A COLLECTION of remarkable classic cars will be gathering at a special event when a Farnham company’s work is set to be recognised with a prestigious heritage plaque.

Abbotts of Farnham will be awarded the Red Wheel by The Transport Trust – a national charity dedicated to the conservation, preservation and restoration of Britain’s unique transport heritage.

The Red Wheels, which mark transport and sites of major transport developments, are an alternative to Blue Plaques which mark historically significant people.

In Wrecclesham, the plaque will be placed on the outside of The Co-operative Food store on the Grovebell Estate – the site of Abbotts’ former factory.

Len C Huff RD, director of ED Abbott Limited, said: “It is certain to be a grand, if a little nostalgic occasion.

“This tribute by the Transport Trust is to the design and highly skilled workmanship of more than a generation of designers and engineers who produced some of the highest quality motor-cars of the age.

“This Transport Trust tribute to the memory of a very fine man, his successful and long-lived company, his totally professional workforce – and all on the 90th anniversary of the foundation of his company – will surely be a totally fitting memorial to Edward Dixon Abbott and his superb motor-cars.”

The Red Wheel plaque will be formally unveiled at 2pm on Sunday, September 15, by the daughters of Mr and Mrs Abbott – Reverend Mary Abbott and Elizabeth Gill.

Other family members will also be attending.

The special event, supported by the Southern Co-op food store, will include a gathering of a range of the cars that were bodied, re-bodied and converted by Abbotts of Farnham.

Abbotts of Farnham is known for a number of historical vehicles and, currently The Queen has two estate cars, a Ford and a Vauxhall, converted from saloons by Abbotts.