2021 Round Up
It’s not often you’d start a review of the year’s events in the month of April but then this hasn’t exactly been a regular year for anyone, let alone fans of messing about with old cars.
The classic car scene is a resilient place though and even if the year did kick off with virtual meets, it wasn’t long before we were all getting away from the online quizzes and out into the open.
As the spring weather arrived, cautious distanced meets gave way to proper meetings and by the time the curtain fell on the season at the NEC, things were – almost – back to some kind of normal.
If you missed the year’s action while isolating then here’s our recap of the year’s highlights.
APRIL
Drive it Day
It had to be a little different this year and many plans were not made until the 11th hour, but that didn’t stop the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Club’s National Drive-it-Day from being a huge success on Sunday April 25.
The event was run in support of Childline for the first time and saw an impressive £40,310 raised through generous donations and the sale of the official FBHVC rally plates.
Whether it was small socially-distanced groups and convoys or individual journeys, the UK was graced by thousands of enthusiasts collectively hitting the roads together to show off the nation’s transport heritage – many under sunny blue skies. Because the money raised exceeded the Federation’s already ambitious target of £30,000, Childline’s activities could be funded by the historic vehicle community for ‘One Unforgettable Day’, which took place on the first day of the Classic Motor Show, November 12. What’s more, the day also served to raise awareness around the freedoms the historic vehicle sector requires to use and enjoy transport heritage on the UK’s roads.
MAY
Great British Car Journey opens
Though not a show or run in the traditional sense, the Great British Car Journey attraction in Derbyshire opening its doors to the public for the first time in May was a significant event, treating visitors to an interactive timeline of the British Car Industry from a humble Austin Seven through to a McLaren 650S.
In addition, the four-acre site features the Drive Dad’s Car feature, which allows a nostalgic driving experience alongside an instructor in one of over 30 family favourites of yesteryear. CCB was amongst the visitors as the attraction was officially opened by McLaren Automotive CEO Mike Flewitt and GBCJ CEO and Founder, Richard Usher.
MAY
Retro Rides Weekender
For much of lockdown, the idea of congregating at Goodwood for a large-scale automotive event seemed like pie-in-the-sky. And yet, over the sunny weekend of May 29-30, the stars aligned to bring a car show back to the iconic West Sussex circuit.
The event in question was the Retro Rides Weekender. For the uninitiated, Retro Rides is a forum that’s catered for a particular type of enthusiast for a couple of decades – those with an interest in modified classics (and frequently these days, modern classics). The scope is broad; if it’s cool, it’s cool.
A lot of folks had been very busy in their garages for
