Top five attractions at this weekend’s Flywheel Festival

By Greg MacLeman
Events
 | 20 Jun 2017

There are just a few days left before Bicester Heritage once again reverberates to the sound of Bentley Blowers and howling Rolls-Royce Merlin engines for the fantastic Flywheel Festival (24-25 June). Ahead of the event, we thought we would round up five of the top must-see attractions, ranging from the swinging rhythms of The Candy Girls through to the spine-tingling Spitfire displays from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. 

Check out our top five list below, or visit www.flywheelfestival.com to take advantage of advance discounted ticket offers.

5. Atalanta Motors Enclosure

If you appreciate the finer things in life, you could be tempted by the Atalanta Motors Flightline Enclosure, which provides guests with morning and afternoon tea and a two-course buffet lunch. You’ll also have the use of a private hospitality enclosure and private garden seating area offering unparalleled views of the air displays as well as the motorsport paddock.
Tickets for the enclosure start from just £99. 

4. Vintage music

Attending Bicester’s Flywheel Festival on a warm summer’s day can be like stepping back in time, and that has as much to do with the incredible vintage music on offer as it does the historic vehicles and aircraft. Visitors are in for a real treat this year, with some of the best vintage bands in the business set to play throughout the weekend, including Perfect Vintage, The Candy Girls and the ever popular FB Pocket Orchestra. 

The Candy Girls are a vintage-style harmony trio which specialises in classic hits from the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s, and has performed everywhere from the Royal Albert Hall to Wembley Stadium. Perfect Vintage features vocal duo Brian and Cherie, who will be performing a selection of popular wartime classics. 

3. Brightwells auction

If you’re in the market for a new classic or simply want to see some incredible examples of uncommon cars, then you’ll want to swing by the Brightwells auction on Saturday. Among the headline lots is a 1930 Delage with Vanden Plas coachwork once owned by big band impresario Philip Cardew. The Tourer starred in a number of films including Tender is the Night, Bridgehead Revisited and Fortunes of War. 

Fans of something a bit quicker could be tempted by a right-hand-drive Lamborghini Jalpa, while bargain hunters will be taken with a 1995 Maserati Ghibli at £8-10,000 and a 1942 Lancia Ardea at £10-12,000.

2. Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Flying machines play as an important role at motor cars at the Flywheel Festival, and of the displays slated to take place across the weekend the first is perhaps the most evocative. The flying displays kick off at 1pm on Saturday with a rousing Spitfire display from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. 

A Spitfire IX will round off the air displays alongside an Hispano Buchon at 4pm, with the time in between filled with a Sioux/Scout helicopter pair, the Tiger 9 Aeronautical Display Team, a Pitts Special and the Great War Display Team. 

1. Footman James Cup

A brand-new award has been announced for this year’s event, which will be awarded to the best car in the paddock. A shortlist of 10 exceptional classics selected in advance by a panel of experts has been garnering votes since 2 June, with the winner to be announced live at the event on Sunday. The shortlist includes a 1904 Stanley Steam Car, David Leigh’s 1923 GN Spider, a 1927 Bugatti Type 37A and a 1929 Bentley Blower. 

Cast your vote by clicking here. You will also be entered into a raffle to win a family ticket to the event as well as a special passenger ride in either a Jaguar E-type, Ford Mustang or Porsche 911. 

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Greg MacLeman

Greg MacLeman is a contributor to and former Features Editor of Classic & Sports Car, and drives a restored and uprated 1974 Triumph 2500TC