A scramble for nostalgia
This former RAF base in Bicester is fast becoming the UK’s premier destination for car enthusiasts of all vintages
Scramble! was the order that sent pilots racing to their planes during World War II. but now it also describes a relaxed car event where participants bring their own prized motors, as well as ogle at those on official display.
and this Sunday more than 5,000 people will descend on a former raF base in Oxfordshire to celebrate a motor car ‘scramble’ event at what is arguably the fastest growing automotive site in the UK.
I speak of bicester Heritage, which now sits beneath the rapidly expanding umbrella called bicester motion. but what exactly are these two organisations? and why should we care?
Put simply, in 2013, a group of entrepreneurs took over this 444-acre site of the former raF bicester from the ministry of Defence with the dream of transforming it into ‘one of the world’s leading automotive destinations’.
They were handed the rusty keys to the many buildings in a bucket, and left to get on with the restoration work.
and how they have . . .
PRIME LOCATION
bIceSTer Heritage now has 45 specialist firms on site — from restorers and engineers to automotive auctioneers. It even has an on-site brewery and gin distillery (see panel). The site, which has won awards for regeneration, sees itself as a national centre for an £18.8billion per year historical car industry that employs around 113,000 across the country. and it also aims to become a wider centre of excellence for mobility technology and experience. The geographical location is handy too, sitting as it does in the UK’s ‘motorsport valley’, which encompasses F1 and other race-focused firms such as Williams and Prodrive. bicester is also said to be the fastest growing town in britain, and, pre-covid at least, nearby bicester Village shopping centre proved a
massive draw to shoppers from as far afield as China. And if, on a visit, Bicester heritage looks familiar, it may be because it has been used as a film location for The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch as wartime code breaker Alan Turing and for the Churchill drama Darkest hour with Gary Oldman.
Bicester Motion chief executive Daniel Geoghegan said: ‘The UK is considered the centre of classic automotive motoring but the associated skills were not being passed down to younger generations.
‘An opportunity was identified at Bicester heritage to create a collective of likeminded businesses in an accessible location with the aim of improving skills transfer, training, business growth and customer experience for everyone in the industry.’
THE MASTERPLAN
The Bicester heritage Sunday Scramble this weekend gives the public a chance to peek behind the scenes into workshops and offices they wouldn’t normally be able to visit. There are even four stylish ‘Crew Rooms’ each named after a former RAF station commanding officer available to book via Airbnb.
Under the wider umbrella of Bicester Motion, the Bicester heritage arm will be just one quarter of the planned whole. That includes a 200-bedroom hotel. had it not been for the pandemic, construction would have begun this year.
The ‘masterplan’ is for a site that celebrates automotive and aviation culture and technology. The development will also cater for sectors including leisure, tourism, technology and businesses.
The Bicester Motion ‘campus’ will be divided into four quarters, with the historic airfield at the centre, plus the existing but expanded Bicester heritage Quarter and Wilderness, Innovation and experience quarters. The experience Quarter will provide a home to international vehicle manufacturers. The Wilderness Quarter includes the creation of a wilderness experience park offering lakeside lodges, eco-trails, cycle routes and 4x4 experiences, while the Innovation Quarter aims to attract technology specialists in electric power, autonomous driving, electric flight, racing and mobility.
This Sunday’s final Bicester Scramble of 2021 features a ‘Best of the Bavarians’ display of legendary road cars and priceless racers from Audi and BMW — including the latter’s 3.0CSL ‘Batmobile’ roadgoing sports car.
Mr Geoghegan said: ‘We are thrilled to be able to throw open our doors to welcome classic car enthusiasts, seasoned petrol heads and junior drivers to what promises to be a special Scramble event.’
Bicester heritage also has a new membership club called Scramblers for those wanting a closer link to the site.
HISTORIC AIRFIELD
The action-packed flying history of the former RAF Bicester predates its military heritage. A Bristol Boxkite flew from the town in 1911.
The Royal Flying Corps moved on to the airfield in 1916 and became part of the newly formed Royal Air Force in 1918. The airfield became a bomber station in 1925 and was rapidly expanded from 1936 as Britain prepared for war with Nazi Germany.
This is when RAF Bicester became home to the likes of the hawker hart, Bristol Blenheim and the first flight of the handley Page halifax four-engined bomber, the RAF’s first heavy bomber to enter production.
historic england said: ‘RAF Bicester is the best preserved of the bomber bases.’