COMING UP…
The diary is thinning out again, and not just because of the change of season, so check events are going ahead!
22 October
The Historic Motoring Awards Covid-19 has put paid to the planned awards ceremony at the Rosewood in London, but the show must go on(line). Register (free of charge) on the Historic Motoring Awards website and everyone can watch live as this year’s winners are announced by host Amanda Stretton. Also look out for special guest appearances by some well-known faces. historicmotoringawards.co.uk
22-25 October
Mille Miglia
Crews in open cars – and there will be many – will have to wrap up warm this year, with the event rescheduled from May to the end of October. That said, everything apart from the chill in the air will feel familiar as the teams hustle from Brescia to Rome and back in the company of some of the world’s greatest classics. 1000miglia.eu
22-25 October
Auto Moto d’Epoca
The sort of event your bank manager has nightmares about: a huge indoor market in Padua, featuring spare parts, an excellent selection of automobilia, and some 5000 classic cars and motorcycles for sale. Yes, 5000 cars and motorcycles for sale. You’d better get that extra credit card application in quickly. autoemotodepoca.com
31 October
Flame & Thunder
Santa Pod in Northamptonshire puts on a literal fireworks display to complement the explosive action on the UK’s legendary drag strip, which will include runs from Top Fuel dragsters and jet cars. Much anticipated is the debut of the ‘Barrow of Speed’, a 45mph motorised wheelbarrow made by Kevin Nicks, who previously built a 102mph garden shed. santapod.co.uk
31 October – 4 November
Copperstate 1000
Crews in pre-1974 sports and touring cars enjoy 1000 miles of dreamy desert roads as they motor through Arizona and beyond. mensartscouncil.com
1 November
RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run There’s a new title sponsor for this celebration of motoring, with hundreds of pre-1905 cars puffing and popping their way from Hyde Park to the South Coast. Sadly, no Regent Street Motor Show precedes the main event this year. veterancarrun.com
4-8 November
Classic Daytona
Grand old monsters of motorsport thundering around Florida’s most famous circuit. The main Classic 24 Hours features five grids taking one-hour stints in turn. hsrrace.com
6-8 November
Algarve Classic Festival
The Classic Festival serves up top-notch racing under a sunny sky down on the Algarve at Portugal’s technically challenging Portimão Circuit, which was a firm favourite with the late Sir Stirling Moss and others. autodromodoalgarve.com
13-15 November
Targa High Country
Three days of racing around Mount Buller, a ski resort located about three hours north-east of the city of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. By the time of the event the snow should have disappeared, transforming the route to the summit of the mountain into a truly thrilling hillclimb. targa.com.au
3-6 December
Classic Sebring
Hot on the heels of Classic Daytona comes this event 150 miles further south in Florida, which includes the Classic Sebring 12 Hour. The racing isn’t the only attraction, though: Sebring International Raceway was built on a portion of Sebring Airport, which is still active, and many vintage aircraft will fly in to be displayed over the long weekend. hsrrace.com
4-6 December
Retro Classics Bavaria
The organisers of the massive Retro Classics Stuttgart show bring their particular brand of entertainment 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
5 December
VSCC Winter Driving Tests Members of the Vintage Sports-Car Club gather at Bicester Heritage for a traditional, season-closing challenge. vscc.co.uk
5-8 December
LeJog
The Land’s End to John O’Groats Reliability Trial sees crews drive the length of Great Britain, tackling regularity sections and special tests along the way, usually in less-than-helpful weather. One of Europe’s toughest but most satisfying rallies. heroevents.eu
1 January
Brooklands New Year’s Day Gathering
Classic car owners and enthusiasts haul themselves off the sofa for the very first meeting of 2021, at Brooklands, where cars will assemble on the circuit’s famous banking and elsewhere. brooklandsmuseum.com
14-17 January
Autosport International
Just about every motorsport discipline will be respresented at Birmingham’s NEC, plus there will be plenty of tyre-smoking antics on what is the UK’s largest indoor racetrack. autosportinternational.com
21-24 January
Cavallino Classic
This Palm Beach event is chiefly known as a first-class gathering of Ferraris, but it also features a concours open to other marques and action at Palm Beach International Raceway. cavallinoclassic.com
21-24 January
Coppa delle Alpi
After a successful debut in 2019, the winter regularity rally from the organisers of the Mille Miglia returns, with pre-1976 cars rumbling through some spectacular Alpine locations. coppadellealpi.it
30 January – 3 February
Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique There will be no ‘concentration leg’ for 2021, so crews will start from Monte Carlo rather than various cities around Europe. The challenge will be as formidable as ever, though, with regularity sections, freezing weather and 1000m-plus peaks standing between them and the finish line. acm.mc
31 January – 5 February
The Winter Trial
Pre-1986 cars and their crews face a snowy, 2500km route that will start and finish in Austria, but with much of the action taking place in Slovenia. thewintertrial.nl 5-7 February Bremen Classic Motor Show Drawing around 45,000 visitors and 650 exhibitors, the Bremen show is an inclusive affair, with all eras and most marques represented. classicmotorshow.de