Bo’ness Revival

Goodwood isn’t the only event that puts historic racers through their paces – so does Bo’ness

’There were more than 350 cars on display, including a Jaguar XJ220’

Not one but two significant anniversaries were celebrated at the 2017 Bo’ness Revival – the tenth running of the hillclimb event since its resurrection and the 70th anniversary of the British Hillclimb Championship, the inaugural round of which was held at Bo’ness in 1947.

But this year’s Revival wasn’t all about looking to the past. In recognition of the event’s growing status as a classic car show, as well as a competitive hillclimb, it was given a new name (with the word ‘Hillclimb’ dropped from its title) and the classic car show was expanded in size and scope.

While around 100 cars and drivers battled it out on Bo’ness hill on the Saturday, 53 classic cars set out for Balmaha, on the shores of Loch Lomond, with a further 23 participating in a new event for 2017 – the Saltire Trophy. Organised in conjunction with the Saltire Rally Club, the Saltire Trophy comprises a regularity run, punctuated by a series of autotests, on the Saturday. And a further challenge awaited them on Sunday, in the form of a regularity run up the hillclimb course.

Sunday also saw the main classic car show take place – with more than 350 cars on display, including a 1991 Jaguar XJ220 owned by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust – as well as a second day of hillclimb competition which, like the preceding day’s action, was filmed for Motors TV.

With both elements of the Revival having been fully subscribed well ahead of time, the future for this event certainly looks bright.

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