PlusFourFour Automotive 2023

31 Jul

Sun, stance and stunning manor houses; these are the three key ingredients that made this year’s PlusFourFour Automotive show such a success.

Grassroots shows seem to be few-and-far-between here in the South West(ish) and even rarer are those that are of a high enough quality to survive successive years, building upon the previous year’s success and growing their audience. PlusFourFour is one such rarity, returning to Hartham Park for the second time in 2023, and once again showing why it is fast becoming one of the premier modified car shows in the south.

Incidentally, for one weekend only the small town of Corsham became the automotive epicentre of the south, with PlusFourFour occuring next door to a rather lavish garden party hosted by one Nick Mason - you may have heard of him? No matter, as it would appear that Mr Mason’s tastes were at odds with those of PlusFourFour, meaning the two events did not perceptibly compete for attendance.

Well-stocked with everything from laid-out, air-cooled Classics to twin-turbo Huracans, retro-cool Fords and just about everything in-between, variety is the spice of life at PlusFourFour, and it’s all the better for it.

One of the greatest strengths of PlusFourFour is the diversity on offer. In this one frame, for example, we’ve got one of the UK’s best EF-generation Civic builds, an MX5, Audis, Fords, classic and modern - there’s something for everyone, regardless of your taste.

The only area that was specifically sectioned off was the classic courtyard, which played host to an eclectic mix of Concours restorations, Americana and highly-modified classic and retro cars.

One thing we’re seeing more and more of at UK shows this year is highly-customised, laid-out Mercedes sedans and saloons, and we’re all for it here at SHIFT. Proof that even the coolest cars can be cooler with the right wheels and a healthy altitude adjustment.

Even outside of the designated ‘classics courtyard’ area, there was plenty of influence from across the pond, with these so-called ‘land yachts’ attracting plenty of attention (and taking plenty of lawn space) around the show.

Golf + Lows + Shiny wheels is a recipe that has been done to death over the years, but still looks so, so good when it’s executed correctly, as seen here on this MK5 GTI.

It’s always a pleasure to see a well-done retro Ford such as this Escort RS Turbo. Nothing too crazy, but a set of nice wheels, a few period-correct touches and perfect fitment; what’s not to like?

E46 M3s are, in our view, one of the all-time greats from BMW’s back-catalogue, and they look better and better with age.

Not usually a fan of slogans on flags, but we’ll make an exception here…

And that concludes our coverage from this year’s PlusFourFour Automotive show at Hartham Park. With immaculate vibes, sunshine, great cars and a stunning location, it’s clear that the +44 team are onto a winner here. Make sure you support your local car shows, and get along to next year’s event if you can - it’s well worth it!