VINTAGE motor fans and film buffs descended on a former RAF base for one of the first major events in the county since coronavirus.

Safety was still the priority at the Classic Car Drive-In Weekend, which took place within the grounds of Bicester Heritage from Friday to Sunday.

Visitors to the outdoor event could see more than 500 classic cars on display from 25 of the UK’s leading car clubs, with a live auction, vintage car parades and track demonstrations all taking place across the three days.

Movie lovers could also drive in, park up and choose from a selection of films at two special outdoor cinemas dedicated to all things motoring.

Oxford Mail:

Films on offer included cult classic The Italian Job, Days of Thunder, biopics of racing legends Ayrton Senna and James Hunt in Senna and Rush, plus power-fuelled blockbusters Baby Driver, Le Mans 66, Gone in 60 Seconds and Fast & Furious 7.

Oxford Mail:

Speaking ahead of the event, show director Bas Bungish said: “Drive in cinemas have become the somewhat unexpected saviours during these strange times and there could be no better way to bring car lovers back together than by the creation of an unmissable Classic Car Drive In Weekend.”

Oxford Mail:

Sound was provided either via either a dedicated FM radio channel or pre-sanitised speakers, with covid-compliant food, drink and toilets also provided.

Visitor numbers were also restricted to a maximum of 10,000 across the whole weekend to guarantee social distancing.

Oxford Mail:

Following a recent spike in new virus cases the Government has reduced social gatherings to six but venues following Covid-19 secure guidelines are able to continue to host more people in total as long as groups do not mix.

Mr Bungish said: “After what’s been such a long, hard summer we just wanted to put the smiles back on people’s faces and, with the help of the wonderful autumn sunshine, I think we achieved that.

Oxford Mail:

"It was great to see some wonderful cars back in action as well as on show; also to help the industry to get back on its feet.

Bicester Heritage is such a wonderful venue for so many reasons – not least that it allowed us to successfully run a social distanced show in these troubled times.”