I’ll start with an apology. Ultimate Stance 2024 was almost a month ago, so this gallery is overdue. But there’s a good reason for the delay, so be patient.
Ultimate Stance is known in the UK for three things: a diverse range of show cars, a lively atmosphere and, most importantly, marking the end of the car show season before winter arrives.
Its sister show, Ultimate Dubs, is the UK season opener, and it’s an event I’ve attended over the years. I thought I would end the 2024 season with a show, so I took a quick trip to Telford and spent the day exploring the halls of the Telford International Centre.
Since then, my calendar has been full of car culture, and there are no signs of that. So, rather than wax lyrical about the ‘end of the British car season’, we’ll dive straight into a selection of shiny cars from this year’s show.
Cars like this C5 Chevrolet Corvette are on the Voodoo Split Rims. I love 90’s sports cars, especially those with pop-up headlights. There’s something special about their rising waistlines, pointy toes and – in this case – BBS Motorsport splits.
The Voodoo exhibition deserves a special mention. They released some of the best executed cars at the show on immaculate split rims…
…and this hilariously placed tricycle too!
Elsewhere, youngsters were entertained at the Kids Car Mods stand just off the main stage. I wish my Little Tikes Cozy Coupe was that cool – but you’ve got to love the traditional yellow and red color scheme, right?
Of course, it wasn’t just the kids who spent their money. Adults (especially those in their 30s with disposable income) liked to leave cash on collectible scale models. I let a few of my friends browse around one booth, grabbed pictures of the entire hall, and came back to find them with a bag full of toys.
Yes, that is indeed a wedding ring on one of their hands. No, he doesn’t have a child.
Ultimate Dubs is usually the Ultimate couple’s favorite Volkswagen show, but wherever you go in Britain you can’t escape VW culture. This three-door A1 Jetta caught my eye with its earth-toned color scheme, immaculate supercharged engine bay and interior treatment. Woven leather should be used more often – just look at the inside of the seats!
Vauxhall has always been Volkswagen’s direct competitor in the UK, so it was great to see this pair of ’90s road icons on display: a Cavalier and a Corsa GSi.
It felt like there were fewer Japanese builds this year, but this Honda S2000 and JZA80 Toyota Supra caught my attention with their vibrant paint jobs and split rim setups. The Honda packed in a set of Work Meister S1s, while the Supra had more purposeful equipment.
Lately I’ve noticed that here in Britain more and more people are getting rid of VWs and BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes and Porsches – and not just Audis, as you might expect. This means these brands are being updated more often, and I’m not complaining about it.
With prices rising or remaining fairly high, owning a retro German car has become increasingly out of reach for many enthusiasts. It’s a huge shame, but it also means that the quality of the construction and parts used in these cars is high.
There’s also a shift in the “snobbery” that used to occur at shows, largely because iconic and sought-after aftermarket parts are becoming harder to find every year. Where once anything other than BBS was looked down upon, more and more cars now feature custom designs from smaller, emerging wheel brands.
It’s refreshing to see, but for me it’s still hard to beat a BMW on a classic set of splits!
The ‘Red Room’ was home to a wide variety of cars, with more performance-oriented builds alongside the heavily curvaceous show cars – something we don’t often see at UK show-specific shows these days.
Despite everything that was great about Ultimate Stance this year, I left the show feeling a little discouraged. It wasn’t because of the event itself, but because it feels like the British modified car scene is a bit quiet at the moment.
These days I spend just as much (if not more) time outside this side of car culture – not because I’m trying to escape, but because my career takes me there. I am an equal opportunity lover. I love racing and classic cars as much as stand cars.
But every time I return to the British show circuit – with the exception of the truly unique events such as Players Classic or RollHard – I can’t help but feel that the high level of enthusiasm is no longer there. Maybe I’m just getting older, or maybe fewer teenagers get into modified cars these days.
It’s a crazy hobby, but I enjoy reading magazines Fast car, performance VW, And Banzai meant so much to me when I was younger. Forums like Standworks And Edition 38 were my go-to. For me, Instagram doesn’t evoke the same feelings: it’s fast and often cold, more focused on making an impact than nurturing real passion.
So Ultimate Stance 2024 was a bittersweet event for me, through no fault of his own. I wonder where the British car scene is going and what the next few years will bring.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn, mariochristou.world
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