BYE, BYE 2020

Jason reflects on a strange year for car fans, and looks forward to seeing what 202 brings

QUICK SPEC 5.0-litre Mustang GT ■ Steeda axle-back exhaust, induction kit, and H-pipe ■ RTR diffuser ■ MAP remap ■ Steeda IRS bushes, lowering springs, engine brace, K-brace, front and rear anti-roll bars ■ Carbon fibre deck lid ■ Velgen VF5 alloys■ Steeda discs and Hawk pads Well, what a strange and challenging year 2020 proved to be. Looking back, despite the heavily reduced schedule, there were a few highlights; Santa Pod Mustang events, the triple-car cover shoot and car meet with the Cosworth Drivers’ Club, the three prestigious car shows I covered for Alpine at Salon Prive, and the two Concours D’Elegance events, plus the occasional car group meet-ups when lockdowns would allow.

As much as we all love the big gatherings, the one thing I really missed in 2020 was those early morning Sunday meets – half a dozen fellow car owners sitting down for a coffee and bacon roll, then going out for a blast. We tend to take these smaller things for granted and I hope that we’ll be able to get these up and running again in 2021.

One of the big highlights will be the B_Road Hunting Club’s new venue. Situated at the Bentley Wildfowl Trust (which used to house a collection of historic cars), owners Ed, Roger and Jason are working on the cafe to bring it up to scratch and there’s enough space on site for hundreds of cars.

This venue is sure to become the south’s spot for those small or large car gatherings, and a few Ford groups are already in talks about hosting a meet at the new gaff. Keep an eye out for more updates, but the plan is for a grand opening in March.

I used the tail end of the year to give the Mustang a good all over detail and wax. I’ve used Poor Boys products for some time and they always work well on the stunning Magnetic Grey paintwork. After the quick detail and freshen-up, I then took some new photos of the car as I only had a few snaps of it since fitting the new Ford spoiler.

It’s hard to believe that the car will be three years old in May, and will be due an MOT – the last time I had one of those was probably 12 years ago on a Laguna estate! Since then, I’ve tended to opt for newish cars and changed them within 12 months, but there’s no chance of the ’Stang falling into that category.

So, what will 2021 hold in terms of events? I’m expecting it to be full-on. When you remember just how popular outdoor events and track days were last year in between the lockdowns, I’m pretty sure we’ll all be looking forward to making the very best of 2021.

The first event for me will be the Bicester Sunday Scramble in early January (lockdown restrictions permitting) and then I’ll be filling the diary up with more photo shoots and events – including Ford Fair in August!

As ever stay safe and enjoy those small meets more than ever. And I hope to bump into some of you at some shows in 2021.