The Crayford Convertible Car Club – Heinz 57 Register will be celebrating a truly unique chapter in British motoring and promotional history: the 60th anniversary of the legendary Heinz 57 Soup Competition of 1966 – widely regarded as one of the greatest car prize competitions ever staged.

In spring 1966, Heinz gave away 57 specially commissioned convertible cars to 57 lucky winners – one for each variety of soup in the Heinz range. Each winner received a Wolseley Hornet converted to a convertible by Crayford, creating what became known as the “Heinz 57” cars.

These weren’t just cars – they were luxury prize packages. Each came with a Brexton picnic hamper, bone china tea set, an electric car kettle, picnic rug, and even a Max Factor make-up tray fitted into the dashboard. All 57 cars carried a unique block registration sequence, making them instantly recognisable as a matched set of prize vehicles. As part of the agreement between Heinz and Crayford, no further copies or post-competition orders were allowed – ensuring the Heinz 57 cars would remain a one-off prize never offered for public sale.

The competition itself was judged by celebrity cook and broadcaster Clement Freud, with entries requiring two soup can labels. The promotion was a phenomenal success, selling around one million tins of Heinz soup during the campaign.

Visitors will be able to see two original Heinz 57 prize convertibles:

• One finished in Toga White

• One finished in Birch Grey

These were the two colours available to competition winners, and today only three people worldwide are known to own a matched pair in both colours.

• Only 42 Heinz 57 cars are known to survive worldwide

• Just 12 UK examples are currently roadworthy

With no live restoration work planned on the stand, this display is all about celebrating the story, the survivors, and one of the most extraordinary motoring promotions ever created.