Have you heard of the event? Well, it is the biggest gathering of old, not so old, new and very new race cars. It is a weekend of automotive adrenalin fun from the 26th to the 28th of July 2019.
This year’s record-smashing Silverstone Classic features its widest-ever spectrum of retro races, everything from celebrated Bentleys of the 1920s right up to dazzling Aston Martins from the 21st century plus historic F1, E-types and anniversary showdowns for Minis and Ford Capris.
One of the weekend’s highlights will be the Mini Celebration Trophy presented by Adrian Flux, a pair of races featuring what is anticipated to be the largest number of Minis which will be 50-plus cars, all pre-1966 models ever to appear on a single grid. The 60th anniversary of the extraordinary Mini Minor will be celebrated with two record breaking races at this Silverstone Classic (26-28 July).
Sir John Whitmore won the British Saloon Car Championship at the wheel of a Mini in 1961 which was the first of three such accolades for the car before the decade was through. In 1974-75, Richard Longman secured back-to-back BSCC titles in a Mini 1275GT with the squarer ‘Clubman’ snout edited highlights from a competition career that also embraces three outright Monte Carlo Rally victories.
In 1967, Paddy Hopkirk and Ron Crellin took their Mini Cooper S to victory on Greece’s ultra-tough Acropolis Rally. The legendary ‘Smoking’ John Rhodes in action at Oulton Park in 1965
In 1966, a fresh concept was introduced to British motor racing – a championship for identical, lightly tuned Mini Sevens and more than half a century later it is still going strong.
And in October 1961, there was a famous saloon car battle at Brands Hatch as a gang of Minis fought to usurp a much more powerful (but less agile) Sunbeam Rapier and a few of them succeeded, one in the hands of Steve McQueen.
What’s happening at the Classic
- Non-stop spectacular historic motor racing on the world famous circuit with qualifying for all grids on Friday and racing all day on Saturday and Sunday
- Free access to the paddocks and grandstands
- Displays from over 100 car clubs featuring more than 10,000 classic cars
- Interactive driving activities and dynamic demonstrations
- Live music concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings
- Vintage funfair rides
- Shopping Village
