1940s Relived

More classics and costumes made Brooklands the ideal place to indulge in some 1940s car nostalgia

Revival events are becoming quite the in-thing, but it always helps if the surroundings match the period being re-created. So when it comes to the 1940s, Brooklands in Surrey has to be one of the ideal venues, with its blend of early 20th century motor racing atmosphere and wartime aviation buildings.

For the museum’s annual The 1940s Relived event, a whole host of different components came together to make this year busier than ever. As well as all the regular attractions open as usual, there was a vintage market, dance marquee, live music and awards for the most stylish suitably-attired attendees. And, naturally, there were lots of historic vehicles in attendance too.

The idea of featured themes – last year, it was commercials, the year before that, the 1948 London Motor Show – was dropped this year, in order to make everybody with an appropriate vehicle feel even more welcome. And it seemed to work, with Brooklands’ nooks and crannies filled with all manner of military and civilian vehicles from the 1940s and before.

But it wasn’t all about the 1940s. While such vehicles took pride of place in the paddock and outside the Club House, there was also room for 1950s and 1960s cars, no doubt for anybody too much into the era to see what the future looked like…

’Brooklands was filled with vehicles from the 1940s and before’

Back to the 1940s: Brooklands suited the event’s period feel perfectly. Calvin Candy’s 1934 Austin Heavy 12/4 taxi spent much of its life in a US museum. Amphibious 1945 Studebaker Weasel M29C and 1948 Morris Y van. They belong to Doug McCarthy (US...