The Bicester Heritage Drive It Day 2019 was staged 29 April across the 348-acre former Royal Air Force base in the heart of England. Celebrating ‘Drive It Day’, the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Club’s day of automotive indulgence dedicated to the UK classic car scene, the latest Sunday Scramble from Bicester Heritage was another sell-out event.
Held amongst the wartime buildings of the historic former RAF Technical Site, there were interesting vehicles at every turn. From several early Volkswagen Golfs next to competition Porsche 911s, a classic Fiat 500 adjacent to pre-War Rileys and a Mercedes-Benz W123 beside a Lancia Stratos rally car to name but a few combinations. Though the cars on display differed vastly in age, purpose and value they were united on the common thread of passionate ‘Scramblers’.
Amongst the 1,500 historic vehicles on display, favourites included the Jaguar XJR-12, a Le Mans veteran from the heady days of Group C racing, on display outside specialist Sports Purpose alongside a bevvy of Porsches. A plethora of pre-War machines were to be found across the site, including the 1923 Bequet Grand-Prix Delage found in Robert Glover Ltd’s showroom, the supercharged Gurney-Nutting boat tail Bentley in Kingsbury Racing Shop and the unique Aston Martin Headlam Coupe. Built for William Headlam, it turned heads even with the likes of the Ferrari 288 GTO a stone’s throw away, while up by the Paddock and Test Circuit the camouflaged Aston Martin DBX prototype was an unexpected discovery for the attendees.
Bicester Heritage’s timing partner Bremont decorated their Nissen Hut-style showrooms on the Main Drive with the addition of one of only 25 Jaguar Classic D-type continuations supplied by Jaguar Heritage.
The Heritage Skills Academy hosted three Ford GT40s on the lawn outside their apprentice training workshops, whilst tucked away in Pendine’s showroom, a Mittino-designed Aston Martin V8 Zagato sat next to an AC Ace Bristol.
A tremendous showing from 28 different car clubs added further colour to eclectic mix, with a pack of De Tomaso Panteras, Minis and everything in-between on display by their respective collectives. The Sunday Scramble car park has become a destination in itself as the event has grown and the selection of cars lined up on the Airfield’s perimeter were indicative of a shared desire to ‘Drive It’ on this special day.
Dan Geoghegan, Managing Director of Bicester Heritage, commented: “Our sell-out Sunday Scramble on historic motoring’s National Drive-it-Day was the perfect balance of spectacle, community and a fantastic atmosphere. We really wanted everyone to have the best possible experience and it all went like clockwork: careful planning meant an absence of any traffic issues and, with plenty of catering and even a little sunshine, resulted in the perfect formula.”
Bicester Heritage Drive It Day 2019 – Photo Gallery (photos: Nick Chivers/Classic Series)
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