Tickets are now live for Bicester Heritage’s first Scramble event of 2022 on the 16th of January, with the release of 5000 tickets for historic motoring enthusiasts.
From 9am until 2pm, attendees will be able to take a glimpse behind the doors of the 45 industry-leading Specialists, experiencing a range of showrooms and workshops that the Bicester Heritage hub for historic motoring enterprise is renowned for.
The best-preserved WW2 RAF Bomber Station in the country is normally accessible by appointment only, with the Scramble event promising hands-on access to the world of heritage motoring. Guests will also be able to enjoy refreshments from on-site beverage producers Wriggly Monkey Brewery and Sky Wave Gin and experience the world of vintage aviation on the site’s active grass airfield.
2022 will be the eighth year of the Scramble events, attracting tens of thousands of automotive enthusiasts from around the world and celebrates the ongoing partnership with classic vehicle insurer Hagerty.
The recently-launched Bicester Heritage Scramblers membership club will also be present onsite, promising a range of curated delights for attendees who have had enough festive cheer.
Scramblers and the Scramble events exist to celebrate the historic motoring sector and the magic in the driving and preservation of classic cars, while making these experiences accessible for future generations.
Dan Geoghegan, CEO, Bicester Heritage adds: ““We are looking forward to starting 2022 in spectacular fashion as we open up our Heritage Quarter for the first event of the year. Our Scramble events always promise a day out that the entire family will enjoy.”
Bicester Heritage: Bicester Heritage has created a revolution in historic vehicle ownership. Founded in 2013 Bicester Heritage has gone from a standing start to a home for 45 specialist businesses, and growing, with a collective turnover of over £50m, making it the largest player in the industry and set to grow exponentially with a global reach.
The unique ecosystem of businesses based at the beautiful 444-acre former WW2 RAF Bomber Training Station acts as ‘marina-like’ cluster, promoting skills and expertise, employment, qualified customer footfall, shared business incubation and aggregate growth. The site is all about driving the future of the past.
The former RAF Bicester site on which Bicester Heritage is now based, is of national historic importance. Neglected for the best part of 40 years, it was added to Historic England’s ‘At Risk Register’ in 2008 and designated the most ‘at risk’ of all Defence Estates in the UK.
Since Bicester Heritage’s tenure, over 95% of the buildings have been delicately restored or re-activated for modern business use, with the site now held as a national exemplar of constructive conservation by Historic England. The time-warp base is truly unmatched in evocative character and an active airfield and test track complete its dynamic operation.
Bicester Heritage is a component part of Bicester Motion, an incomparable visitor attraction which will offer an authentic collection of dynamic and inclusive visitor experiences, less than an hour from London.
Thornley Kelham has revealed the ultimate evolution of its hand-crafted Aurelia ‘Outlaw’, the lighter and more powerful ‘European CSL’ model
The three final Outlaws will be aluminium-bodied, ‘Busso’-engined European CSL variants; about 75kg lighter and 100bhp more powerful than previous commissions
Designed to ‘fast road’ specification, with a limited slip differential, completely revised front suspension, independent rear suspension, disc brakes and other upgrades
Each ‘Outlaw’ is intricately crafted from the ground up, during a 5,000-hour modification process – 800 hours are dedicated to preparation and paintwork alone
The project is inspired by Giovanni Bracco’s Mille Miglia Le Mans Aurelia B20GT, which Thornley Kelham restored and took to Pebble Beach. That car famously raced in the early ‘50s and was modified in period with a lower roofline
Thornley Kelham’s Lancia Aurelia ‘Outlaw’ programme is a coming together of years of meticulous Lancia research and expertise with a fresh set of ideas to help reinterpret one of the world’s great GT/rally cars.
Only nine will ever be built, with the first six already built or in-build, and now, Thornley Kelham has revealed all-new developments for the final three: the lighter and more powerful ‘European CSL’.
The ‘European CSL’ preserves the modernised styling and low-slung stance of previous commissions, marked out most obviously by its lowered roofline, inspired by aerodynamic modifications made by Lancia in period to perhaps the most famous Aurelia in the world. But rather than wearing a body hand-crafted from steel, it uses lightweight aluminium panels, contributing to an expected weight saving of around 75kg. The body is entirely shaped by hand during a meticulous process of creation that leaves no part of the car untouched; in total 5,000 hours are spent on the transformation from basket case Aurelia to Outlaw Aurelia European CSL.
Reconstructing, strengthening and modifying the chassis and body of each example alone is a process that takes around 2,200 hours, introducing new design features throughout. The lowered roofline and shorter front windscreen flow gracefully into a new low-slung silhouette, while the widened front and rear wings – rolled and beaten into millimetre-perfect shape – add a subtle presence. A simplified deguttered roof, nickel-plated brightwork, graceful, curving bonnet locks and a Monza-style filler cap are all Lancia-inspired but very much Thornley Kelham modifications.
Along with its new lightweight construction, the ‘European CSL’ is fitted with a ‘Busso’ 3.2-litre V6 engine, complete with fully mapped fuel injection and balanced, ported and polished cylinder heads, mated to a five-speed transaxle. All engine modifications are carried out in-house by a team that has tuned some of the most powerful engines on the historic motorsport circuit. The new engine will deliver in excess of 300bhp – a significant upgrade over both the previous iterations of the ‘Outlaw’, at around 220bhp, and the original Aurelia itself, which offered around 118bhp.
The standard ‘Outlaw’ package is well equipped to handle the additional power but, just as relentless development was at the core of Lancia’s philosophy, so too is it a part of Thornley Kelham’s. It has been designed to a ‘fast road’ specification, delivering an experience very much in the image of the Aurelia’s nimble road rally personality – albeit one more in line with the expectations of the modern performance car owner. Weighing in at a little over 1,100kg, the European CSL is incomparably light by modern standards, offering an entirely different thrill to heavy modern road cars with turbocharged engines and wide tyres. It offers a razor-sharp purity that simply can’t be recreated, even in the most driver focused road cars of today.
The final three iterations of Outlaw will not only receive the modern disc brakes, pedal box, rack and pinion steering and uprated suspension of previous commissions, but will also be fitted with a Limited Slip Differential, revised front suspension, optional power steering and fully uprated rear suspension.
As with each of the previous ‘Outlaws’, the ‘European CSL’ is centred around bespoke. The interior is completely revitalized with full Connolly leather, air-conditioning, a variety of front seat options, Alcantara headlining, a fully built-in roll cage and a wood-rimmed competition steering wheel. It can be further personalized with two-tone finishes, elegant rear stowage areas or customized dashboards – each car is commissioned and created to a customer’s exact desires.
Each Aurelia ‘Outlaw’ is designed and built to be true to its original Lancia DNA. Giovanni de Virgilio, son of Francesco de Virgilio who designed the Aurelia V6 engine, married into the Lancia family and is often regarded as the father of the Aurelia project, even said of the ‘Outlaw’: “It’s a very purposeful and realistic car that Gianni Lancia could have built for a friend.”
The whole project is inspired by a restoration undertaken by Thornley Kelham of perhaps the most famous Aurelia of all, Chassis 1010 – bought and campaigned by privateer racer Giovanni Bracco. He immediately entered his Aurelia into the 1951 Mille Miglia – virtually undeveloped. The car was a resounding success, coming second overall. It went on to show its prowess on the toughest competitive events such as Le Mans (1st in class), the Pescara 6-hour (1st), Caracalla Night Race (1st) and the 1951 Carrera Panamericana.
One of the key moments in the restoration of 1010 was the discovery of an article in ‘Auto Italiana’ magazine about the Pescara 6-hour race held in the summer of 1951. The text – and a tiny photo – confirmed that Lancia and Bracco had lowered the roof of his car in the quest for aerodynamic improvement – particularly as the 2-litre engine gave little scope for increased power.
Taking into account the extensive bodywork, interior trimming, mechanical restorations and paintwork, the Thornley Kelham team spent well over 4,000 hours and more than three years restoring the ex-Bracco Aurelia B20GT. Each Aurelia Outlaw is completed to the same exacting standards, requiring around 5,000 hours to complete, 800 of which is spent on the preparation and paintwork alone. It’s all part of Thornley Kelham’s dedication to perfection in every aspect: The Design, The Details, The Drive.
Simon Thornley, co-founder of Thornley Kelham, said: “The Aurelia ‘Outlaw’ project has now reached its ultimate evolution, with just three remaining cars to be built, each with a new set of meticulously developed upgrades. But this doesn’t mark the end of our bespoke commissions. In fact, the European CSL is the first of a new line-up of projects we have developed to launch in the coming years that will be badged as ‘The Europeans’ by Thornley Kelham. As with the Aurelia commissions, these will be built around iconic performance cars, developed with fresh designs, upgraded performance and a meticulous eye for detail.”
About Thornley Kelham Founded in 2009, Thornley Kelham Ltd is a specialist in concours restoration, maintenance, servicing, rally preparation and support of iconic vintage and classic cars. From its Cotswold headquarters, the team of 36 manage, restore and prepare examples of collector cars for global concours and motorsport events from a state-of-the-art 32,000 sq/ft facility.
With in-house bodywork, paint, engine and fabrication shops, Thornley Kelham is widely regarded for the quality of its restorations of historically significant, often unique vehicles across a variety of marques including Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Lancia, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Porsche as well as Amilcar, Bizzarrini and others.
Its prize-winning restorations are frequently shown at top-tier concours such as Pebble Beach, the ‘Royal Concours’ at Hampton Court Palace, Chantilly and Salon Privé, while a dedicated motorsport team supports clients at rally events worldwide including the Mille Miglia, Tour Auto, Targa Florio and Peking to Paris.
Thornley Kelham strives to create an enjoyable, informative and collaborative restoration process for the customer, with customer service as important as the restoration itself.
Thornley Kelham is also well known for the creation of the limited-edition, bespoke ‘Outlaw’ Lancia Aurelia B20GT project, details of which can be found at www.fuorilegge.co.uk.
New V8-powered 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 now on UK roads
Most powerful, quickest, most capable Wrangler boasts 470bhp and 470lb-ft torque
Clive Sutton announces UK pricing for highly sought-after Jeep 4×4 at £105,000
High-performance and luxury car retailer Clive Sutton has opened order books for the V8-powered, 470bhp, ultimate Jeep Wrangler – the Rubicon 392.
The most powerful, quickest, and most capable Wrangler ever produced will not be sold officially in the UK by Jeep. So, the 2021 and 2022 pipeline of models from Clive Sutton guarantees buyers exclusivity, presenting the opportunity to own a very special and rare 4×4.
With the Sutton team handling all shipping and import arrangements, plus taking care of UK homologation and registration, the final cost including import taxes and VAT is £105,000. Clive Sutton also provides total customer reassurance by offering a two-year / 30,000-mile warranty.
With 470bhp (477PS) of power and 470lb-ft (637Nm) of torque produced by the 6.4-litre V8 engine, the Wrangler is capable of 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds. In addition, as Jeep’s most capable Wrangler ever, customers venturing off-road will enjoy new levels of manoeuvrability, an 82.55cm wading depth, plus the ability to tackle extreme terrain and imposing gradients.
The 392 features an eight-speed automatic transmission along with four driver-selectable modes: 4WD High, 4WD Auto, 4WD Low, and Neutral. Enabling the 4×4 to tackle any terrain, the driver can call for extra traction and control using various modes such as Sand or Rock. In addition, the high and low ratio gearbox ensures the Wrangler performs at the top of its game whether it is crawling off-road or roaring on it!
Clive Sutton, Founder and CEO:“The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 is the perfect example of how we bring unique vehicles to UK buyers. Our customers take pride in being the first on UK roads in all range of powerful and luxurious vehicles – even when the manufacturer doesn’t export to the UK. We provide a turnkey service that handles all import requirements and provides the reassurance of a comprehensive vehicle warranty.”
Clive Sutton specialises in importing some of the most powerful and desirable vehicles from the US and across Europe, alongside its supercar sales and bespoke-build services. Buyers can browse the Sutton stock, or build a bespoke luxury vehicle by visiting CliveSutton.co.uk.
About Clive Sutton and Sutton Bespoke For more than 30 years, Clive Sutton has been at the forefront of the luxury and performance car industry. The business has three decades of experience in providing UK buyers with tuning upgrades and custom enhancements from a variety of American and European vehicle manufacturers.
As the founder of a renowned independent specialist car business in St John’s Wood, London, Clive Sutton has built an unrivalled international reputation for creating and supplying some of the most sought-after cars in the world. The company is able to source rare and prestige new and classic cars from across the globe, often to order. CliveSutton.co.uk.
Free software update expands usable range of the high-voltage battery
Available for a total of 1,655 Audi e-tron 55 quattro vehicles in the UK
Improvements deliver up to 12.4 miles of additional range
Audi global EV sales up 51 percent YoY to 52,774 units
Owners of an Audi e-tron from the 2019 or 2020 model years can now travel farther on a single charge – a new software update will extend their car’s range by up to 12.4 additional miles.
This means that Audi isn’t limiting efficiency increases to new models, but also boosting the efficiency of cars already on the road. The update is now available to UK customers and can be installed free of charge at Audi service centres.
Effective immediately, the software features behind this efficiency enhancement expand the usable capacity of the high-voltage battery. As a result, the 95 kWh battery in the Audi e-tron 55 quattro delivers more net usable power – 86 kWh capacity therefore translates into increased range. The software update for all Audi e-tron 55 quattro production vehicles built between mid-September 2018 (model year 2019) and the end of November 2019 (model year 2020) can now be installed free of charge at Audi service partners. In the UK, 1,655 e-tron vehicles are compatible with the update, which will also include a complimentary health check.
In addition to the battery capacity, the new software also optimises the control of the front electric motor. In normal driving mode, the motor attached to the rear axle is responsible for propulsion. For improved efficiency, the front electric motor is now almost completely disconnected and powered off – and only when more power is needed do both motors come into play. This makes it possible to even more effectively exploit the major advantage of the asynchronous motor concept, i.e., currentless operation without electrical drag losses.
Furthermore, the update also improves cooling. The highly flexible thermal management system, which consists of four separate circuits, regulates the temperature of the high-voltage components even more efficiently. Modifying the control system made it possible to reduce the volume flow rates in the coolant circuit, thus reducing energy consumption. The cooling system is the basis for fast DC charging, long battery life, and consistent driving performance, even under high loads.
Excellent suitability for everyday use, excellent sales figures The first fully electric Audi has been manufactured at our net-zero carbon-neutral site in Brussels since the end of 2018. By this spring, the e-tron had already surpassed 100,000 units sold. In Norway, the model was even the best-selling car across all drive types last year.
Significant growth in deliveries of all-electric Audi models justify the company’s clear move towards e-mobility: by the end of September, Audi had supplied 52,774 all-electric vehicles to customers globally, and therefore achieved an increase of 51.4 percent compared to the same period in the previous year (2020: 34,850). As early as 2026, new models launched to the market by Audi will be all-electric exclusively. In 2033 production of the last models with internal combustion engines will cease.
“At Audi, we deliver progress through technology – and there’s no clearer demonstration of that than the free software and range update we’ve just launched for our existing e-tron 55 quattro customers,” commented Andrew Doyle Director Audi UK. “As we shift our focus to the world of electric vehicles, we’re channelling our pioneering spirit and world-renowned technological expertise into the reinvention of our company as a leading light in the field of sustainable mobility.
“As one of the automotive industry’s first signatories of the Paris Climate Agreement, Audi is taking a holistic and uncompromising approach to meeting its environmental obligations. We have set ourselves ambitious sustainability targets that include the attainment of a 30 per cent reduction in vehicle-specific CO2 emissions throughout the product lifecycle by 2025, operation of all Audi production sites with net zero carbon emissions by that same deadline, and full company-wide carbon neutrality on balance by no later than 2050.”
Beaulieu is looking forward to an exciting new year of events as it announces its 2022 calendar*, with a packed line-up of successful shows returning for the new season.
Eagerly anticipated is the return of Spring Autojumble on 14th – 15th May, following a two-year break. Motor enthusiasts will be itching to buy and sell treasured spare parts, automobilia, retro memorabilia and complete cars, with hundreds of stands and vibrant car club displays as part of the big weekend. Following in its tyre-tracks on 10th – 11th September will be the much-loved International Autojumble.
Incredible hot rods, custom cars and bikes, and classic vehicles from America, will all be the stars of the Hot Rod & Custom Show on 19th June, with music and retro fashions at the heart of this colourful show. While the high octane thrills will continue with the Beaulieu Supercar Weekend on 6th – 7th August, with exciting demonstrations of jaw-dropping supercars that all the family will love.
A big hit with gardeners when it was launched in 2021, BBC Gardener’s World Spring Fair will be transforming the Beaulieu event fields into a green-fingered paradise as it returns from 29th April to 1st May. The show will be packed with even more to treat gardeners, including flower displays and plants to buy, inspirational Beautiful Borders and gardening supplies for sale, to the BBC Good Food Market, street food, musical entertainment and more.
No less than 16 Simply rallies are scheduled to take place throughout 2022, with favourites including Simply Aston Martin on 3rd April, Simply Porsche on 5th June and Simply Japanese on 24th July, being joined by brand new rally Simply Italian on 24th April.
Beaulieu Events Manager Charlotte Mountain said: “As we look forward to a brand new year of Beaulieu events, it is exciting to be able to announce such a packed calendar, with the return of so many much-loved events. As well as a number of favourites, it is great to be welcoming new rally Simply Italian to the calendar.
“After the disruptions to the beginning of the 2021 events season, we’re hoping that 2022 will be a year to remember for great events and days out at Beaulieu. Make sure to get these dates in your diary!”
For the full line-up of events please see below.
* Although we will strive to deliver this calendar of events, these provisional dates may be subject to change – for the latest details see www.beaulieu.co.uk/events.
Date
Event
Content
Sunday 3rd April
Simply Aston Martin
Getting the events season off to a great start, Simply Aston Martin will be a season highlight for every Aston Martin fan
Sunday 10th April
Simply Audi
Returning for its fifth year, an impressive display for this popular German marque
Sunday 24th April
Simply Italian
Brand new for 2022, this rally will bring together all manner of lively Italian motors with a great display
Friday 29th April – Sunday 1st May
BBC Gardener’s World Spring Fair
A great green-fingered day out, with displays, plants for sale, expert gardening advice, BBC Good Food Market and entertainment
Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th May
Spring Autojumble
Returning for 2022, this buying and selling bonanza will feature car displays and stands packed with automotive bargains
Sunday 15th May
Land Rover Rummage
A trading corner of Spring Autojumble, devoted to spare parts and accessories for Britain’s favourite 4X4
Sunday 22nd May
Simply Ford
Always a highlight for enthusiasts’ groups, every model of Ford is welcome to join this well-established favourite
Sunday 29th May
Simply Electric
Sparking into life for its second year, Simply Electric invites all electric cars to park up in the grounds of the National Motor Museum
Sunday 5th June
Simply Porsche
Welcoming all Porsche owners and enthusiasts for a busy Porsche-themed day out
Sunday 12th June
National Mini Day
Join the Mini Cooper Register in celebrating all Minis, old and new, with a jam-packed event
Saturday 18th June
Simply VW
Vee Dubs of every type are invited to join in, for a great day out that Volkswagen fans will love
Sunday 19th June
Hot Rod & Custom Show
A glorious retro celebration of colourful hot rods, classic American and custom cars and bikes
Sunday 26th June
Simply Jaguar
This impressive display will be open to all classic and modern Jaguars
Sunday 3rd July
National Austin Seven Rally
Join the Pre-War Austin Seven Club as it celebrates 100 years of one of the world’s best-loved people’s cars
Sunday 10th July
Simply Land Rover
A must for 4X4 fans, Land Rovers of every age will take over the Beaulieu parkland
Saturday 16th July
Simply Vauxhall
Love your Vauxhalls? Then don’t miss Simply Vauxhall, with all examples invited to take part
Sunday 17th July
Simply French
Bringing Gallic flair to Beaulieu, every French classic car is welcome
Sunday 24th July
Simply Japanese
From city runabouts to sports cars, Japanese cars of every variety will join the rally
Saturday 6th – Sunday 7th August
Beaulieu Supercar Weekend
Many of the world’s most exciting supercars will be the stars of this two-day show
Sunday 14th August
VW T Chill
Beaulieu hosts this family-friendly VW camping event, back by popular demand
Sunday 14th August
Graham Walker Run
An annual get-together of veteran and vintage motorcycles, in tribute to the late Graham Walker
Sunday 21st August
Simply Mercedes
The fourth Simply Mercedes will bring together impressive cars built by the prestige German manufacturer
Saturday 10th – Sunday 11th September
International Autojumble
Beaulieu’s most famous event and the largest autojumble this side of the Atlantic
Sunday 18th September
Simply BMW
Big or small, every BMW from the marque’s distinguished past is invited to take part
Sunday 25th September
Simply British Classics
Returning for its third year, Simply British Classics welcomes all pre-2000 British classic cars
Remembrance Sunday 13th November
Simply Smart
The final Simply rally of 2022 will be a colourful display of some of the smallest and cheekiest cars on the road
Tickets will go on sale in January 2022 at www.beaulieu.co.uk/events. Sign up to our event newsletter or our social media pages to be one of the first to know.
Visitor and participant tickets include entrance to all that Beaulieu has to offer, including the National Motor Museum and Bond in Motion –No Time To Die, Little Beaulieu, World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, the ancestral Montagu home Palace House, Secret Army exhibition, 13th century Beaulieu Abbey and the stunning grounds and gardens. Visit www.beaulieu.co.uk for more information.
Beaulieu is also ideal for car clubs looking to hold their own rally, taking the hassle out of hosting an event with excellent facilities and all-inclusive access to the whole of the attraction. For more information see www.beaulieu.co.uk/events/hold-your-rally-at-beaulieu or to discuss your club’s requirements with a member of the Beaulieu Events team email events@beaulieu.co.uk.
