EARLY September sunshine and the chance to get outdoors again brought hundreds of visitors to the White Horse Country Club grounds on Sunday.

The White Horse Classic & Vintage Vehicle Show was a charity event hosted by the local Lions Clubs from Trowbridge and Westbury and is one of their major annual fundraising activities.

Show compere Julian Richards said: “With the fine weather and the chance finally to go to events like this has brought hundreds to this show to browse the collection of rare vehicles here under Vale of Westbury White Horse.”

The 500-plus vehicles on display included classic cars and vintage cars, tractors, motorcycles and lorries vans and buses from a bygone age.

Among the exhibits was a customised 1934 Ford Pilot belonging to Devizes owner Peter Moore.

He said: "I have done a lot of work on this rare machine including fitting a Chevy V eight engine and it’s attracting a lot of interest.”

Another vehicle attracting interest was an Indian Tuk Tuk auto rickshaw belonging to Westbury’s Jonathan Tilley, who said: “I first bought this unusual machine for my daughter’s wedding and I just love it.”

Melksham’s Celia Jennings brought her gleaming 1931 Morris Cowley to the show. The former headmistress at the Sevington Victorian School at Grittleton said: "It’s been a treasured family car since 1975. It’s great fun to come to shows like this again."

Westbury car enthusiast Rhys Couldrake brought along a 1965 Ford Anglia that he bought as a 17-year-old in which to learn to drive.

Now 27-year-old Rhys has modified the car, fitting a two-litre Ztech engine. He said: “Now it’s fitted with a two-litre engine it’s got so much power and it’s really fun to drive.”

Another fun car was a 60s-style Bubble car with its 300cc engine exhibited by Margaret Clarke.

She said: “This is a car that you could drive on a motorcycle licence and was very popular in its time. The little car has now become a real collector’s car.”