An astonishing, once-in-a-lifetime 50-car gathering marked 50 years of one of Britain’s most celebrated race teams at the sold-out Scramble at Bicester Motion on Sunday 11 January.
The two-time Le Mans-winning Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) was started in nearby Kidlington in 1976 and some of its most famous cars, drivers and designers gathered at Bicester Motion to kickstart 2026.
Live stage interviews with design-great Ian Callum and Grand Prix-winning former driver John Watson revealed stories from TWR’s past, in front of hundreds of former staff and the Walkinshaw family, while cars included the Le Mans winning XJR-9 among more than 10 prototype sports cars. Iconic road cars developed by the team sat alongside race cars including the cult-hero Volvo 850 estate from the British Touring Car Championship and some of Tom’s own machinery.
Elsewhere, the Orchard Lawn honoured 40 years since Group B rallying, with famous cars such as the Audi Quattro and Ford RS200 beside forgotten chapters of the motorsport category from Lada and Citroën.
World-leading car makers including resident specialist Polestar, plus Bentley, Maserati and Jaguar Land Rover showcased its enthusiast-focused models, while folding bicycle creator Brompton made its first Scramble appearance in the centre of the Technical Site.
Opposite its pop-up exhibit in the Motor Bays, Porsche specialist Sports Purpose offered a rare close-up of the prototype Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, and auctioneer Broad Arrow gave attendees the chance to see some of the cars soon to be auctioned in its ‘Icons’ online sales.
YASA Motors, which moves headquarters this year to The Ranges at Bicester Motion, displayed a model of its cutting-edge electric motor at the Scramble for the first time, which offers up to twice the power density of a traditional electric motor despite weighing half as much.
Two universities, Warwick and Oxford Brookes, provided a glimpse into the future by presenting a Formula Student racing car and a pioneering electric superbike, while automotive charity StarterMotor shone a light on the pioneering exploits of partner Jaguar Land Rover Classic.
Classic car insurance and valuation specialist Hagerty brought its ‘top 10 cars to buy in 2026’ together in its onsite Clubhouse, with experts on stage explaining the list including an Alfa Romeo and Riley, and Top Gear magazine gathered some of the TG Awards winners from BMW, Renault and the stunning Kimera EVO37.
Bicester Motion CEO Daniel Geoghegan said: “The 7000 attendees were once again rewarded with something special at almost every turn, somewhat a Scramble hallmark. It was a privilege to host so many of the engineers, staff and drivers of Tom Walkinshaw Racing, and so too his family, and I must thank the owners who so generously displayed their cars not only in our historic hangar but around the Technical Site.
“Those avenues will soon turn 100 and we look forward to celebrating the remarkable milestone at the next event in April, at a Scramble 100 years in the making.”
The second Scramble of 2026 will take place on Sunday 26 April, marking 100 years of the Technical Site at RAF Bicester. Tickets will be available from bicestermotion.com/scramble from 10am on Monday 12 January.
