{"id":19293,"date":"2022-10-17T07:07:57","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T07:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?p=19293"},"modified":"2023-01-29T10:19:40","modified_gmt":"2023-01-29T10:19:40","slug":"supporting-the-sunday-scramble-at-bicester-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/supporting-the-sunday-scramble-at-bicester-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Supporting the Scramble at Bicester Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"

If we had to pick just one classic car event to attend this year, or any year for that matter, then it would have to be one of the quarterly Scrambles at Bicester Heritage<\/a>. Now you’d be forgiven for thinking we’re just saying that because we sponsored the Sunday Scramble last week. We have to, right? Well, no we don’t. Yes, we may have taken over the Scramblers lawn, filling it with a fine selection of hand-picked classics (we’ll get to those later) as well as offering free Carburettor Coffees and popcorn, along with a screening of family-favourite motoring movies, but that’s because we simply wanted to be there. As classic car fans it was a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t want to spend a glorious October day marvelling over a bevy of beautiful classics? We just had to get involved and offer our support to such a fantastic day of classic car indulgence.<\/p>\n

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The great thing about the Scramble is the sheer amount and diversity of classic metal on show. From signature cars like the 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog on display at Fuzz Townshend’s Classic Oils stand, Group B legends like the RS200 and Audi Quattro and the Ferdinand Pi\u00ebch-designed VW XL1, to the everyday rides of the thousands of visitors littering the historic RAF base, there really is something for all tastes. Wherever your allegiances lie we can pretty much guarantee there will be some form of representation.<\/p>\n

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Do you have a particular penchant for ’80 and ’90s hot hatches, for instance? The Scramble has you covered with this lovely Fiat Uno Turbo.<\/p>\n

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Prefer something a little more ‘Murica, a touch more V8? Then there will certainly be some muscle cars to pore over, such as this rather stunning Dodge Challenger.<\/p>\n

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Or are you a fan of the more mundane and unexceptional? This mint Skoda Favorit with 4,000 miles on the clock is for you then.<\/p>\n

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Whatever your tipple, the Scramble will no doubt be able to pour you a stiff one and the intoxicating effect from seeing so many amazing classics on display is almost overwhelming. When we first arrived we simply stood and watched, jaws visibly agape, as the myriad motors began filing in, picking their spots among the 40-odd industry-leading specialist businesses dotted around the site. It was almost too much to take in. Almost.<\/p>\n

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Speaking of the various businesses taking pride of place at Bicester Heritage, again, like the eclectic mix of vehicles there is a huge range of assorted enterprises who have set up shop, providing a wonderful and fitting backdrop around which all of the classics on display could weave. There’s the HCVA, various engineering and restoration firms, auto art galleries and a Skywave Gin shop. Startermotor is there with its passion to see the next generation of young people driving, maintaining and enjoying historic cars and of course there’s a huge autojumble where you can hunt down that elusive part you’ve been looking for to finally complete your build.<\/p>\n

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A full list can be found here<\/a> but one place we were especially happy to see busy and thriving was the Heritage Skills Academy, signing up the next batch of classic vehicle restorers with its apprenticeship scheme. It’s an incredibly important and worthwhile endeavour and if we had our time again we would definitely be treading that particular path.<\/p>\n

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But back to the cars and those carefully curated classics on the Car & Classic Lawn. Yep, sorry Bicester Heritage but that’s what we’re calling it now, you’re fine with that right? Cool. We painstakingly chose a selection of beauties that would not only run the gamut of the classic world but would also perfectly represent a microcosm of the wider Scramble.<\/p>\n

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There was Jason Piper’s 1960 Aston Martin DB4<\/a> and an ex-works Hillman Imp rally car, a nod to the people that actually use their classics in anger. Not to mention the Alfa Romeo GTAm replica, who’s owner confided in us how he raced the thing here alongside a Lotus Esprit Turbo that was also part of the lawn gang, putting his \u201cwin\u201d down to bravery, although he did use a more profane term in his recollection of events.<\/p>\n

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Then there was a rather lovely BMW TWR C1 Alpina and a pair of stunning classic Chevrolets; a convertible Corvette C2 and a wonderfully restored 1969 Camaro SS, the owner of which informed us that it’s actually for sale<\/a> on the Car & Classic site. So, if you have a spare \u00a347K and a yearning for a classic American V8 then fill your (cowboy) boots. Sadly we have one of these two things and we’re pretty sure you can guess which.<\/p>\n

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Rounding out the pack was a Mini Cooper Radford DeVille GT, a beautiful Datsun 260Z and an incredibly rare Subaru Impreza 22B who’s owner Gavin chatted to us on camera, the results of which you can see on the video of the day. Yep, that’s right, we filmed it all and have put together a highlights reel of the festivities that you can check out on the Car & Classic YouTube channel here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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With a Sunday Scramble soundtrack of revving engines accompanied by vintage biplanes and Tiger Moths overhead – courtesy of Finest Hour Experiences based out of the Bicester Aerodrome \u2013 along with the wonderful scent of cooking bacon, doughnuts and all manner of tasty treats filling the air the whole day was a delight for the senses. Not only that but the willingness of people to simply come together and about old cars and bikes was lovely to see. There was a real sense of community and a shared passion for the subject. We honestly lost count of the number of times random people would just strike up a conversation about whichever car we happened to be admiring at the time, whether it belonged to them or not.<\/p>\n

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From the minutiae of the Rover CCV and the build details of a devastatingly gorgeous Mercedes W108, to the horror story concerning the rear deck of a Ford GT40 flying off on the way to the event, everyone had a tale to impart and we were voraciously eager to hear them all. And this is exactly what makes the Scramble everything a classic car event should be. It encompasses all that is part and parcel of this wonderful world we choose to inhabit and it just seems to get better and better year on year. Tickets are already on sale for January’s Scramble so get in early to ensure your place and soak up the heritage, innovation and pure automotive experience that is this brilliant event. Our only small complaint was the distinct lack of Porsche 911s on display…<\/p>\n