The 4th Silverstone Classic took place over July 25/26/27, celebrating 60 years of both Silverstone and Lotus, along with Lola’s 50th anniversary. With 21 races, 700 cars and 900 competitors on the specially adapted 3.14 mile Historic Grand Prix Circuit, combined with over 4000 cars on display from 50+ car clubs (including our own) in the infield, there was something of interest for everyone and it was a great weekend.

Racing celebrities abounded at this years event, all of whom were happy to sign autographs and chat – “the voice of F1”, 83 yr old Murray Walker launched his new book, Le Mans winner Jackie Oliver raced his regular historic mount, a BMW 1800TI, Red Bull F1 designer Adrian Newey drove his freshly rebuilt Ford GT40 and comedian Rowan Atkinson enjoyed track time in his Ford Falcon Sprint.

This was the 4th Silverstone Classic	Murray - still rabbiting on	Display of the weekend was undoubtedly the 17 Listers	The late Richard Lloyd's Porsche 956

The organisers marked the recent loss of Touring car racer and BRDC member David Leslie with a display of cars most associated with the affable Scot. These were outside the driver hospitality area. Also lost in the same aviation accident was Richard Lloyd (the former proprietor of GTI Engineering and RLR Porsche Group C team manager in the late ’80’s) and several of his car collection formed the backbone of the Bonhams sale on the infield, including the Canon sponsored Porsche 956 racer, which was a non-sale.

The National Straight was given over to the 200 + participants of the Silverstone Retro Run (a one-day classic car tour through the Chiltern countryside) whilst members of the Slowly Sideways Group B rally car association, demonstrated over 30 cars on an adjacent tarmac stage.

The popularity of the vintage aircraft “fly in” continues to grow and the radial engined Waco and Edgware UK built Gypsy Moth, attracted the most attention.

Much thought had gone into the organisation of the paddock, with each race entry having a designated area, making it easier for the weekends 57,000 spectators to view the competing cars, as well as the adjacent art gallery which showcased the talents of the UK’s foremost motoring artists, with the most evocative, the action style of John Ketchell and his painting of Wolfgang von Trips' Ferrari 156 Sharknose.

Rarely seen in rally spec, this 308GTB was part of the Group B rally display	The Michelotto and Facetti produced 308s were tweaked to give 315bhp	Lancia Fulvia to Fanalone spec looking for a new owner	Ari Vatanen and David Richards were part of the Ford RS team before moving on to Prodrive and the EU parliament!
Last demonstrated at Race Retro by Marku Alen, this Lancia 037 Rallye sounded good	Troy Ohio built, radial engined Waco was the centre display of the vintage "fly-in"	Produced between '56 and '63 125,000 Porsche tractors were built, this is the most powerful - the 50hp Master	Alfa 8C Competizione looked stunning in black and created much attention

Close by, this year’s largest club marque was Porsche, where the highlight for me was the tractor display! Congratulations must go to our own Club’s team, who arranged a display of over 200 cars of varying tipi (but no tractors) and were the first recipients of the Farecla Silverstone Classic Trophy, for best car club display. This was presented to Club Chairman Richard Allen and Secretary Peter Everingham on Sunday.

As always there were plenty of cars to catch the eye:

• Bristol 404 - launched in Autumn 1953 and subsequently tagged as the “Businessman’s Express”, only 51 of these 2 door, 120 mph GT’s were built. Rarely seen and often in long term ownership, an example was displayed in the BRDC members car park and resplendent in dark blue, it was stunning.

• Lister - built in Cambridge UK between 1957-59, this multi-engined sports-racer was the result of collaboration and continuous refinement by Brian Lister, Frank Costin and body builder Williams and Pritchard and was most successful when Jaguar engined (the same engine as the D type) and driven by Archie Scott Brown. Behind the BRDC grandstand, 17 cars were displayed on the Sunday and fittingly Lister was on hand to review his achievement

• Alfa 8C Competitzione - first shown as a design concept at the salons in 2003, the Turin built 4.7 V8 powered, 450bhp (thank-you Maserati!) made its public, production debut at the Paris Motor Show in 2006.Limited to a production of 500, only 40 of which are destined for the UK the car parks at the Classic revealed 2 examples in Alfa red and black.

Much reported elsewhere the track action was fast and furious, the highlights:

• Simon Hadfield’s superb drive in Frank Sytner’s Cooper Monaco – timing their changeover pit stop to perfection, to win the safety car interrupted 60 min Tony Rolt Trophy for ‘50’s sports racing cars.

• After a difficult weekend at Le Mans, ex PMFC racer Peter Sowerby had a great “Classic”, winning 3 races - 2 at the wheel of his ex Carlos Reutemann Williams FW07C and the third, sharing his Nissan RC90 Group C racer with Calum Lockie.

• Historic ace Martin Stretton had a fruitful weekend, sharing victory with Fredy Kumschick in the latter's Spice GTP as well as with Jon Minshaw in his Jaguar E Type and producing the drive of the weekend to 4th place in David Coplowe’s Lola T70.

• Sometime FIA GT racer, Dutchman David Hart brought his superb Ferrari 512M to Silverstone and it sounded simply fantastic!
  
  

In a crowded August, the historic racing movement continues at unabated speed, making its third trip to Copenhagen for the Danish Historic Grand Prix and then to Nurburgring for the 36th Oldtimer meeting, before crossing the Atlantic to California and the Laguna Seca circuit , where Alfa Romeo will be the celebrated marque and Mario Andretti, the Guest of Honour.

The intense Pebble Beach Concours will salute the products of Lancia, Lamborghini and General Motors, whilst the week’s 5 classic car auctions, will include the sale of Jaguar E2A and 12 Bugattis from the world’s most significant private collection of the Molsheim marque.

Very tempting though a trip to the Golden State is….there’s a new event on the UK motorsport calendar - the Pageant of Power. A celebration of endeavour on track, water and in the air at Cholmondley Castle nr. Chester .…it's next. See you there!

Nash Kelvinator Corp + Donald Healey = the very rare RHD 1954 Nash Healey	Jon Minshaw and Martin Stretton won the Innes Ireland Trophy with the former's low drag E type	Former Porsche racer Andy Purdie has seen sense and got a Nissan RC90	Lola T70 Spyder flanked the entrance to the Masters area to help celebrate Lola's golden jubilee

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Gianpaolo Dallara designed Cosworth powered De Tomaso Tipo 505 from 1970 was Sir Frank Williams' second F1 car

Clive Chapman's Historic Team Lotus crew spannered 2 Lotus 88s originally driven by Mansell and De Angelis, but never raced

Ex Jacky Ickx 1971 Ferrari 312 B2 with Sachs Madass in the background

Competition Daytona upgrade was displayed on the Hagerty Insurance stand and is currently for sale at Cars International, London

Dutch pairing Michiel Campagne and Allard Kalff shared this lean, mean Chevrolet Corvette

Raced in 1958 by Masten Gregory for Ecurie Ecosse this freshly rebuilt Lister Jaguar was superb

FIA GT racer David Hart's Ferrari 512M was the star of the Denny Hulme Trophy race

Grant Troman and Neil Cawthorn shared this Abarth Osella in the same race

Daytona loving author also has a thing for American heavy metal

Manuel and Diogo Ferrao's Ferrari 275GTB is superbly prepared by Martin Stretton's team

The spectator friendly assembly area was an integral part of the paddock