Big Crowd for First Super Scramble
Over 6,000 avid car enthusiasts attended the inaugural Super Scramble at Bicester Heritage last weekend, proving that the sell-out event was a firm favourite of the UK’s 2019 motoring calendar. With the usual welcoming and relaxed atmosphere of the UK’s Centre of Excellence for Historic Motoring, the beautiful location opened its doors to the public for its standout event of the year.
More than 100 carefully selected vehicles were invited from around the world to take part and crowds were treated to display laps from more than 80 of these as well as to the noise and drama of several other exceptional cars being started and run-up throughout the day.
Daniel Geoghegan, Managing Director of Bicester Heritage commented: "The combination of some of the world's most important motor-cars being displayed and demonstrated against the cinematic backdrop of Bicester Heritage proved irresistible. The atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed, we have been inundated with positive comments in producing an event which was inclusive yet of the highest quality."
The unique 1939 Delage D8-120 of Peter and Merle Mullin took centre stage on the Main Drive. An imposing and graceful machine, this Chapron-bodied roadster appeared in the 1951 Hollywood blockbuster An American in Paris starring Gene Kelly and it was surrounded by admirers throughout the day.
Nearby, Ten Tenths Racing’s 1953 Carerra Panamericana Ferrari 250 MM, its red and white livery emblazoned with its racing number of 1.2.3, drew equal crowds. Campaigned in period by Mexican racer Efrain Ruiz Echeverria, this one of a kind Ferrari 250 MM proved a bold and popular edition to the line up.
Tiggy Atkinson, Bespoke Events Manager of Bicester Heritage, said: "The Super Scramble was a highlight in the Bicester Heritage events diary offering a great day out for motoring enthusiasts and their families. We were delighted that owners of such prestigious, exciting vehicles were keen to display their cars on the Technical Site and more than half of them to run on the Demo Course. It is always such a delight to see and hear these vehicles in motion. We hope that regular ‘Scramblers’ and new followers alike enjoyed the day."
On the demonstration track at Bicester Heritage, the famous 1933 Barnato-Hassan Brooklands racer was expertly driven by owner, David Ayre.
The MK2 Escort of Rob Smith of the Vintage Radiator Company was expertly piloted around the corners with just three wheels touching the tarmac for most of its lap.
Also enjoying several parade laps was the 1953 Le Mans Rover-BRM. With a noise unlike any other car on the track, this gas turbine-powered racer was demonstrated by the British Motor Museum and was just as jaw-dropping for spectators in 2019 as it must have been in 1953.
A tribute to the late legend Norman Dewis was represented by a wonderful display of historic Jaguars including an XKSS from Jaguar’s own collections and Richard Frankel’s Jaguar C Type, driven in period by Sir Stirling Moss.
Mercedes-AMG F1 drew huge crowds as they repeatedly fired up the 2013 Lewis Hamilton F1 car - its screaming engine proving a rallying cry for the many that flocked to it throughout the event.
On the Main Drive of the site, the Bicester Heritage based apprenticeship scheme, Heritage Skills Academy, teamed up with the Association of Heritage Engineers and Brooklands Museum to fire up the cast 24-litre Napier-Railton for runs up and down the central avenue.
Daniel Geoghegan concluded. "The Super Scramble! exceeded our expectations and will be remembered for sharing the fun and passion of our automotive culture with enthusiasts and their families. We were delighted to have the support of our 40 specialist companies and their customers, not to mention Brooklands Museum and The British Motor Museum, each of whom demonstrated motoring rarities rarely seen in action by the public."
