Scramble springs to new highs

The second Scramble of 2024 welcomed more than 8000 families and enthusiasts for one of the biggest Drive-It Day gatherings in the UK on Sunday 21 April.

Sold out within just three weeks of going on sale, the Scramble brought together a host of manufacturers and classic car owners with the 50 specialists that call Bicester Heritage home, with UK firsts and a spectacular world-first of McLarens.

At the very centre of the venue, automotive publisher The Intercooler displayed a McLaren F1, P1, Speedtail, Senna and Elva, the first time each of the Ultimate Series models had been together in public. Nestled among them was a one-of-10 Bugatti Centodieci.

On the main display, StarterMotor shone a light on its young Ambassadors – apprentices and professionals working in the automotive industry who volunteer for the charity. Two Aston Martins, LM14 from the 1934 Le Mans and an Aston Martin Speed Model, were joined by the front wing of the AM23 Formula One that an Ambassador had helped develop. Alongside was a Dino 246 GT LM from Bell Sport & Classic and many more classic and vintage cars.

Collecting Cars commanded Hangar 113 and Chris Harris answered questions from fans surrounded by the latest cars consigned to the marketplace.

Alpine and Polestar both offered test drives of their most popular models, while the Polestar 4 was also given centre stage in the Polestar UK HQ in the Command Works. Event partner Alpine’s expansive display was awash with almost every edition of the vaunted A110 sports car, including one of the 10 UK examples of the Le Mans special. An homage to the works rally cars of the 1970s joined them, too.

At Motorsport UK, the McMurtry Automotive Spéirling that holds the hill record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed was joined by the British Grand Prix Trophy. The latest McMurtry Spéirling, the PURE VP1, also made a surprise appearance on the Main Drive.

Bentley Motors showed off the 2003 Le Mans-winning Speed 8 to mark a century of Le Mans wins, side by side with the commemorative matching Continental GT.

The biggest surprise was reserved for Lotus Cars Advanced Performance. The red-and-gold Type 66 Can-Am evocation based on a once-lost design roared up the Main Drive through a sea of camera phones to join the Evija and Emira GT4 in the Modern Supercar and Performance Paddock.

In another first, the Jaguar C-X75 re-engineered for the road by CALLUM took its leave by firing up the V8 in early afternoon. It is the only road legal C-X75 in the world.

Tickets for the next Scramble have already been released, with more than 50% sold within 24 hours. The Scramble takes place in autumn, on Sunday 6 October.

Liz Pilling, associate director of events at Bicester Motion, said: “Once again the Scramble truly delivered for all ages. We owe a huge thanks to the specialists for their support with the special event, and the likes of Alpine and Lotus added to the spectacle like never before. The bar has been raised to a new height, and we’re working on raising it yet higher in October.”

To book, visit the events calendar.