More than 100 cars will be on display this Autumn at a one-off charity car event when private collectors Tanya and Robert Lewis open the doors to their outstanding assembly of premier classic, super and hyper cars – one of the most distinctive in the country.
The event is part of Surrey charity Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People ‘An Evening of Classic Cars and Canapes’ and will give attendees the opportunity to see rare cars such as a Regera, Gullwing, 500SC and a George Ricard (which took part in the 1903 London to Brighton), up close and personal.
The event will include a guest appearance and speech by Perry McCarthy, an ex-Formula One driver who was the original secret racing driver from BBC’s Top Gear – ‘The Stig’.
Proud
Tanya Lewis from Farnham, Surrey said: “We started the collection in May 2006, and we set about buying cars as art. Car Clubs were requesting visits quite quickly around the same time that my brother was admitted to Headley Court having been medi-vacced out of Sierra Leone. I said to Robert that we were missing a trick and we should be offering visit in exchange for donations, which is what we did, raising funds for the then fledgling charity Help for Heroes, and now support wonderful charities like QEF each year. We have consequently raised several million over the last 16 years, something which we are both very proud of.”
There will also be an auction with prizes and the event has the support of Nicolas Hamilton, an English racing driver who currently competes in the British Touring Car Championship with a specially modified car due to his cerebral palsy.
Charity
Money raised from the event will support QEF’s Edward Guinness Appeal which is aiming to raise £2.7 million to fully fund and complete the charity’s state-of-the-art Care and Rehabilitation Centre in Surrey, as well as MERU which is part of the charity that designs and manufacture specialist assistive equipment for children and young people with disabilities, such as the Travelchair and Bugzi, their mini powered wheelchair.
The Care and Rehabilitation Centre provides life-changing neuro-rehabilitation for hundreds of people every year, supporting people to rebuild their lives after an acquired brain injury, stroke, spinal injury or other neurological conditions. Since opening in July 2020 the centre has supported people from across the South of England to regain core skills and live as independently as possible and the charity supports almost 10,000 disabled children and adults across the UK each year.
The husband and wife’s collection all started with a beautiful black Mercedes 300SC bought in an auction in Monte Carlo, and now the collection boasts thousands of pieces of memorabilia.
As well as viewing these beautiful cars up close, guests will also have the opportunity to see thousands of pieces of ‘petroliana’ at one of the most comprehensive collections in the country.
Karen Deacon, CEO of QEF said: “The support from Robert and Tanya has come at a vital time for our charity and is much welcomed. The impact of Covid-19 on our funding is still vast and we have worked hard over the last few years to create a sustainable future for the charity and ensure we can continue to support individuals at a time when they need it more than ever. This is a must-attend event for any car lovers out there and with limited tickets available, we urge everyone to snap them up before they are gone.”
The event will take place on Thursday 8th September 2022, 6pm to 8.30pm and tickets cost £45. To purchase tickets, please visit www.qef.org.uk/classic-cars
