In pictures: The Classic & Sports Car Show in association with Flywheel

Beautiful cars, incredible air displays and lots, lots more at Bicester Heritage

So that's that, then.

After months of preparation and much anticipation, the inaugural Classic & Sports Car Show in association with Flywheel at Bicester Heritage is over.

And – modesty be damned – it was really rather special.

The great weather didn't hurt, but even without it the mix of stunning classic cars and military machines amidst the unparalleled surroundings of the Bicester Heritage former RAF Bomber Training Base would have been a winning combination.

Whether you were one of the thousands in attendance or merely want to soak up some of the atmosphere, flick through our gallery for a selection of highlights from the weekend.

Jaguar D-type

The legendary Jaguar D-type – a model that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times in succession in the 1950s – was one of the standout cars at the Show. It's pictured here with a Lotus MkX (one of two at the Show) and an Austin-Healey 100S.

Jaguar XK120s

This trio of stunning Jaguar XK120s all took to the track on the first day. The middle roadster, NUB 120, is a very famous car that counts victory in the Alpine Rally among its achievements. It's owned by Jaguar Heritage, which also brought along the Montlhéry fixed-head alongside.

Last-minute preparations

In the hours and minutes before the gates opened, owners could be seen everywhere making sure their vehicles were ready for action.

Our Guest of Honour

Derek Bell MBE was the undoubted star of the show, driving a Porsche 911 on the demonstration track and signing copies of his new book All My Porsche Races.

Ready to go

Bell won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times – with four of those victories coming in Porsche cars. 

On the track

At The Classic & Sports Car Show in association with Flywheel Bell drove a 1965 short-wheelbase Porsche 911 on the first day of the Show – and tore up the demonstration track in typical style.

Frazer Nash Mille Miglia

This rather lovely Frazer Nash Mille Miglia was driven by Philip Champion in typically sideways style

Kieft CK52

The Kieft CK52 is a 500cc racer dating from the 1950s, built to specifications of a young Stirling Moss. It was driven at the Show by Dennis Williams.

Jaguar XK120 NUB 120

One of the most famous of all racing Jaguars is NUB 120 – an aluminium-bodied XK120 in which Ian and Pat Appleyard conquered the Alpine Rally in 1950 and '51, among other victories.

It was driven at the Show by Chris Bennett, who expertly steered it around the demonstration track, possibly mindful of the fact that it's worth an absolute fortune. 

Stovebolt Special

The Classic & Sports Car team took to the track themselves – or rather our co-founder and current editor at large Simon Taylor did, in his wonderful 1950 HWM-Chevrolet 'Stovebolt Special'.

GN Spider

The GN Spider is a firm favourite at summer hillclimb events and put in a fantastic shift on the Show's demonstration circuit. When it spluttered to a halt driving through the paddock, the Wriggly Monkey brewery team lent a hand in getting it started again.

Kandee Twist

Another C&SC man taking to the track was our senior contributor Julian Balme in his 1957 Ford Ranch Wagon gasser 'Kandee Twist'. This fabulous 'gasser' drag car's 8.1-litre V8 sounded magnificent as it lit its rear wheels off the startline

Jaguar XK150

This incredibly original and rare Jaguar XK150S spent much of its life in California, for which it owes its largely rust-free condition. It sported a curious Prancing Horse Stuttgart badge on the grille. 

Wriggly Monkey

Yes, we were working, but surely tasting a classic-car-themed beer just proves we were doing our research properly?

Wriggly Monkey was on site all weekend, serving pints of its very tasty Full Tilt ale to a steady stream of customers. The fact that the brewery, which is based at Bicester Heritage, pipes its wares from a superb Armstrong Siddeley doesn't hurt, either. The car has been a regular competitor in the Pomeroy Trophy over the years. 

Military vehicles

Cars were far from the only vehicles on show, with tanks, half-tracks and other military machines on display and in action.

Grant tank

Yes, those are real bullet holes you can see on the front of this Grant tank. From 1942 it was used by the military to test German ammunition, and thus improve the protective qualities of other armoured vehicles. It took thousands of hits in total – which makes it rather impressive that it still works.

Tank rides!

Wondering whether there was enough for the kids to do? Wonder no more: a trip in an armoured personnel carrier comfortably beats a day at the park or watching TV.

Eyes to the sky

Cars, tanks... what other form of classic transportation can you see at The Classic & Sports Car Show in association with Flywheel? How about planes – and lots of them.

These De Havilland Tiger Moths were certainly among the highlights of the first day of the Show, soaring and swooping overhead in a fantastically colourful display. Seven examples took to the sky simultaneously before carrying out a spectacular show of formation flying. 

The Battle of Britain revisited

Bicester once again reverberated to the sound of Rolls-Royce Merlin engines as the Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane of the Britain Memorial Flight banked steeply over the former RAF base in a spectacular display.

Miss Helen

'Miss Helen' may look unassuming these days, but in WW2 she had a fearsome service record.

She's the last-known surviving P-51 Mustang of the US Army Air Force's 352 Fighter Group – a group which destroyed more than 800 enemy aircraft during the war.

Sadly, a fault kept her to a static display this year, but crowds were rewarded with a special extra show by Peter Borchert in his Pitts Special.

Douglas DC-3 Dakota

This behemoth is a Douglas DC-3 Dakota, a WW2 stalwart that, as you can see from the decoration on its side, played an important role in the war delivering air drops and paratroopers. Its name, 'Drag ’em Oot', refers to its work in retrieving military gliders.from the Continent

Aero engines

These Hercules radial and Merlin V12 engines looked awesome and sounded magnificent as they were fired up to the delight of showgoers.

WW1 dogfight

Amazing though all the WW2 planes were – and they really were – we were even more impressed by the WW1 dogfight. Who knew planes that are now more than 100 years old could turn and bank and harry each other quite so effectively?

Ferrari out in force

The Ferrari Owner's Club of Great Britain was one of the many clubs to attend the Show. Wonder how much that little lot would cost? 

Jaguar clubs

Two clubs dedicated to the Big Cat – the Jaguar Drivers' Club and Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club – were at the Show with a wide variety of Jaguars of all ages.

Morgan Sports Car Club

No prizes for guessing what this is – a pristine collection of Morgans.

Pre-'76 cars

The dedicated area for pre-1976 classics was packed, making it one of the many highlights of the Show. In the foreground is C&SC photographer James Mann's Austin-Healey 3000 MkI.

Iso Grifo

Amazing what you can see in a car park these days: that's a gorgeous Iso Grifo Italian super-GT, with stonking America V8 power - as featured in C&SC a few years ago!

Williams car transporter

This highly original, ex-Frank Williams Racing Cars ISO Marlboro race transporter dates from the 1973 Formula One season and was a popular draw at the Show.

MGB rally car

The inaugural Flywheel Concours showcases some truly special cars across five distinct classes. This MGB is one of the stars of the Historic & Classic Rally Cars class, and competed in the famous 1968 London-Sydney Marathon. A 42nd-place finish was highly creditable given that, of 100 starters, only 56 made it to the finish line.

Supercars!

Dawn of the Supercars is another Flywheel Concours class, and we just loved the striking – and very yellow – ex-Rod Stewart Lamborghini Miura SV at the front. The others aren't bad, either...

MGA

A second concours at the Show is the People's Concours, which sees a hand-picked selection of club cars compete for The David Evans Trophy – named in honour of our much-missed Chief Sub-Editor. This MGA was one of the contestants in Saturday's round. 

Studebaker Golden Hawk

This 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk was another entrant in Saturday's People's Concours. In period, the owner's father drove the only UK-imported model at the time – a fact that inspired his son to buy this example.

Child's play

The Show's Vintage Village has something for everyone, from period-correct clothing to period-correct music and, um, modern-day food and drink. And in among the many stalls were some absolute gems.

We spent rather too long trying to decide whether or not to buy a vintage Subbuteo set (and now wish we had done), and the sheer number of classic car miniatures on offer made the Show a dream for any child, whether young or old. 

Bicester Heritage's specialists

Many of the Bicester Heritage specialists opened their doors for the weekend (Pendine pictured here), enabling ticket-holders to marvel at the cars in the complex's wonderfully preserved WW2 buildings, and chat to the experts who run the showrooms, garages and other classic-focused workshops.

A bid for greatness

Brightwells' Bicester Classic & Vintage Cars & Motorcycles auction was in the vast Hangar 113 for the duration of the Show, with viewing on the Saturday and the sale itself taking place on Sunday.

We've already written plenty about the superb selection of cars going under the hammer, but suffice to say that seeing all 100 lots gathered together under one roof leaves you wishing you were exceedingly wealthy.

Brightwells auction continued

Our favourites? Well, the Ford Capri Uren Stampede was a sight to behold thanks to its eye-catching paint-job, and the 1984 Interstyl Hustler 6 certainly has a certain kitsch value.

But no, we'd probably take one of these two gorgeous BMWs instead (although sadly you'll have to wait for Brightwells' next sale if you fancy making a bid!).