Thousands of visitors enjoyed a glorious afternoon checking out nearly 300 vintage cars in Colchester’s Castle Park.

From Bentleys to Bond cars and Fords to Fiats, 275 classic cars polished to perfection were paraded around the arena as the guests took a trip in their own time machine.

There were motors that even our grandparents couldn’t recall, and names the most avid petrolheads would struggle to recognise – Consuls, Zephyrs, and a host of other makes that are gradually receding into distant memory.

As owners proudly showed off their pet projects, there were a fair share of visitors who couldn’t resist peering inside innards of the classics, which guzzled petrol at a rate that would make even a BP executive wince a little.

Among the array of “Do not touch the vehicle” signs, there were also plenty of owners dressing to impress, not wanting to be outdone by the smartness of the classics.

There were modern cars on display too, which are rarely seen outside a showroom – Ferraris, McLarens, and Lamborghinis – the luxury sports cars one is more accustomed to seeing in the Top Gear studio.

The sunny weather only made the cars gleam ever more brightly and the money raised, likely to be in excess of £12,000, was a bonus.

The event was organised to raise funds for Headway Essex which supports brain injury survivors and their families.

Tracy Wellsted, Headway Essex fundraising manager, said she was delighted at the success of the afternoon.

She said: “After such a terrible year, it was an absolute delight to see so many people having a good time and raising such an amazing amount of money.

“We’re also incredibly grateful to all the classic vehicle owners for their support in making this such a wonderful event and for the Charity Classic Vehicle Club for deciding to partner with us again this year.

“A special thanks as always to our wonderful team of volunteers,” she added.