9 January 2024
Tuthill Porsche’s 911 RSR paid homage to the IROC 911s with its funky paint
Bicester’s Scramble has changed considerably over the last decade – as has the site. We perform a sitrep and see what’s coming soon
New build housing estates to my right, Porsche 911s in front of me and a bright yellow sign on my left reading ‘Bicester Scramble pre-bought tickets only’. I must be en route to Bicester Heritage’s first event of the year.
It’s pretty posh in these parts, but even I could figure out the sign really meant ‘sold out don’t waste your time unless you’ve already bought a ticket.’ I’ve been to one Scramble before. The very first one. That had around 300 people at it. Today it’s more like 7,000.
A few things have changed other than the queues to get in and out. For one, there’s new stuff. Previously it was bunker this, hanger that, but now manufacturers, such as Alpine and Polestar, have big showings. You could even take a Polestar 2 for a test drive.
The largest, palpable difference is the age of visitors though. There is a torrent of young people in every direction, a cascade of Gen Zs in baggy jeans and mullet haircuts with their phones (naturally held in portrait format) out, snapping away for Instagram, TikTok and BeReal. Ask your kids about those.
I’ve been to hundreds of classic car shows in my time and this is not generally how things are done. A typical Sunday morning run involves middle aged men, fried food in a roll and deck chairs.
How has Bicester substituted panama hats for Crocs? If anyone knows, it’s Dan Geoghegan, Chief Executive at Bicester. He’s the mastermind behind the Bicester Heritage site and was responsible for acquiring this former RAF base and transforming it into the 444 acre car theme park here today.
When I sat down with him in the central clubhouse he attracted people like Twitter users to an electric car fire. Well-wishers, colleagues, irritating journos alike. It brought memories of the often spoofed West Wing TV series featuring Martin Sheen walking through a corridor with a fleet of people vying for his attention.
“Under 30s are about one third of ticket sales. Go around a corner and it’s a complete surprise. I see things on Instagram later in the day that I’ve missed. It’s almost too big to fit into a day now.
“Social media clearly appeals to a younger audience and we do that very well. And while the show has grown, we’ve done it by intensifying the quality, not dumbing it down.
“We’re also a very young team at heart. There are 500 people on site (more than 40 companies call Bicester Heritage home) and 150-200 of those employees are apprentices. We also support a charity called Starter Motor. (which endeavours to get the generation of young people driving, maintaining and enjoying historic cars) It’s an attractive place to work.”
“Why go to a shed on an industrial estate when you can enjoy the vibrancy of a vision?”
We’re interrupted by his wife and 12-month old whippet. Surrounded by heavy classic car tomes and his faithful young dog, Dan looks as though he’s made a second home here.
What does the future look like for Bicester Heritage?
Which works out well as there’s still a lot of work to do at Bicester Heritage. Dan explains: “Our next step is the 15 acre innovation centre, which we’ll start building this summer.
“We’re curating a site which sets to disrupt. We’re looking for innovation leaders. We want to create a campus that creates a synergy a cluster can offer. We’re in the Oxford to Cambridge corridor, and Bicester is growing. Those people need jobs, and we can provide them.”
Dan remains tight-lipped about what companies will specifically move in. But you can expect them to be futuristic with an automotive base. Think drone companies, component manufacturers and fossil-free fuel makers.
The site’s future plans are centred around an experience quarter, a wilderness quarter, further work to the hangers, a 200 + room hotel and it even has permission to extend its track to a 3.5km circuit. Bet the neighbours in the new builds will love that.
Its transformation from an old RAF base to an event hub, test track, industrial estate and place to be seen at has come in less than a decade.
But what about the Scramble. The event that helped put Bicester Heritage on the map. Is it doing enough to entice this generation’s, and the next generation’s youth?
On my way out I bump into 19-year old Jay Eaton. He’s here with similarly young friends. He tells me he found this place via social media and YouTube and he finds it more relaxing with more variation than Goodwood’s Festival of Speed. He said he’s coming back again. And I suspect he won’t be the only one.