Classic cars are usually those dated from mid to late 1930s to around late ’50s and early ’60s, and the number of classic wedding cars available to hire is huge and the range vast.
Popular Classic Wedding Car Manufacturers
There are definite niche markets, catering for the lovable Morris Minor, original VW Beetle, wonderful French Citroën Traction Avant (Maigret car) and countless others.
1950’s Morris Minor
Citroën Traction Avant
The most popular classic wedding cars are usually the well known makes including Jaguar, Morris, Austin, Daimler and of course Bentley and Rolls Royce. Having said that, there are many other makes readily available such as Lanchester, Rover, Vanden Plas, Alvis, Armstrong Siddeley and even the rare Beardmore taxi.
1962 Bentley S2
1950 Lanchester
Choosing the Right Car
Just choosing the right car can be a pleasurable experience, as you will meet many old car buffs with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
One problem to bear in mind with a lot of classic wedding cars is the amount of dress room. The all time classic Jaguar is the MkII (Morse car). Unfortunately it is somewhat limited in dress and leg room, and therefore not ideal for tall (over 5’9″) brides or those with a large dress, even with the front passenger seat pushed fully forward. The groom can suffer too because the driver’s seat is usually most of the way back. So, if you are looking for one of these iconic cars you must go and try it for size first.
1959 Jaguar MkII
Another very important thing to consider is are the car company in a position to provide a back up should your chosen car break down? It happens to brand new cars as well as the classics — just ask Sir Paul McCartney.
Classic Car Colours
Today most couples set a colour scheme for their big day, so the colour of the car will also be important. The advice from photographers, for obvious reasons, is to shy away from white cars if you have a white dress. Despite popular opinion, white is not a traditional colour for a wedding car, as white was not readily available until the 50s/60s. Black was the traditional colour.
1934 Sunbeam Dawn
1951 Riley
1950 Triumph Renown
There are hundreds of car/colour combinations out there, so there will certainly be one for you. Just remember that others may well be looking for the same combination, so put the car at the top of your priority list and book it early. The most popular classic wedding cars can get booked more than a year in advance.
Guest post by David Jones of The Classic and Vintage Car Company
Images from…
1959 MkII Jaguar, 1962 Bentley S2 and 1934 Sunbeam Dawn: The Classic and Vintage Car Company
1950’s Morris Minor: Tom Biddle Design and Photography
1953 Citroën Traction Avant: Planete Citroen
1951 Riley RMF: Public Domain
1950 Lanchester: Photobucket
1950 Triumph Renown: Flickr by Tony Hisgett (CC BY 2.0 License)
