13th December 2024

Part of the fun in owning a classic is to take it to events near or far, displaying your vehicle and appreciating others. There are a huge number of events on the calendar, from small classic car displays on the village green, to international-level shows in exhibition centres, and the tricky part can be deciding which you’re going to grace with your presence. Here are some of Footman James’ favourites for the coming year; maybe see you there.

Coffee & Chrome Collective

Footman James’ Coffee & Chrome Collective events restart at Chateau Impney on ***, kicking off the new calendar for our popular series of meets. As always, these relaxed affairs will feature a huge variety of vehicles on display, from cars and motorcycles, to vans and trucks, and of course, plenty of coffee available. They have become a key part of the classic calendar, and for that we are very grateful to those who come along – why not join us at one of the dates throughout the year?

Classic Motorsport Events 2025

A large part of the classic calendar revolves around motorsport. Sometimes it blends in with road-going models, other times exclusively for track-based classics, but regardless of the specific event, there are often at least some racing machines present. And the UK has a phenomenal selection of classic motorsport events and festivals, including:

Donington Historic Festival

Planned for the first weekend of May, the Donington Historic Festival has built up a superb reputation, with last year’s event including the historic, Le Mans winning Bentley Speed 8, amongst many other models. A high-calibre of driver is attracted to the festival, meaning the racing, in machines from across the decades, is often blisteringly fast, with plenty of overtaking.

Goodwood Revival

One of the classic motorsport events in the world, Goodwood Revival plays host to period vehicles and visitors – all dressed up in outfits from or mirroring the time when the track was open as a modern concern, in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. With cars and motorbikes racing from the same timeframe, the drivers on track are world-class, helping create a thoroughly perfect period piece, this year between 12^th-14^th September 2025.

Silverstone Festival

In 2025, the Silverstone Festival will run from 22^nd-24^th August, and it’s just that – a festival. Including a stage with live music, stalls, and stands to complement the on-track action, Silverstone Festival brings together just about every type of classic – and modern classic – to the historic venue.

Shelsley Walsh Classic Nostalgia

The world’s oldest-running motorsport venue quite naturally runs a fantastic classic weekend of hillclimb action. Each year, there is a star attraction or two, but the rest of the classic models on display are never simply ‘also-rans’. The atmosphere in the compact venue, with its historic paddock, is always filled with exhaust fumes and noise, bringing spectators right up close to the classics on display; in 2025 from 19^th-20^th July.

Classic car and motorcycle meetings 2025

Of course, the classic scene doesn’t just focus around race tracks and motorsport models. The appeal of meeting up at a venue to look around others’ cars, motorbikes, vans, trucks… it’s something that never fades. Here are a handful of the many, many, events that will take place across the UK in 2025.

Bicester Scramble

Based at the historic former RAF Bicester site, Bicester Heritage has become an important home for the classic automotive industry in the past few years. And the Scramble/Scramblers events are a big part of that. Whether it’s the regular Sunday Scramble events, themed specials, or the big Scramble event – this year on 27^th April 2025 – the variety of models on display, parked up around the old RAF buildings, is always impressive.

Hampton Court Concours of Elegance

There are a number of concours events around the UK – some big, some small – but Hampton Court’s established event is always worth travelling to. Planned for the first weekend of September in 2025, around 60 of the world’s rarest cars will be entered into the prestigious concours event. Plus there will be a large number of other classics in attendance too.

The John Haynes Classic

A new event, due to be held at the Haynes Classic Motor Museum on 7^th September 2025, The John Haynes Classic will feature a curated display of cars and motorcycles from the home collection as part of the Haynes Display Manual, a tribute to the famous Haynes manuals.

Brooklands

The ‘Home of Motorsport’ is due to hold a number of classic vehicle events at its Weighbridge site over the course of 2025, kicking the year off on New Year’s Day with a Classic Gathering. But it specialises in themed days, and there are plenty of them throughout the year. Whether you like to look around American classics, prefer a Porsche, specialise in two-wheeled models, or relive the glory days of Brooklands with its weekend festival in the middle of June, there will definitely be something that appeals.

Beaulieu Autojumble

13th December 2024

The historic New Forest estate already has a great museum to visit all year round, but the International Autojumble is a fantastic place for classic fans to gather. Pitched as the largest outdoor sale of automotive items this side of the Atlantic, the Autojumble has countless motoring spares, memorabilia, and vehicles, all for sale on 6^th-7^th September 2025.

Classic Motor Show

Held at the NEC in Birmingham, the Classic Motor Show is one of the largest events of its type in the country. Due to be held from 7^th-9^th November 2025, the Classic Motor Show brings a huge variety of classic machines and memorabilia under one roof, with more than 3,000 vehicles on display, and over 300 motoring clubs having stands last year.

Classic Car & Resto Show

Another huge NEC-based event, the Classic Car and Restoration Show is the best place to head if you’re doing up a classic, or even thinking about it. With experts on just about every type of classic you can think of, and plenty of expertise, skills, and parts on display, it’s an invaluable fount of classic vehicle knowledge, with the next edition being held from 21^st-23^rd March 2025.

Retromobile

Of course, the UK doesn’t have a monopoly on the classic automotive industry, and some will want to venture further afield for an additional kick. And there are few finer places than Retromobile. Based in Paris’ Expo Porte de Versailles, it’s not tricky to get to by car, plane, or train, and the event is like an Aladdin’s Cave for motoring enthusiasts. Running from 5^th-9^th February in 2025, it’s worth spending a couple of days really, to make the most of it.