With 2025 now upon us, I’ve been reflecting on the past year I’ve had Speed hunting.
Although I experienced car culture in all its forms last year, the 2024 car shows really stood out. Honestly, after years of covering the events, I thought the novelty was starting to wear off. But I’m happy to report that the 2024 tournament proved me wrong, offering (almost) nothing but great performances, with two standout events among my favorites in the UK: the Players Classic and Rollhard.
players It is now a globally recognized brand, but today, I want to highlight the underdogs at RollHard.
Daniel Brian Allard He and his team have turned what started as a small gathering of friends into one of the UK’s leading modified car shows. I thought I’d give you an insight into what it takes to make this happen.
MC: Tell me a little about yourself, Dan.
db: I’m Dan, 37 years old, and I love cars. I grew up in a typical British family in the 90s. My father worked, my mother kept the house tidy, and I was very lucky to have a stable upbringing. My day job is as a greenkeeper or a golf course mechanic; Early start but early finish, allowing me to have more time on my brand. I have an incredibly supportive fiancée and two amazing daughters, who are the reason I continue to move forward with Rollhard.
MC: What started your interest in cars, and tell me about what you have in your stable.
db: My father has always been into cars. Not to our extent, but he had a long list of cars and a sense of pride in keeping them clean and well maintained. My brother, father and I would often go to the British Motor Show (when they were doing well) and from a young age I got the bug, collecting models and brochures for new cars. Looking back to where I started modifying and customizing, I never really stuck to the instructions with LEGO and K’NEX, so it was a natural progression to customizing cars when I started driving.
Currently in the stable are a family road-going VW Tiguan and a red (now pink) Vauxhall Astra that was handed down from my fiancée’s grandfather and is too good a car to be used daily. My B16A2 MK1 Golf is back on the road and almost finished, and finally, my dream project: a 1971 Datsun 240z, which will be started this winter..
MC: Tell me about some notable things you may have done during your time in the car scene.
db: Some will laugh, but my first build was very well known back in 2009. It was the result of the Max Power era, and I had a new Vauxhall Corsa D. The car was made according to what was called the “European look” at the time: low, with a sleek body and interior trim. That car took me to Europe and helped build many friendships that continue today. My most popular car was ‘Bricky’, a Volvo 240 Estate with air suspension and BBS RFs. It was built and then transported directly to Wörthersee. The reception the car got was crazy. Now my dear friend Aiden is being reincarnated in the next chapter.
MC: What are some of your favorite events you’ve been to?
db: Wörthersee will forever be at the forefront of my mind when it comes to events. The first time I drove to the lake and seeing the local towns embrace car culture was incredible. The Players Classic is one of the highlights of the calendar. We haven’t missed a single classic since the first; For me, it’s the perfect combination of top-level organization, emotion and car quality.
MC: Okay, let’s get to the topic at hand – what is Rollhard, and how did it get started?
db: Rollhard was founded in 2010. We loved low, clean cars, but this style only appeared on Volkswagen cars in the UK. Almost none of us owned a Volkswagen, so we started hanging out together and gave our group the name Rollhard; There were a few terrible names before that…
It was never intended to amount to anything, but the more events we went to, the more interest we got. People began ordering posters and t-shirts and then hosting meetings and events. We traveled as a group to shows, and documented the places we were on social media and on the new social media at the time – Instagram. We respected the events and built a good reputation.
MC: How have you grown over the years?
db: Rollhard has grown organically. We never forced our brand to grow, but rather slowly attracted like-minded people along the way. We’ve always stayed away from the modified car scene, which I think showed that we are true car enthusiasts; We always stay true to our humble beginnings, and never sell a fake lifestyle. We go to different events, like the Goodwood Members Meeting, which gives us different ideas for brand inspiration.
MC: When did you give your first show?
db: Our first meet was the pre-Players North Weald 2012. We hosted it in a friend’s garage, and I made an old 100 liter oil drum for a barbecue. We had a great mix of cars and people there, which set the tone for future events and continued to grow.
MC: How have you seen the show change over the years?
db: After our initial success, we had outgrown our previous stadium in Essex, so we started with a clean sheet at Bicester Heritage. We looked around at other shows at the time and saw a recurring theme: sponsors. Instead, we set out to build a neutral show that would remain sponsored, and that way, people from the industry could come and enjoy car culture as much as car owners and the general public, unless they wanted to come and trade.
I think a lot of the industry initially saw it as a negative. We bucked the narrative and now I believe our event is considered one of the best in the UK. We are also starting to see a change in attitude towards the show as people now understand what we are trying to achieve.
MC: Tell me honestly, what’s it like to make a really big show?
db: Honestly, it’s as exhausting as you make it. If you go out claiming to be the biggest and the best, you will expand very quickly. Or, if you don’t have the numbers, you’ll stress about trying to fill the place without enough people to make it feel crowded. Our top priority with Bicester has been to over-organise from day one and grow the offer organically year on year. The show was mostly organized by Matt and me with help from Johnny. We maintain reasonable annual growth and plan for the next two or three years to keep the event fresh. I see Rollhard as a big meeting and not a show, as most people do.
MC: What are the biggest challenges facing holding a car show?
db: marketing. Some may be happy to flood the Internet to grow quickly, but this comes at a cost. Likewise, some don’t grow at all because of their brand’s look and message. We learned the hard way how to control marketing while we were based in Essex. Unbeknownst to us, our poster had been spread throughout Essex County, resulting in the show being filled with unexpected attendees.
When we started over with Bicester, we created a plan not only for the event but also for the brand to help paint a broader picture and build the case for why our offering would not only grow, but stand the test of time.
MC: Tell me some things you should consider as an organizer that your attendees might not think about.
db: Time, place, team and place protection. The event will consume your time, so be prepared for it to disappear during the month leading up to it.
Location will make or break an event. Yes, the general appearance of the city is important, but what do the access roads look like? Do you have room for expansion? Are there enough toilets? It’s the boring stuff that defines the viewers’ experience of the show.
We are so lucky to have the best group of friends to help. Everyone is on the same page and enjoying the experience. It’s a tough weekend for the team, and the reputation lies with them on the day, as they are the ‘presenter of the house’, and they do us very proud to promote the brand message.
Protecting the place and brand is key. We have built a great relationship with Bicester over the years, but it has not been easy to secure a venue. On the face of it, the custom car culture can have a negative image for the wider auto industry. We wanted to change that, build a network of trusted owners and have a clear message: Drive like an idiot when you enter or leave the place, and you won’t go back. I am proud to say that we are on the right track, and that we are appreciated for it.
MC: What is your favorite part about presenting?
db: What no one sees: Back-end planning. We’ve seen events of similar size or smaller with a larger team of people doing a half as good job of organizing. We are incredibly proud of the way the brand and event present themselves, which is built in the evenings and weekends around our day jobs. While Matt and I handle the management and planning, this event would never have been possible without our amazing group of friends helping us out on the day. Rollhard is a group of true car enthusiasts who do it for the love of car culture.
MC: How has the automotive scene changed over the years?
db: We’ve seen a lot of trends come and go, and I think for the first time since we started Rollhard, we no longer have a dominant style or theme. [in 2024]. The movement of the situation has slowed down, and many subtle movements flourish alongside.
When we started, you saw a real hatred for opposing car brands and styles, but now we see many all-brand events throughout the year and an appreciation for all makes and models. Personally, it’s a great time for car culture. There will always be “clout chasers” who come in and out of the scene to get your attention, but if you dig a little deeper and hang out, you’ll meet some amazing people.
With the diversity of cars being built today and the ability to connect with like-minded people all over the planet, I believe we are in the golden age of custom car culture. I’m just not sure how long this will last.
MC: What does the future hold for Rollhard?
db: With the event now underway, our attention is back on our clothes, as we want to be known for that again. It’s part of how we started, and we’re excited to get back to that aspect of the brand. We will also be focusing our YouTube channel on what goes on behind the scenes and our builds. The ultimate goal for the brand is to have a permanent home, but we’ll see what the future holds.
I’m excited to see how Rollhard develops in the coming years. Although I have no affiliation with the brand, I truly admire Dan and the team’s dedication to their passion project. I’ll sum up the show with my most sincere praise: Rollhard is one of the few car shows I’d attend on a day off just to enjoy the atmosphere.
Mario Christo
Instagram: com. mcwpn, mariochristou.world
mariochristou.world