Gallery – Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble

It seems like we were at Bicester Heritage only a couple of days ago, gathering all the pictures and information needed to bring you our report on what the facility is and how it is important for those of us with a passion for classic cars. But on Sunday the 28th of April, we were there again, although this time there was a very different energy in the air.

Our first visit was during a normal work day, so the air was filled with the gentle clunks and clinks of workshops going about their daily routines. This time the air was somewhat more electric, thanks in no small part to the thousands of people filling the ex-RAF base. Oh, and the cars of course. Let’s not forget about the cars!

What’s going on then? Well, this is the Sunday Scramble, one of a series of events the organisers at Bicester Heritage put on throughout the year. The idea is simple – bring your car along and show it off to an appreciative crowd. It’s that simple. There is no theme, no brand affinity, no prerequisite other than your car has to be a classic. It’s a no-nonsense approach to putting on an event and it works. This Scramble also tied up perfectly with ‘drive it day’, which has been in action since 2005 and serves to motivate people to take their old cars for a blast. 

Of course, the whole thing has been a learning curve for the team at Bicester. Early events weren’t capped from an attendance point of view, so they ended up being overrun – little did anyone know how popular they would be! Now though, the events are ticketed and attendance is capped. That might sound a bit mean, but trust us when we say it works. By putting a cap in place, the venue gets busy, but not too busy. You can walk around unencumbered, you can see everything, you can take your time and feel relaxed and at ease and most importantly of all, you don’t have to queue for a burger or for the loo!

Make no mistake, the Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble is a busy, vibrant, exciting event. If you have the car (or even if you don’t – there’s ‘normal’ parking, too) you need to try and get along. The openness, the vibrant mix of all kinds of metal, the ability to stick your nose in the workshops of the many interesting businesses on site, it all makes it worthwhile. This is an event that celebrates all classics, so there really is something for everyone.

Anyway, until the next one, we’ll let the pictures do the talking…