ACMshow
report
41Vacational
Training
The Can-Am crew took a busman’s holiday in Devon in July,
and ended up starting what could become the holiday
weekender of the year!Words & photography: Terry PittawayWeekend car events can be a great
way for hobby car owners, and
enthusiasts alike, to enjoy their
cars. Many established and regular
weekenders will always be ‘great’;
some are spectacular! Then every so
often, one will come along that seems
to transcend expectation. A show with
that little something extra. A show
with the ‘X’ factor!
The Can-Am Car Club’s
Independence Day Weekender, in
association with Cofton Holidays,
gave us exactly that. An American
and classic car event that was
memorable in so many ways.
It somehow captured all that is
good and meaningful in hobby car
ownership, and then shared that with
the many hundreds of people visiting
that weekend. Truly special!
Cofton Holiday Park is located just
outside the charming seaside town ofDawlish, in Devon; a privately-owned
business that has been in the same
family for decades. A couple of years
ago the owners, with an interest in
classic cars themselves, discussed
the idea of holding a classic car event
at the site as a one-day meeting.
In October of the following year,
planning turned into fruition, and the
first Cofton Classic Car event was held.
At around that same time, the
committee and support team of Can-
Am had been looking at the feasibility
of a weekend event somewhere.
Following a very successful
Canamania that season, it seemed
a prudent move, although with so
much involved, it was always going to
prove challenging. As luck would
have it, Can-Am’s Keith and Denise
Bloomfield attended that first ever
Cofton Car Show.
It was there that they met Cofton’sJacqui Huxham and Helen Scott,
one of the holiday park owners.
Discussions turned to how the event
might be improved, and Jacqui
appreciated Keith and Denise sharing
their expertise in such matters. From
those early discussions came further
meetings, and soon, Keith and Denise
found what looked to be the perfect
match for progressing Can-Am’s
‘weekender’ ambitions, with Cofton’s
design on a bigger and better show for
the following year. The Cofton/Can-Am
Independence Day Classic Car Show
had been born!
Several Can-Ammers chose to make
a holiday out of the event, and booked
either a week or a long weekend based
around the Independence Day show.
With special rates for accommodation
and camping for Can-Am members,
that seemed a very popular choice.
The lead-up to the weekend was fullcan am.indd 41 21/09/2015 11:42:54