More than 5,500 people turned out this past weekend for the final Sunday Scramble of 2018 at Bicester Heritage, the former Royal Air Force base turned into a classic car and aircraft center/museum in England.
Vehicles displayed at the event ranged from a pre-war Rolls-Royce Phantom I that was driven to the show to the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
A special display was staged by the Dick Lovett Cylinder Club, which took over Hanger 113, where the movie Darkest Hour was filmed, and showcased more than 100 modern classics and supercars. The Mercedes AMG Formula One racing team provided the 2015 Austin Spec F1 car driven by Lewis Hamilton to seven victories, six poles and 11 podium finishes.
Vintage bicycles also were featured and various powered and glider aircraft provided a show above the car show.
The Sunday Scramble schedule for 2019 launches on January 6.
Donington’s F1 museum to close
British media are quoting Kevin Wheatcroft, son of the founder of the Formula One car museum at Donington, saying the Donington Collection museum will close on November 5 after 45 years in operation. The museum reportedly has the world’s largest collection of grand prix racing cars.
The museum opened in 1973 to house the collection of the late Frederick “Tom” Wheatcroft, who bought his first grand prix car, a 13-year-old Ferrari, in 1964. Wheatcroft bought the famed British racing circuit in 1971.
The fate of the vehicles in the collection has not been revealed.
It’s Motorcycle Month at Kansas City museum
October is Motorcycle Month at the Kansas City Auto Museum in Olathe, Kansas, where more than two dozen motorcycles are on display, ranging from an 1897 De Dion Bouton motorized tricycle to a 2004 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Bagger. Also featured are a 1912 Excelsior and 1913 Sears, as well as a 1912 Indian board-track racer.
In addition to the motorcycles, the museum is participating in Project Warmth during October and offers free admission to visitors donating a coat, hat, gloves or blanket for those in need.
Special events this weekend
The Beaulieu museum in England continues its annual Autumn Lecture Series on October 12 with Steve Waddingham, historian at Aston Martin Lagonda, talking about “Aston Martin: A History.”
The Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine hosts a Cars & Coffee featuring “early Fords” on October 13 from 9 a.m. until noon and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. joins with the Wendell Gilly Museum for a class on carving hood ornaments in the style of Rene Lalique’s Faucon (falcon).
It’s “Hoods Up” weekend at the Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island, with engines exposed on many of the museum’s cars.
The Simeone Foundation Auto Museum in Philadelphia celebrates Enzo Ferrari on October 13, Italian Heritage Day, with a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza, 1925 Alfa Romeo RL Super Sport, 1954 Ferrari 375 MM and 1958 Ferrari 250 TR taking part in Demo Day at 11 a.m. Then, at 2 p.m., the museum offers an in-depth conversation and book signing at 2 p.m. on October 13 with Luca Dal Monte, author of Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics and the Making of an Automotive Empire.
It’s “Cars, Barns and Blues!” on October 13 at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, with a big cruise-in and live Chicago blues music from Big Dog Mercer. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (note: the museum buildings close at 5 p.m., so if you want to see what’s inside, arrive earlier).
The Kansas City Auto Museum is participating in the Lake Garnett Grand Prix Revival vintage races Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Garnett, Kansas.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, hosts a book signing October 13 featuring True Tales from Burbank, by Wesley Clark and Michael McDaniel.
The Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California, celebrates its 30th anniversary with a gala scheduled for October 14. In addition to dinner and silent and live auctions, the evening will feature music by Franc d’Ambrosio of Phantom of the Opera fame.
Mark your calendar
The Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, will host Matt Anderson, curator of transportation at The Henry Ford museum, at 1:30 p.m. on October 17 for his presentation on “Ford’s Icons: The Model T and the Mustang.”
The Great Fall Auction will be held October 21 at the Owls Head Transportation Museum in Maine.
The Simeone Foundation Auto Museum in Philadelphia offers the world premiere of Maserati: A Hundred Years Against All Odds, the first comprehensive film about the marque and its history, to be shown at 7 p.m. on October 23. The event includes a conversation and discussion featuring producer Philip Selkirk and director Luca Dal Monte, a former Maserati director of marketing and public relations.
The Simeone Foundation Auto Museum in Philadelphia plans “An Evening with Hurley Haywood” featuring the sports car racer on October 26.
From October 27 to November 4, the British Motor Museum invites children to serve as junior detectives to find the “Missing Plans” and to learn how to do secret car designs in invisible ink. The adventures begin daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. or 2 p.m.
Trunk-or-Treat events are scheduled for October 20 at LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington, for October 25 at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, and for October 28 at America On Wheels in Allentown, Pennsylvania (1 p.m. to 3 p.m.). The Gilmore’s event runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and takes place inside the museum as well as outside, where vintage truck rides will be offered.
The Newport Car Museum in Rhode Island hosts a German Car Day show October 27 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The British Motor Museum hosts the “Large Model Aircraft Show” on October 28 with more than 100 large static radio-controlled aircraft on display.
On October 31, the Simeone Foundation Auto Museum in Philadelphia presents its 11th Spirit of Competition award to Roger Penske on an evening that will feature Amelia Island concours founder Bill Warner as master of ceremonies.
The LeMay Collections at Marymount in Tacoma, Washington, hosts a Sock Hop on November 3 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Autobooks-Aerobooks in Burbank, California, features Matt Stone and Ed “Isky” Iskenderian from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on November 3, signing of their book, Hot Rod Empire, the story of Bob Petersen and Hot Rod magazine.
The 11th annual “Vets’n Vettes” event runs November 8-10 at the National Corvette Museum and its NCM Motorsports Park. The program includes laps around the track, road tours and participation in the Bowling Green (Kentucky) Veterans Day Parade. Registration closes October 23.
The AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, hosts a Corvette Racing Weekend on November 9-10 with driving events, a dinner featuring racers Doug Fehan and Tommy Milner and Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter, and other activities.
“Tuners@ACM” is the title of a new exhibit opening November 10 at LeMay – America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. The exhibit opens with an “art-in-motion” event from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. on November 10.
The annual library sale at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, is scheduled from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on November 23 and from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on November 24.
America On Wheels’ 11th annual Moonlight Memories gala in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is scheduled for December 1 from 6 until 10 p.m.
Does your local car museum have special events or exhibitions planned? Let us know. Email [email protected].
