Bicester Scramble
I managed to bag a free ticket to the Scramble at Bicester Motion in Oxford today through the Auto Art Collective. Of course, I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to attend one of these Scrambles that so many people have spoken to me about. I was out the door at 6:45 a.m. with an estimated time of arrival of 9 a.m. I went up in the ST, as I was just parking in the car park and not displaying.
Once parked, I found the nearest coffee stall and began my journey around the site. Below are the photos that I took along the way.
As you will probably see, there were some incredible cars on display. I really like the concept of having the cars dotted around the ex-RAF base. The architecture, along with the beautiful autumn weather, really complemented the show. I am not surprised that so many people rave about this car meet. I do a lot of them, but this was on a whole new scale, to be honest.
Controversial opinion, but I quite liked the look of the Polestar 5. My only critique was how dark it was in the back, as there is no rear window.
If you know me, you will know that I can literally spark up a conversation with anyone. Today was no different. I spoke to the owner of a 1973 orange MGB GT who was part of the official owners club. We talked about the future of the MG brand and the possibility of them taking a leaf out of Renault’s book if they were to bring any new models out. We discussed cars old and new, and it was really nice to hear about the vehicles they had on display.
Not long after, I got chatting to two really nice guys who were behind me in the coffee queue. Of course, any chance to mention Ellie, my Escort, and that it is my company car. Gotta promote at every opportunity, haha. I was using my walking stick today, so I told them I had MS. It was a surprisingly deep but encouraging conversation about the future as my disease progresses, and how I worry that it will eventually take away my ability to drive my old cars. I think that my ability to meet all the people I do on my journeys is a blessing, though. I came away from that conversation feeling optimistic.
Towards the end of my visit, I actually met the man who gave me the free ticket. I didn’t realize it was him initially, but I was drawn to an artist working with some of his creations in front of him, amongst the epic cars on either side.
Meet Joel Clark, founder of Speed Icons, which is his independent auto art business. Using hand-cut vinyl, he creates these amazing pieces that are visually stunning. I tried to get a decent close-up of the door so you could see the texture, but my photos really do not do it justice. I love the idea of adding artwork to body parts of cars. The one he was working on at the meet was a bonnet that he got from a person I actually watch on YouTube (Number27).
The amount of skill and time that he puts into his art really shows. I really enjoyed meeting him today and am obviously very grateful for the free ticket.
In the afternoon, I sat for a bit and watched the live band, who were really good. As I made my way back to my car, I noticed a crowd next to it—not looking at my car, but at the Ferrari next to it, haha. On my drive back, I was quite pleased with my 23.2 mpg average. Well, that was until I had a little fun with a bright red Porsche GT3 and a John Cooper Works Mini. I forget how fast that car can go sometimes.
So, in a nutshell, I want to go to the next Scramble on 11.01.2026. It’s well laid out, has a lot to see, and obviously attracts some great auto artists.
