Silverstone Classic 2022 Review
Tim Dunlop takes us on a guided tour of the Silverstone Classic show, choc full of mouth-watering modern classics
By Tim Dunlop
Photography by Tim Dunlop
series of events contributed to my trip to the 2022 Silverstone classic not really going according to plan. Firstly, my media accreditation was quite slow in coming through. This meant to make sure I could attend knowing how popular the event is I bought a set of tickets for the full weekend, only for the media accreditation to drop in my inbox a few days later.
Secondly, a fellow rush contributor changed the date of their house move to the same weekend as the classic. Not normally an issue you would think, however being the dutiful father, I gladly obliged. I did spend the time we were humping boxes up and downstairs over the weekend telling him how very inconsiderate he was though.
So left with one option, that being only able to attend on the Friday the first day of the event I downloaded a copy of the timetable, map and entry list and tried to work out how to fit working my way round seeing the hundreds of clubs, thousands of cars, loads of on track action and a classic car auction into just a few hours. The Friday morning came around, up at the crack of dawn I grabbed the keys to the daily driver (Audi Q4 eTron, I know not very RUSH) turned on the car only to find out the home charger hadn’t done its job and I wasn’t left with enough battery range to get to the circuit and back given it’s a 200 mile round trip. Given motor racing circuits are not renowned for their banks of electric car charging points it meant plan B was needed.
Plan B as it happened worked out quite well. You see I had always planned to head to the circuit on the Friday in the Audi, get all the photos I wanted on track etc thanks to my accreditation and then head back on the Saturday in the Abarth Biposto, park this up as part of the owners club display and then walk around the many other club displays grabbing some photos of anything interesting and quirky, talking to the owners and generally taking in the atmosphere for the basis of a RUSH article.
Having this plan meant I had a display pass for the Abarth and could park this with the owners club rather than leaving it in the depressing media car park outside the track. So a quick print out of the relevant passes, move all the camera gear to the Abarth and off we headed.
RUSH 005 will see me share more about the recent happenings with the Abarth but lets just say after a few pretty uneventful months the car has more than made up for it as my credit card statement will prove. Hence the reason it was not my first choice for making the long motorway drive down to Silverstone.
Arriving at the circuit, media sign on completed and time to head to the extensive car club display area, not before a quick drive around the VIP car park though. It was quite early so not that much of interest apart from a Polestar 1 (I do like these), an Aston Martin DB4 and a lovely Renault Sport Spider finished in all over silver rather than the typical two tone.
I have been attending this event for a fair number of years now and it has continued to grow year on year with more cars, an increase in spectators and more attractions for families to keep everyone enthused. The move this year from the previous traditional date to the new date of the late August Bank holiday did not seem to work for everyone, there was also a redesign and repositioning of some of the main areas which lead to the 2022 event seeming to be noticeably quieter.
series of events contributed to my trip to the 2022 Silverstone classic not really going according to plan. Firstly, my media accreditation was quite slow in coming through. This meant to make sure I could attend knowing how popular the event is I bought a set of tickets for the full weekend, only for the media accreditation to drop in my inbox a few days later.
Secondly, a fellow rush contributor changed the date of their house move to the same weekend as the classic. Not normally an issue you would think, however being the dutiful father, I gladly obliged. I did spend the time we were humping boxes up and downstairs over the weekend telling him how very inconsiderate he was though.
So left with one option, that being only able to attend on the Friday the first day of the event I downloaded a copy of the timetable, map and entry list and tried to work out how to fit working my way round seeing the hundreds of clubs, thousands of cars, loads of on track action and a classic car auction into just a few hours. The Friday morning came around, up at the crack of dawn I grabbed the keys to the daily driver (Audi Q4 eTron, I know not very RUSH) turned on the car only to find out the home charger hadn’t done its job and I wasn’t left with enough battery range to get to the circuit and back given it’s a 200 mile round trip. Given motor racing circuits are not renowned for their banks of electric car charging points it meant plan B was needed.
Plan B as it happened worked out quite well. You see I had always planned to head to the circuit on the Friday in the Audi, get all the photos I wanted on track etc thanks to my accreditation and then head back on the Saturday in the Abarth Biposto, park this up as part of the owners club display and then walk around the many other club displays grabbing some photos of anything interesting and quirky, talking to the owners and generally taking in the atmosphere for the basis of a RUSH article.
Having this plan meant I had a display pass for the Abarth and could park this with the owners club rather than leaving it in the depressing media car park outside the track. So a quick print out of the relevant passes, move all the camera gear to the Abarth and off we headed.
RUSH 005 will see me share more about the recent happenings with the Abarth but lets just say after a few pretty uneventful months the car has more than made up for it as my credit card statement will prove. Hence the reason it was not my first choice for making the long motorway drive down to Silverstone.
Arriving at the circuit, media sign on completed and time to head to the extensive car club display area, not before a quick drive around the VIP car park though. It was quite early so not that much of interest apart from a Polestar 1 (I do like these), an Aston Martin DB4 and a lovely Renault Sport Spider finished in all over silver rather than the typical two tone.
I have been attending this event for a fair number of years now and it has continued to grow year on year with more cars, an increase in spectators and more attractions for families to keep everyone enthused. The move this year from the previous traditional date to the new date of the late August Bank holiday did not seem to work for everyone, there was also a redesign and repositioning of some of the main areas which lead to the 2022 event seeming to be noticeably quieter.
A
Car Clubs are probably the biggest feature of the Classic with each year's event seeing many of the clubs celebrating significant anniversaries, the 2022 event saw over 125 original and imitation AC Cobra’s on display and on track for a special parade to celebrate 60 years of this truly iconic car. There were also 60th birthday celebrations for the MGB, and Lotus Elan, plus a commemoration of 50 years of BMW M’s division along with many more across the 3 days of the event.
Away from the infield the on track action at the event is more or less non stop from early morning into the darkness of the evening, and no one could accuse the organisers of not offering something for everyone. I had marked a few things on the time table I wanted to see and photograph so headed trackside (thanks to my media vest), set the camera up and waited patiently for the green flag to be shown. Up first was the MRL Pre War Sportscars BRDC 500 for cars built before 1941. I am going through a bit of a classics phase at the moment as I do think there is something very special about watching these cars, some of them approaching 100 years old thundering round the track piloted by drivers who spend the whole lap see-sawing the huge steering wheels while trying to keep the car on the tarmac, all the time in cars with no seat belts. Racing for when men were men!
Once the vintage cars had completed their session it was only a short wait until the second on track offering I wanted to catch was assembling in the pit lane. This time it was some more modern machinery in one of the weekend's most popular races, the Tony Dron Memorial Trophy For MRL Historic Touring Cars. This amazing grid of 58 cars is literally the stuff of dreams with many of the most iconic touring cars being reunited. Seven Sierra RS500’s would battle it out with five BMW E30 M3’s and three R32 Skyline GTR’s whilst holding off various RS Capri’s, a Vauxhall Cavalier, and an eclectic mix of other cars with everything from a Mini Cooper to a BMW CSL Batmobile.
Given the limited time I had at the circuit the final on track action for me would be the Masters Endurance Legends. Since the decision by the European Le Mans Series and World Endurance Championships not to have a round in the UK the opportunity to see modern prototype racing is very limited. This means when I can I always make the effort to catch the Endurance Legends. Seeing a early 2010’s Peugeot 908 HDi or Aston Martin DBR1-2 race alongside Dodge Vipers, Moslers and Ferrari’s brings back fond memories of when I worked as a photographer at the LMS/WEC rounds at Silverstone 8-10 years ago. Amazing times when Peugeot, Audi, Toyota and Porsche would fight it out for the prestigious trophy as a run up to the great race at La Sarthe a few weeks later.
Away from the track and time to pick out some highlights from the various club displays. Jaguar clubs were occupying their usual infield spot on the banking at Copse corner. This year saw the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust bring a selection of cars along from their base at Gaydon and also a nice display of racing big cats including the one off X Type SCV8 which sat alongside the TWR 9R (the prototype that led to the production XJR15). One of the highlights for me was seeing the Jaguar XK120 of Philip and Yvonne Haslam, a car I had been reading about recently in another publication.
The car looked great and fresh as a daisy complete with the commemorative stickers of all the rallies this car has competed in from the Trans-America rally in 2012 via Japan in 2017 for the Samurai Challenge to Nepal and Tibet in 2019. Leaving the Jaguar display and heading over to the area alongside the Wellington straight for a brief chat with one of the directors of the Alfa Romeo owners club who had come along in his friend's immaculate Alfa Sud, which almost got my full attention until I spotted the SZ parked just a few cars away. As a huge fan of the Italian coachbuilder Zagato it's always great to see one of these cars, and I know they are a real marmite car but for me a car that would definitely make it into the dream car lottery win garage for sure.
Walking over from the infield to the heritage pits took me through the display by the RS Owners Club, aside from the various Sierra and Escort Cosworths there were three cars that caught my eye. First up a very pretty Mk1 Escort Mexico. There is a common theme with many Mk1’s that see’s owners change the wheels to mini lite style, add some stripes and a huge set of spotlights so it was refreshing to see this one still in its original colour scheme with chrome hubcaps and looking quite understated. Next up the only car that I have driven that actually scared me, rewind to the early 2000’s and my spell as a car salesman. One of the cars we had in stock was a Fiesta RS Turbo, and it might surprise you to know that it was this small hatchback that put the fear of God into me. Seeing two parked in the paddock sent shivers down my spine. I really must face my fear at some point.
I reached the assembly area at the back of the pits just in time to see the TVR Car Club getting their members and their cars lined up for their parade laps. I grabbed a quick video on my phone of the 50 odd cars and pinged it over to the RUSH writers WhatsApp group as I think as a collective we all have a soft spot for various members of the TVR family. Personally the bright red Sagaris was the one for me, although Griffiths do look amazing value at the moment (yes I’ve been browsing the classifieds again).
Car Clubs are probably the biggest feature of the Classic with each year's event seeing many of the clubs celebrating significant anniversaries, the 2022 event saw over 125 original and imitation AC Cobra’s on display and on track for a special parade to celebrate 60 years of this truly iconic car. There were also 60th birthday celebrations for the MGB, and Lotus Elan, plus a commemoration of 50 years of BMW M’s division along with many more across the 3 days of the event.
Away from the infield the on track action at the event is more or less non stop from early morning into the darkness of the evening, and no one could accuse the organisers of not offering something for everyone. I had marked a few things on the time table I wanted to see and photograph so headed trackside (thanks to my media vest), set the camera up and waited patiently for the green flag to be shown. Up first was the MRL Pre War Sportscars BRDC 500 for cars built before 1941. I am going through a bit of a classics phase at the moment as I do think there is something very special about watching these cars, some of them approaching 100 years old thundering round the track piloted by drivers who spend the whole lap see-sawing the huge steering wheels while trying to keep the car on the tarmac, all the time in cars with no seat belts. Racing for when men were men!
Once the vintage cars had completed their session it was only a short wait until the second on track offering I wanted to catch was assembling in the pit lane. This time it was some more modern machinery in one of the weekend's most popular races, the Tony Dron Memorial Trophy For MRL Historic Touring Cars. This amazing grid of 58 cars is literally the stuff of dreams with many of the most iconic touring cars being reunited. Seven Sierra RS500’s would battle it out with five BMW E30 M3’s and three R32 Skyline GTR’s whilst holding off various RS Capri’s, a Vauxhall Cavalier, and an eclectic mix of other cars with everything from a Mini Cooper to a BMW CSL Batmobile.
Given the limited time I had at the circuit the final on track action for me would be the Masters Endurance Legends. Since the decision by the European Le Mans Series and World Endurance Championships not to have a round in the UK the opportunity to see modern prototype racing is very limited. This means when I can I always make the effort to catch the Endurance Legends. Seeing a early 2010’s Peugeot 908 HDi or Aston Martin DBR1-2 race alongside Dodge Vipers, Moslers and Ferrari’s brings back fond memories of when I worked as a photographer at the LMS/WEC rounds at Silverstone 8-10 years ago. Amazing times when Peugeot, Audi, Toyota and Porsche would fight it out for the prestigious trophy as a run up to the great race at La Sarthe a few weeks later.
Away from the track and time to pick out some highlights from the various club displays. Jaguar clubs were occupying their usual infield spot on the banking at Copse corner. This year saw the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust bring a selection of cars along from their base at Gaydon and also a nice display of racing big cats including the one off X Type SCV8 which sat alongside the TWR 9R (the prototype that led to the production XJR15). One of the highlights for me was seeing the Jaguar XK120 of Philip and Yvonne Haslam, a car I had been reading about recently in another publication.
The car looked great and fresh as a daisy complete with the commemorative stickers of all the rallies this car has competed in from the Trans-America rally in 2012 via Japan in 2017 for the Samurai Challenge to Nepal and Tibet in 2019. Leaving the Jaguar display and heading over to the area alongside the Wellington straight for a brief chat with one of the directors of the Alfa Romeo owners club who had come along in his friend's immaculate Alfa Sud, which almost got my full attention until I spotted the SZ parked just a few cars away. As a huge fan of the Italian coachbuilder Zagato it's always great to see one of these cars, and I know they are a real marmite car but for me a car that would definitely make it into the dream car lottery win garage for sure.
Walking over from the infield to the heritage pits took me through the display by the RS Owners Club, aside from the various Sierra and Escort Cosworths there were three cars that caught my eye. First up a very pretty Mk1 Escort Mexico. There is a common theme with many Mk1’s that see’s owners change the wheels to mini lite style, add some stripes and a huge set of spotlights so it was refreshing to see this one still in its original colour scheme with chrome hubcaps and looking quite understated. Next up the only car that I have driven that actually scared me, rewind to the early 2000’s and my spell as a car salesman. One of the cars we had in stock was a Fiesta RS Turbo, and it might surprise you to know that it was this small hatchback that put the fear of God into me. Seeing two parked in the paddock sent shivers down my spine. I really must face my fear at some point.
I reached the assembly area at the back of the pits just in time to see the TVR Car Club getting their members and their cars lined up for their parade laps. I grabbed a quick video on my phone of the 50 odd cars and pinged it over to the RUSH writers WhatsApp group as I think as a collective we all have a soft spot for various members of the TVR family. Personally the bright red Sagaris was the one for me, although Griffiths do look amazing value at the moment (yes I’ve been browsing the classifieds again).
