Vintage Stony 2025 - Report - International Car Events by Car Scene Int.

CSI is pleased to publish the “Press Release” issued by the organisers of the 2025 Vintage Stony, a gathering of veteran, vintage, modern classic cars and motorbikes plus military vehicles. As it says in the copy, this event is traditionally held, annually, on New Year’s day but the weather forecast for that day this year was so awful that it was decided to postpone it to a later date. That decision was greatly rewarded by the “weather Gods” as can be seen in the photos accompanying this article.

VINTAGE STONY PRESS RELEASE

Despite being 3 months late the annual New Years Day Vintage Stony Gathering in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, held on Sunday 2nd March, was a huge success. The organisers believe that a record number of people turned up to enjoy this annual spectacle of vintage and classic automobiles gracing the market square and surrounding streets of this historic town.

Now in its 15th year this event (or ‘gathering’ as the organisers prefer to call it) is firmly part of the annual vintage and classic car calendar. Perhaps uniquely it is the only event that is entirely free to those who want to see a magnificent display of vintage and classics which, quite literally, engulfs an entire town.

The Gathering, put together by a group of dedicated volunteers working months beforehand, still retains its local grass roots feel (deliberately there are no major corporates involved). It now attracts some prize examples of the Nation’s motoring history.

Prizes were awarded for various categories here are just three of them –

BEST IN SHOW

The Best in Show was awarded to a magnificent example of a 1913 Torpedo bodied 25 hp 4SB Talbot Model 25/50 owned by Rob & Leo Harrison. Originally owned by Oakes Brothers, with trading connections to India & China, this vehicle seemed to have been kept by Mr Oakes as his personal car unlike two subsequent models (IC104 & IC105) which were used for racing. Talbot marketed the 4SB as “the First Car in the World to Travel 100 miles an hour” although apparently it is unlikely that this version went as fast!

SPIRIT OF THE EVENT

The ‘Spirit of the Event’ award was a 1911 Fafnir, believed to be a model 284. Fafnir’s were built in Germany between 1908 and 1926 and there are only a very
few of this double phaeton (or open top) designs still in existence, fewer still in the UK. Those of a particular age might remember this particular model featuring
in the 1965 production of “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines”.

BEST BRITISH BUILT CAR

Further down the list of prize winners, but equally splendid, was a 1938 Rolls-Royce model 25/30 Thrupp & Maberly Bodied Limousine winning the “Best British Built” award. This model had the larger 6-cylinder 4,257 cc engine than the previous 20/25 version that was considered to be somewhat under powered.