I have never taken part in a carnival parade before. I had never considered it. Classic car enthusiasts sometimes only think of classic car events, motorsport, or simply driving their cherished car.
I live near Market Drayton, and I was aware that there were issues in putting on the carnival parade in 2026, and additional requests for assistance was sought. I wondered what I could do, as the classic car part of the parade was very thin on the ground.
Considerations
A consideration for a classic car, is that the car needs to be able to “crawl” at a very slow speed, even as slow as 1mph. During the heatwave that 2026 had this year, will the engine ticking over so slowly overheat? Will the clutch stand being driven so slowly? As you will see from the “My Fleet” page, “Bluebelle” is an automatic, so no clutch plate to get hot riding the clutch so slowly. However, I wondered if “Bluebelle” can idle so slowly and crawl at 1mph.
Testing a Slow Crawl
I set up a driving at 1mph test. I adjusted “Bluebelles” slow idle on the carburettor to lower the idle from 800rpm to 600rpm. Yes, she would now crawl at 1mph, occasionally riding the footbrake, but, there was a slight increase in water temperature. I put this down to the mechanical fan now turning 25% slower. However, Auto Design Mini Cabriolets do run slightly hotter (both of mine do) due to the drag when the cabriolet top is down, so this increase in water temperature would need to be resolved by either fitting an electric fan, or, adding a larger radiator, or, something else.
Oil Cooler
One of the popular solutions on an automatic mini fitted with an AP2 four speed gearbox to assist with smoother gear changes, is to fit an oil cooler in order to control the oil temperature because the oil is shared with the gearbox unlike a conventional automatic car. I just happen to have a 10 row oil cooler that was never fitted to “Lippy”, but, the oil pipes for an oil cooler on an automatic Mini are different to the manual ones because the feed from the oil cooler doesn’t go to the oil filter like on the manual cars, instead, it goes to the automatic gearbox and has a different fitting as well. Chris Evans Farm Services in Market Drayton can make any type of oil pipe up for farm tractors. They made me two pipes up and the oil cooler was fitted behind the chrome grill. This significantly lowered the oil temperature and water temperature. I should have done this earlier.
Entering the Carnival Parade
Now that car has been tested and can operate at a safe carnival parade speed, it was time to return the application form with my details and “Bluebelles” details on. The organisers needed to know if the car is taxed, insured, and road worthy. Many classic cars no longer require a MOT. However, “Bluebelle” is only 37 years old and has a MOT. I completed the forms, sent off all the required details, and looked forward to the carnival parade.
On Carnival Day
On the day of the carnival, all drivers are to report to the car park assembly point in order to have a safety briefing, and discuss the route. As this was my first time, I will be following another classic car from the 1930’s, with a vintage tractor immediately behind me. There would be no chance of me getting lost, not at 1mph.
As the roads were closed to the public, I would be permitted to display my “show plates”, which would inform the viewers of the parade more about “Bluebelle” and who built it because it says “Coach Built by Auto Design”. I just have to remember to remove these afterwards.
Theme
Many carnivals have a theme. This years Market Drayton Carnival had two themes, being the 250th anniversary of American independence, the theme was “American” or “Toy Story” for the kids. There were two articulated trucks, one for each theme.
Driving the Carnival
Did everything go to plan? Yes. I didn’t have any technical problems, and I really enjoyed driving a car in a carnival parade. So many people were waving, and shouting encouragement, enjoying the carnival parade. I was unable to determine from which direction sounds were coming from, especially with the lead trucks having music playing.
Here are some select photos from the Market Drayton 2026 Carnival Parade…
More photographs are available for royalty free download at the Smith Photo Library. Search for “Carnival Parade”.
Future Carnival Parades
Would I do it again, yes, I probably would, but, I would really love to have both of my Mini cabriolets “Lippy” and “Bluebelle” together in a parade.
Mark Smith
“The Rambling Motorist”