KIDS SCRAMBLE TO BICESTER

In the hundreds of classic cars converging on Bicester Heritage in January, record numbers of young enthusiasts set the tone for the hobby and industry alike

- AARON MCKAY

If the owners of pre-war open tourers sometimes doubt the hardiness of more modern car drivers, the increasing popularity of winter gatherings for all types of eclectic classics can be proof that enthusiasts are determined to show up and be part of something all year round. The Scramble at Bicester Heritage on 8 January was a perfect example of the trend: quickly filling to capacity with far less of the usual hushed shuffling around cars as dawn broke over Oxfordshire and sun softly graced the former RAF airfield's historic WW2-era brick buildings.

Some 7000 people attended, setting a January record, including a notable 1000-plus under-15-yearolds and, by mid-morning, both the Technical Site grounds and airfield were packed with pre-'90s classics. The centrepiece of the day was a curated collection of 'winter wagons' arranged outside the 1771 clubhouse.

Of the expected landmark models making up the display were Volvo's own 240 GLT from its heritage fleet - finished in glossy red paint and a Humber Super Snipe Series 3 Estate, as well as three pre-war woodies: a 1929 Rolls-Royce 20/25, 1937 Bentley 414-litre Shooting Brake and a 1938 Ford V8 wagon. The Rolls woodie was PG 6659, the car thought to have once been owned by the father of Stirling Moss, and it retains the towbar with which it reportedly towed Stirling's 500 racer to his first event. The Bentley had a similar history of practical glamour: converted by Vincents of Reading in 1949 from its original tourer coachwork, it was owned by Mulberry founder Roger Saul, then served as a delivery van for the Champagne house Comtes de Dampierre. Joining the Ford V8 were other Americans to tell the story of the famed family station wagon: a 1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser and a Mk1 Ford Taurus from the 1980s, both wagons that have since cemented their images on the big and small screens.