THE last annual vintage car rally at Tredegar House has bid Newport goodbye in style, raising a record-breaking £70,000 for blood cancer research.

More than 1,500 steam engines, military vehicles, classic cars and other vehicles parked up by the stately home, treating the 10,000 visitors expected across the day to a spectacle of motoring through the ages.

Mandy Womack, chairwoman of the Gwent branch of leukaemia and lymphoma research, said sunny weather meant the 34th and final rally was a big success, taking the total raised across the years to around £860,000.

The amount raised smashed the previous highest number - £54,000 in 2010 - by more than £15,000.

Mrs Womack said: “We have met many wonderful people, made lots of friends and we have very many happy memories, but after 34 years the time has come for us to accept that we need to give it up now, before circumstances force it upon us.”

The branch was founded by Mrs Womack after her son Timothy was diagnosed with leukaemia in 1979.

Timothy died the following year aged six.

Vehicles on display this year included a 1906 Renault, a 1922 Bentley sports car and a 1928 Alvis.

As well as dreaming of driving off in a stylish new ride people could visit ‘living history encampments’ with the opportunity to see how soldiers and their families lived in conflicts such as the First World War.

There was also a vintage and classic car auction run by Newport Auctions, with all fees and commissions donated to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and a performance by the Rockwood Dog Display Team.

Rogerstone councillor Chris Evans was among those enjoying the day. He posed for a picture next to a vintage Mercedes before tweeting: “Great day out so far for the Beat Blood Cancer vintage car rally - apparently the 'best year ever'.”

To donate text Beat15 £(amount) to 70070.

PANEL

AN army jeep was stolen as it was parked overnight at the car rally and now its owner is hoping anyone who sees it go up for sale can help him get it back.

John Shears, 38, had brought his green jeep, designed to look like a 1944 Ford GPW, to show at the rally as he has done in previous years.

But he says it was stolen between 10.30pm and 1am on Saturday night.

The distinctive vehicle, worth around £7,000, is right-hand drive unlike many army jeeps and has four wheel studs instead of five.

Mr Shears, from Pill, said: “We went to see friends across the field for a few hours and when we came back it wasn’t there. It had a dead switch so you couldn’t start it so it was probably towed away or taken in a trailer."

The loss hit him hard as he had spent months helping to build the jeep himself, he said, and he had named it Irene after his late grandmother.

“She was the only living grandparent I knew,” Mr Shears said. “The jeep is quite personal.”

Mr Shears added: “There were people asleep in tents not more than 20 metres away. But it was on grass so they could wheel it away without sound. It’s more a case of when it goes up for sale, that’s when they could be caught.”

Show organiser Mandy Womack confirmed a jeep had been stolen from the show and said: “The police are dealing with it. We always say we haven’t got overnight security – security this year was much the same as usual.”

Anyone with information about the jeep is asked to contact Gwent Police on 101.