The Silverstone Classic 2013 was held 26-28 July at the historic 3.6 mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire, England. The 23rd annual vintage car races featured a field of more than 1100 classic race cars covering the full spectrum of motor sport including Formula 1, Le Mans and Touring Car racing.
Aston Martin was the featured marque for 2013, with a parade of 361 of the iconic British cars toured the track in date order to honor the marque’s 100th anniversary. Additionally, Italian marque Lamborghini celebrated its own half-century with a parade of machines that was thought to be the largest of its kind in the UK.
The Duke of Kent presented the prize ceremony for the FIA Masters Historic Formula One race, while three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart enjoyed the race that included a class named after the great Scotsman. With F1 cars ranging from 1970-1984 in the sensational field, several of the machines entered were those that Sir Jackie raced against during his career. Sir Jackie commented, “It’s wonderful – Silverstone has done a great job. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many beautiful cars all in one place. I’m here purely to enjoy myself – it’s a great collection of people and a great collection of cars – a real bonanza weekend.”
A number of motor sport personalities attended a BRDC Silverstone Classic dinner honouring the 50th anniversary of Jim Clark’s first world championship. As well as speeches from several of the legendary racer’s ex-team-mates, the Jim Clark Trust displayed a large collection of trophies, seen out Scotland for the first time since Clark’s death in 1968.
The racing attracted a growing number of top drivers from past and present generations. Former F1 driver and Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver proved he’s lost none of his competitive spirit winning the Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy for Historic Cars in the yellow Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta he shared with Gary Pearson. Andy Priaulx – a three time FIA World Touring Car Champion – was among the pace-setters in the action-packed Sir John Whitmore Trophy for Under 2-Litre Touring Cars in his 1965 BMW 1800 Ti. Meanwhile Rob Huff, the reigning World Touring Car Champion, drifted his little Mini to a stirring class victory among a mighty field of V8 American muscle cars in the Trans-Atlantic Touring Car Trophy race.
Historic racing brothers Gary and John Pearson were prolific first sharing a Jaguar E-type to win the Piper Heidseck International Trophy for GT Cars on Saturday evening and then a Jaguar D-type to win the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy on Sunday morning. Gary Pearson also starred in the FIA Masters Historic Sports Cars finishing second in the Porsche 917 he shared with owner Carlos Monteverde.
“It has just been phenomenal,” reported event director, Nick Wigley. “Whichever way you look, the Silverstone Classic has gone fantastically well. It’s incredible to see how this event has developed over the last few years and, while the weekend was a huge success, we are already working flat out to ensure the 2014 Classic even bigger and better.”
—
Senior Photographer Tim Scott documented the 2013 Silverstone Classic, offering up a wonderful selection of images that capture the “World’s Biggest Classic Motor Racing Festival”. We split up Tim’s 444 pictures into two galleries. The first gallery starting below features our favorite images, all displayed in the full-width view of Sports Car Digest, while the second gallery and race results can be found on the last page of the article and gives a comprehensive view of all the photographs. To see more from Tim, visit fluidimages.co.uk.
Silverstone Classic 2013 – Top Photo Gallery
Ferrari 512S
Porsche 917K
Ford GT40 and Shelby King Cobra
Lola T70 Mk3B
AC Cobra
Porsche 904 GTS
Bizzarrini 5300 GT
Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato
Based on the quality and range of photos, Tim Scott’s camera work and perception has to be one of the quickest “drivers” at Silverstone.
These images are so super! I feel like I was “there”. Thank you so much. I also nailed the ID on the Aston Martin DB 4 Zagato w/o cheating. Got the Bizzarini, even though I had never seen one kitted out for racing. Great drama. What a talent.
Interesting to see the Scarab Offenhauser driven by Julian Bronson win the Froilan Gonzalez Trophy race. Considering what a heart breaking disaster this car was in 1960, it has to be some consolidation those Scarab team members that are still with us. When I heart breaking, I mean it from the heart, I was at GPs of Monaco, Zandfoort, and Rheims in 1960.
Regarding the Scarab win, I meant to say “it has to be some consolation to those Scarab team members that are still with us.”
Thank you… I love all this… it really takes me back.
…… it takes me back to when I was drivin’ a C-type Jag to high school … and later, racing a formula C Lotus regionally in the west.. and hoping to go to Europe and go for the big one.
Did the C-type overheat much? My only Jag experience was with a ’65 E-type and it overheated in traffic all the time. We finally had to have one of the cams changed because it had a soft lobe. That was supposedly keeping it from idling smoothly. But OH the overheating.
shame, no historic F1 shots, no F5000 or F2 photos………
…. my car didn’t have a fan for the radiator …. Had to keep it movin’ to cool….. lots of traffic situations with the gauge going way up…. Eventually,
I mounted an E-Jag fan that I could switch on.
I can see that gauge right now sitting on 120 deg. C. Too much. Glad it worked out all right for you. Back about 35 years ago I got a short ride in a BRG D-type that belonged to a private collector in Florida. He kept in and several other cars and airplanes in a hangar on a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Lovely car, lovely sound.
you bet !
So many repeat shots and a fixation for Jaguars, what about all the other cars that took part.
when you get out of your pedal car you might appreciate the dedication and talent of the people that provide these great reports,keep it up guys.
I particularly loved the shot of the Jimmy Clark formula one .
…. and the Porsche 904 … thanks again.
Charlie Kolb drove a 904 down at Moroso Motorsports Park back in the day and it was FAST and elegant. We hear that the boffins at Porsche will be returning to Le Mans in ’14: HoooooYah!