COMING UP
Plenty to be done whether you crack out the sheepskin or jet off to warmer climes
28 November – 2 December Classic Sebring
Hot on the heels of Classic Daytona comes this event at Sebring, where the racing cars will be joined by a large display of vintage aircraft. hsrrace.com
7-9 December Retro Classics Bavaria
The organisers of Retro Classics Stuttgart bring their brand of entertainment two hours east to the exhibition centre in Nuremberg. Expect themed displays, a large club presence, good grub, and many opportunities to lighten the wallet: cars, parts and automobilia will all be on offer. retro-classics-bavaria.de
8-11 December Le Jog
HERO’s Land’s End to John O’Groats Reliability Trial sees crews drive through the night on notoriously tricky regularity sections, usually in weather that is much less than helpful. It’s one of the toughest rallies Europe has to offer – but one of the most satisfying, too. heroevents.eu
26 December Romsey Boxing Day Classic Car & Bike Meet
More than 600 cars and 250 motorbikes fill Romsey’s town centre on Boxing Day morning to help raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. romsey-classiccarandbikemeet. co.uk
1 January Brooklands New Year’s Day Gathering
Classic car owners and enthusiasts wrap up warm and head to Brooklands to kick off 2019. Pre-89 cars will assemble on the circuit’s famous banking, and the museum will be open all day, too – so it’s worth going along even if the weather is less than friendly. brooklandsmuseum.com Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble, 6 January. Image: Bicester Heritage
6 January Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble
An opportunity ‘to clear the head and the engine’ after the Christmas period – and, of course, to explore the workshops and showrooms at Bicester Heritage. bicesterheritage.co.uk
10-13 January Autosport International
There’s something for fans of just about every motorsport discipline at Birmingham’s NEC, and tyre-smoking action on the UK’s largest indoor racetrack, too. A big celebration marking 50 years of Formula 5000 is on the cards for 2019 too. autosportinternational.com
10-13 January InterClassics Maastricht
Some 35,000 visitors are expected to attend the 26th edition of the Dutch show. Lancia is the featured marque this time around. interclassicsmaastricht.nl
12 January Historic Rally Car Register Open Day
The HRCR descends on the British Motor Museum at Gaydon for a free event aimed at would-be rallyists. Championship organisers, competitors and specialists will all be on hand to provide advice and encouragement. hrcr.co.uk 23-27 January Cavallino Classic This Palm Beach event is chiefly known as a top-drawer gathering of Ferraris, but it also features a concours open to other marques and good Historic racing at Palm Beach International Raceway. cavallinoclassic.com
27 January – 1 February The Winter Trial
As ever, the precise route for the Winter Trial is being kept secret until shortly before the off, but we know it will begin in Eastern Europe and that snow is expected right from the start. Also in keeping with tradition is a pair of night drives to really test those in the Trial class. thewintertrial.nl
30 January – 6 February Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique
Crews set out from cities across Europe to gather in the French
département of Drôme, and that’s where the real fun begins. Over five days competitors will tackle regularity sections and 1000m-plus peaks as they slither towards Monaco’s Port Hercule. acm.mc Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique, 30 January – 6 February. Image: ACM
1-3 February Bremen Classic Motor Show
Drawing 45,000 visitors and some 650 exhibitors, the Bremen show is an inclusive affair, with all eras and most marques represented. This time around there will be special displays of classic estate cars and American motorcycles. classicmotorshow.de
6-10 February Rétromobile
Citroën is set to take centre-stage at Rétromobile as the marque celebrates its centenary, so you can expect a party atmosphere inside the Paris Expo – along with the customarily outstanding assortment of classic cars and mountains of automobilia. retromobile.com
14-17 February London Classic Car Show and Historic Motorsport International
Plans for 2019 include a fun tribute to the cars of The Italian
Job, and aero-engined specials will be in action on the Grand Avenue runway inside London’s ExCeL. Tickets cover entry to both the Classic Car Show and Historic Motorsport International. thelondonclassiccarshow.co.uk
22-24 February ClassicAuto Madrid
First held in 2010, ClassicAuto has grown from an industry event into a bustling show as popular with enthusiasts as it is with the trade. 22-24 February Race Retro Historic racing cars, historic motorcycles and modern central heating will again delight visitors to Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire – but with Group B machines in action on the live rally stage, you won’t want to stay indoors all day. raceretro.com
28 February – 2 March WinteRace
A field of 70 pre-1977 cars, a 400km route through the Dolomites and some of Europe’s most beautiful mountain scenery, plus snow, snow and more snow. winterace.it
1-3 March Antwerp Classic Salon
Lamborghini and Mini are getting the VIP treatment, but the displays will be as diverse as ever with more than 50 car clubs from Belgium and the Netherlands. antwerpclassicsalon.be
7-10 March Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
World-class classics will gather in Florida and, as always, there will be some wonderfully strange machinery. Among the classes to look forward to is one dedicated to custom-bodied VW Beetles. ameliaconcours.org