Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble – Britain’s Best Classic Car Meet?

At times, we classic car enthusiasts feel as though we are part of a small community. You can go days without seeing a single classic on the road amidst the droves of dreary SUVs. But events like the triannual Sunday Scramble at Bicester Heritage reveal we’re all part of something much, much bigger.

We can’t help feeling just a little bit sorry for the good people of Bicester, whose roads grind to a standstill whenever the Scramble comes to town. April 2025’s event was jam-packed, buoyed by the uncharacteristically clement weather that has swept the UK since early March.

Former military airfield Bicester Aerodrome is a hub for the classic car industry, housing a thriving community of heritage specialists that inhabit its historic buildings. The Sunday Scrambles provide an opportunity for these businesses to open their doors to visitors, and the former airfield proves an ideal venue for hosting large numbers of classic and collectable vehicles. The tightly grouped workshops and hangars ensure vintage gems are hidden around every corner, as if waiting to be discovered.

‘Eclectic’ is the word that best describes the Sunday Scramble. Anything and everything is welcome to attend, and the organisers provide special display parking for pre-1990 vehicles. Just about every make and model is represented, with classics for every budget, united by a shared passion for historic motoring.

Bathed in glorious sunshine, the latest Scramble showcased a vast array of Lancia Beta Montecarlos – surely just about every one in the UK – including two 037s! Elsewhere, there was a brace of classic Jags with E-Types in abundance and a particularly striking XJ-S police car, complete with iconic “jam sandwich” livery.

A strong showing of ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s cars is to be expected at any event these days and the Sunday Scramble is no exception. An E30 M3 Prodrive rally replica drew in the crowds, as did a Honda NSX nestled down one of Bicester’s many tree-lined avenues.

Motorsport fans marvelled at a Silk Cut-liveried TWR XJR-9, Bentley Speed 8 GT Prototype racer, and Alan Mann Motorsport Mk1 Escort. We were even treated to a start-up of Ivan Dutton’s 10,000cc 1914 Hall & Scott Aero-engined Peugeot Indianapolis which our Tom Wood raced in Goodwood’s 2024 SF Edge Trophy.

With several of Bicester’s workshops specialising in pre-war vehicles, there were a great many vintage Rileys, W.O. era Bentleys, and ‘30s Alfas on display. It’s wonderful to see pre-war cars such as these still being used.

We hope that gives a flavour of what’s in store at Bicester Heritage’s Sunday Scramble. We’ve attended many Scrambles over the years, and the array of vehicles that turn up, and the fabulous workshops that open their doors never cease to amaze. If you haven’t made the pilgrimage, it’s well-worth the trip. We’ll see you at the next one in October.