IF your other half has dragged you to the pictures recently to watch Sex and the City, now is the time to get your revenge.
Petrol heads and all-round lovers of historic motoring racing are being invited to one of the most exciting film events of the year.
On Saturday 28 June at 2.30 pm Island racing legend Mike Salmon will host the screening of Nimrod – The Mighty Warrior.
The documentary records Aston Martin’s return to the top flight of motor racing in 1982 with the stunning Nimrod. Mike was a co-driver of the car between 1982 and 1984.
As well as being a 13-times Le Mans driver, he is one of a handful of expert drivers still entrusted to drive some of the world’s most expensive classic racing cars at Goodwood and elsewhere – especially Astons. He will introduce the film and talk about his experiences as one of Aston’s élite drivers.
Mike is known to many in the motor industry locally as the former managing director of Melbourne Garages, the former Ferrari dealership. He was also a director of the famous Maranello Concessionaires, the UK’s Ferrari sports car dealership.
Tickets for the screening at the Royal Jersey Showground main hall are now on sale at £7.50. All proceeds from the screening will be donated to Jersey Cheshire Homes.
The event has been organised by Le Riche Automobile Restorers, who have restored and now care for many of the most expensive and rarest Astons around, and where Mike is employed as a consultant.
Aston Martin has had one of the most chequered histories of any car manufacturer. It had humble beginnings as a car manufacturer and for many years was owned by David Brown, who was in fact a tractor maker. But before the war and up to the early 1960s it enjoyed racing success, winning Le Mans in 1959 with the DBR1 driven by Roy Salvadori and Carol Shelby.
Le Riche director Joe Castellino said: ‘Owners of Aston Martins included Victor Gauntlet, who became chairman in 1981 and was a typical British gentleman who travelled everywhere in a vintage Bentley.
He was committed to rebuilding Aston Martin’s glory days of racing and, with a band of Aston dealers and wealthy enthusiasts, sponsored the re-entry of Aston Martin to Le Mans racing in 1982 with a car known as the Nimrod.
‘Competing in 13 Le Mans races, Mike Salmon finished fifth overall in 1963 racing the Ferrari 330 LMB – a car which is today valued at many millions of pounds.
‘To have the opportunity to view the quite intimate Aston Martin story presented by the man who actually drove the beast of a machine known as the Nimrod is too good an opportunity to miss.’
Gregor Allan, the chairman of Jersey Cheshire Homes, said that he was delighted that the charity would benefit from the screening. ‘As a motoring fan, I am looking forward to it,’ he added.
Tickets are available at Le Riche Automobile, the JEP reception and Jersey Cheshire Homes.
Picture: From left: Jersey Cheshire Homes chairman Gregor Allan, Le Riche director Joe Castellino and Mike Salmon
Article posted on 20th June, 2008 - 2.59pm
