Classic & Sports Car UK – September 2019

20 Classic & Sports Car September 2019

NEWS & EVENTS

BicesterHeritageupgradedits
regularSundayScrambleeventon
23 Junetocreatetheinaugural
SuperScramble– anditdidn’t
disappoint.Themainadditionin
thetransitionfrom‘Sunday’to
‘Super’wastheuseofthehistoric
Oxfordshiresite’sdemonstration
track,sovisitorscouldseethecars
inaction,alongwitha seriesof
curateddisplayofvehiclesaround
therestoredTechnicalSite.
Thelatterrelegatedvisitors’
pre-’90classicstotheairfieldcar
park,butthesestillformedan
must-seeelementoftheday.And
that’sanotherchange:theSuper
Scramble isa full-day affair,
extendedfromtheusualmorning
meet.Justas well,withsomuchto
takein – including,as ever,thesite’s
specialiststhrowingopentheir
doorstosharetheirwork.
Scatteredaroundthemwerethe
event’sstars.It’snoteverydaythat
youseeabonafideD-typeparked
nonchalantlyat thesideof theroad.
OrJaguar’sXKSS,Group 44 V12
E-typeorXJ220,partofa tribute
totherecentlydepartedNorman

Dewis. Other special attractions

included John Cobb’s unique aero-

engined Napier-Railton and two

further one-offs: the 1933 Bentley

Barnato-Hassan Special, and Peter

and Merle Mullin’s jaw-dropping

1939 Delage D8-120. Also turning

heads was the magnificent Rover-

BRM that, in 1963, was the first

gas-turbine car to finish Le Mans.

About 80 of the 100 or so hand-

picked machines on show lit up the

demonstration track, creating not

only a fine spectacle, but also a

rousing aural accompaniment to

the event. Some pilots were more

cautious than others, but the driver

of the famous ‘Hairy Canary’

Shelby Cobra (C&SC, April) was

certainly having fun, with a gentle

pirouette proving that he wasn’t

just tickling it around. It was

particularly special to see the

Rover-BRM run, its eerie turbine

soundtrack like no other.

One exhibit that didn’t hit the

track but did much to contribute to

the soundscape was the ex-Lewis

Hamilton 2013 Mercedes F1 car,

its V8 repeatedly roaring into life.

SUPER-SIZE SCRAMBLE TAKES OFF

MATTIEU BONNEVILLE/LIZZIE POPE

From top: Barnato-Hassan

Special and Napier-Railton

were rarely seen treats;

BMW birthday bash was

quite a sight; the first

gas-turbine car to finish

Le Mans was brought by

the British Motor Museum