Sywell Classic: Pistons and Props
Ear-popping street racers and displays from more than 70 clubs dominate Pistons & Props
’The Indycar and F1 car thundering up the runway was a real treat’
Even the spectacle of wingwalkers strutting their stuff on top of Boeing biplanes couldn’t top the action on the ground at Sywell’s art deco aerodrome, where showgoers were treated to two days of classic displays.
The site’s mile-long runway was used for demonstrations of historic race machines, including a particularly noisy Lola-versus-Chevron battle, although the entry list lacked the variety of classic race and rally cars seen at previous Sywell shows. The undoubted highlight of the runway action was the racing between classic dragsters in the Streetcar Shootout demonstrations, including the V8-engined Ford Populars of Mark Bracking and Garry Hill, and Winston Sewell’s gloriously bonkers Ford Cortina 80, which packs a twin-turbo V8 beneath its twodoor saloon body.
Visitors could also check out more than 70 club stands across the airfield, with highlights including a 16-car turnout from the Triumph Sports Six Club’s Northamptonshire branch and a chance to check out a pre-production prototype on the Middlebridge Scimitar Enthusiasts Set’s display. The area dedicated to visitors’ classics was also incorporated into this year’s event, with more than 300 privately-entered vehicles on show. Event Director, Tom Siddall, said: ‘Reaching its fifth birthday, Sywell Classic has firmly secured its slot in the classic motoring calendar. Each year we welcome more car clubs, more enthusiasts and more spectacular action.
‘Finishing the weekend with the Penske Indycar and Leyton House F1 car thundering up the runway was a real treat for those watching, as they would rarely see those cars moving anywhere else.’