A record 1500 cars – up more than 600 on last year – converged on Bicester Heritage from across the UK and continental Europe for its biggest-ever Sunday Scramble on 24 April. More than 3500 people took the opportunity to look around the specialists at the former RAF bomber base while giving their classics a run out on the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Club’s Drive It Day.
Bicester’s central location drew visitors from the north of the UK – such as the TVR Car Club’s South Yorkshire Region – while the 120-strong Porsche Club GB turnout included members from Spain and France.
More than 30 clubs attended, including the Chiltern Vehicle Preservation Group and the Basingstoke Classic Car Club, plus lots of one-make displays such as the Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club.
A spectacular range of machinery spanned pre-war rarities built in penny numbers to immaculate late-model sports cars. FBHVC chairman David Whale brought his “new toy”, a delightful 1938 Rosengart Sutosix SuperSept – the only one known to survive from just six made by the French company.
“It’s done only 8812km,” he explained, “having spent much of its life in collections. It has a 1097cc straight-six – in effect, one and a half Austin Sevens – and still has the factory silk blind on the back window.” As his wife Barbara put it: “The original registration document was in the history file so we had a genuine piece of paper that gave us a shortcut to getting it registered.”
Nearby was the immaculate 1982 Volkswagen Golf GTI 1.6 that David Hirons bought 10 years ago. “It was a track-day car when I got it, with a later 16-valve engine,” he recalled, “but I rebuilt it from a bare shell over eight years. There are three people who I most have to thank – my wife and son for putting up with me and the project, and Dave Kirkham, who let me restore it in his garage. Finding the parts is part of the enjoyment; you go onto eBay, and you go to scrapyards or anywhere to track it all down. The Hirschmann aerial came from the US.”
