'La-la-la-la-la-la-la, la, la, la... I am a Crabman.' Gez gets a dose of Morris loveliness at the LOCI stand, which was full of Mk1 1800s.

    Finally, the last prototype making its belated UK debut, was the 1971 Projet L – forerunner to the fantastic CX. Being the last design to come from the great Robert Opron, it does draw heavily from Pininfarina’s BLMC 1800 Aerodynamic and does resemble from the front, dare I suggest this, the later BLMC 18-22/Princess range.

    Two stunning Vauxhall concept cars on the Classic & Sports Car stand, also begged the question – what on Earth happened? The VXR could have brought a touch of Corvette glamour to Luton after wowing the crowds at the 1966 Geneva Salon with its tango-hued gull-winged futurism. Sadly though, it turned out to be a production dead-end after only three prototypes were built, but it does explain from where the Viva HC got its strip rear lamps. Meanwhile the 1970 SRV saloon or Safety Research Vehicle does raise the question – has safety ever looked so sexy before or since? We think it's a resounding no.

Is brown the new red in classic Italian circles? Do please feel free to grass up Charlesworth to Private Eye's The Neophiliacs column, it might stem the flow of his verbal diarrhoea.

    Meanwhile on the Ferrari Owners’ Club and Maserati Club UK stands, there was further proof that classic cars are catching on to the trend of retaining original paint colours. If you’ve ever winced at the idea of a brown Ferrari 250 GT Lusso or a terracotta Maserati Ghibli SS, well, we’d reckon that the reality would leave you feeling very confused. The contrast between these beauties and the metallic red Enzo was really rather striking – either that or The Illness had just mutated into a more potent and hazardous strand...

    Personal highlights? I loved the rechristened glam-rock XJ-S, the Lister Le Mans, the beautiful Hunter GLS on the Hillman Owners Club (yes, I drooled over that Holbay engine), an oddball DKW F800 minibus, all those Maseratis, a trio of MkI 1800s on the Landcrab Owner’s Club International, an Alta-headed Minor MM on the Morris Minor Owners’ Club and then there was the semi-inducing gorgeousness of a Giulietta Sprint Zagato nestling amid a clutch of ES30 SZs and RZs on the Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club stand...

Alta-engined MM Moggy was an absolute peach. Back in the day some regarded this aftermarket conversion as superior to the A-series cars.

    However, none approached the dizzy sensation my inner MG anorak experienced at the autojumble, because after searching in a half-arsed fashion for around 16 years I finally managed to score a MkIII Midget BMC handbook. Yes, it had been facelifted by a kid with a felt-tip, but I didn’t care and quickly handed over the cash. They only produced them for two years, so I wasn’t going to pass over on this opportunity to have a proper period handbook to match the MG.

    Yes it took two days before my feet stopped moaning and throbbing, but we will be back because I can’t wait to see what the organisers have planned for this unmissable event in 2010.