Blackpool Tower on the other, there’s plenty of great views to take in, although work by the local authorities to introduce traffic calming measures means progress behind the wheel is now slower than in previous years.

Easily reached from the M55 motorway, Blackpool offers distinctly old-school seaside

thrills, most notably if you temporarily ditch driving your classic for a ride on Britain’s oldest working tramway system, which runs alongside the road and connects either end of the seafront. In between, you’ve got scores of fish ‘n’ chip shops to serve up some cuisine entirely suited to the traditional seaside feel.

You will not be found wanting when it comes to hotels either. Ranging from petite bed & breakfast properties to grand buildings with hundreds of rooms, it’s easy to book accommodation that’s right at the heart of Illuminations action.

ABOUT THE AREA■ Watch out for tipsy pedestrians in fancy dress wandering in the road. Stag and hen parties head to Blackpool throughout the year.

■ Pack warm clothes and a coat to deal with the elements – the Illuminations are definitely best experienced with your roof down.

■ Traffic lights and traffic calming measures have been brought in along Blackpool’s seafront, so keep an eye out for red lights which aren’t part of the displays.

BE PREPARED

an eye out for red lights which

■ DISTANCE 6 miles ■ CAR 1980 Chevrolet Corvette C3 Stingray ■ DRIVING TIME 25 minutes ■ HIRE THIS CAR FROM www.greatescapecars.co.uk

■ PETROL INCLUDED No ■ MILEAGE 200 miles ■ EXCESS MILEAGE £1.50 per mile ■ PRICE £229 for 24-hour hire ■ AGE LIMIT 25-75 years■ THINGS TO BRING Both parts of driving licence, credit or debit card, warm clothes, mobile phone, Elvis Presley eight-track tapes

EXPLORING BLACKPOOL SEAFRONT BY NIGHT

David ‘Don’t Call Me Hasselhoff’ Simister and the ’Vette

This year’s illuminations get switched off on 10 November, so hurry

Thundering up the promenade in a V8 muscle car beats the trams any day

Ready for a roller coaster ride? Not in the smooth Corvette, of course