6 Minute Read

Winter motor show events

Posted by - Antony Ingram on 10 October 2024 (Updated 14 November 2024)
Car Events
The Ice, St. Moritz – February 21-22

It can feel like the automotive season grinds to a halt as soon as the mercury drops, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Keep an eye open and it’s possible to almost fill your calendar all the way to next spring with car events; the only real difference is the need to swap t-shirts for thermals and chilled beverages for tea and coffee.

Below we’ve selected six events in particular that stand out between November and February, as well as four venues that should have no trouble keeping your wheels turning over winter. 

Classic Motor Show, NEC – November 8-10

Classic Motor Show Birmingham NEC

The Classic Motor Show at the NEC always feels like it marks the start of the winter automotive season, and it’s one of the biggest car shows of the year. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the show, with a record 330 motoring clubs invited. Spread throughout several of the NEC’s halls you’ll find club displays, show and shine, traders, an autojumble, and a mix of cars from the earliest days of motoring to popular modern classics. There’s always the temptation to come away with more than a shiny chrome mirror or a brochure too, since Iconic Auctioneers will be hosting an auction at the show, while several sports and performance car traders will also have vehicles for sale. Tickets start at £38 for adults and £25.50 for 5-15 year olds, or £95.50 for a family of two adults and up to three kids.

[Image credit: NEC Classic Motor Show]

Winter Stages Rally, Croft Circuit – November 24

Croft Circuit

One of the few motorsports that doesn’t shut down entirely over winter is rallying. After all, what’s a bit of rain, snow or ice for cars designed to traverse all surfaces at speed? You’re guaranteed cold weather at the very least at the Winter Stages Rally, a single-venue event held at Croft Circuit near Darlington in North Yorkshire. You’ll see a mix of machines, from recent WRC cars to venerable Minis and Mk2 Escorts, and with stages taking place at various sections of the circuit, you should be able to catch almost all the action, in contrast to a typical rally. Tickets start from only £13.

[Image credit: Croft Circuit]

Festive Four-Wheelers, Bicester – December 15

Bicester Heritage scambles

Bicester’s Scrambles have become almost as essential a visit for enthusiasts as the big events at Goodwood during the summer. The earliest Scramble was a simple affair but it’s grown into regular themed events throughout the year, and mid-December’s Scramble is quite appropriately themed around four-wheel drives. Don’t expect to see just Land Rovers though, as four-wheel drive also means you’re sure to see Integrales, Quattros, Imprezas, and other grippy icons. You’ll need a ‘Pegasus’ Scramblers membership, at £69 per year, to book the £10 tickets – though membership will get you discounts and free access to Bicester’s ‘Assembly’ events throughout the year.

[Image credit: Bicester Heritage]

New Year's Day Classic Gathering, Brooklands – January 1

New Year's Day Classic Gathering, Brooklands

As a way to break in the New Year, why not head along to the Brooklands Museum, where as many as a thousand pre-July 1995 vehicles are expected to come together for the traditional New Year’s Day Classic Gathering? An advance ticket at £24.95 gets you both access to the gathering and to the museum (along with a donation to keep the museum ticking along), and the event goes from 10am until 4pm. It’s recommended you book early; as you can imagine, a thousand-car gathering means you may not be able to turn up on a whim.

[Image credit: Auto Addicts]

Autosport International, NEC – January 9-12

Autosport International, NEC – January 9-12

Winter is a barren period for motorsport, so the Autosport International at the NEC in Birmingham serves as a great way to warm yourself up for the season ahead, be that as a place to make contacts and buy parts for your own motorsport interests, or simply to get a flavour of what’s to come. 2025’s show will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Formula One, and while the show hasn’t yet confirmed famous faces, there are usually a few stars of the motorsport world there being interviewed on the main stage. The first two days of the show are aimed at the trade, with the weekend days geared more towards visitors.

The Ice, St. Moritz – February 21-22

The Ice, St. Moritz – February 21-22

The Ice calls itself “the coolest (and coldest) concours in the world”. It’s hard to argue with either part of that claim, hosted as it is on the ice of the frozen Lake St. Moritz, deep in the Swiss Alps. Far from being simply a picturesque and unusual venue for a concours, The Ice makes use of that frozen lake for more than just static exhibits too, and it might be the only place on earth you’re likely to see, for example, an Alfa 8C Monza grand prix car drifting with rooster tails of snow from its rear tyres. 2025 tickets aren’t yet available, but 2024’s came in at around 80 CHF, and free for children of up to 10 years old.

Busy car venues throughout the winter period

One-off events aren’t the only places you can fill your automotive cup this winter. Several venues have events and gatherings throughout the coldest months, many at minimal cost, bar the fuel you’ll use to get there and the coffee you’ll buy once you’ve parked up. These are a few to keep an eye on if you’re looking to fill an empty weekend.

 

Caffeine & Machine

Caffeine & Machine winter motor show event

We recently covered the rise of cars and coffee in the UK and featured some of the top venues in our blog The Rise of UK Cars & Coffee. Over the past couple of years the phenomenon that is Caffeine & Machine has expanded beyond its original Warwickshire base, known as The Hill, to two more venues: The Bowl in Bedfordshire, and The Hut in Hampshire. All three are on the go virtually non-stop over the winter period, with regular Friday evening gatherings, events all weekend, and a series of events dedicated to the likes of German and Japanese machines interspersed through the season.

The popularity of each event means you’ll often need to book a time you’re expecting to appear even on those with no entry fee (and the fees aren’t usually very much, where they apply), but if you miss one, you can be sure there’s another right around the corner.

[Image credit: Caffeine & Machine]

Ace Cafe

Ace Cafe winter motor show event

The heyday of the Ace Cafe on London’s North Circular was in the 1950s and 1960s, but since its rebirth in 1997 it’s once again become one of London’s key automotive destinations. One of its busiest too; it’s no exaggeration to say there’s something on at the Ace virtually every night, and that doesn’t stop during winter. Nor on holidays, with events also running on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. There’s usually a theme, but plenty turn up just to soak in the atmosphere.

[Image credit: Ed Pike]

Southside Hustle

Southside Hustle winter motor show event

This isn’t so much a venue as an informal gathering of like-minded enthusiasts, which takes place on the first Sunday of every month on Southside Common, in Wimbledon. Cars park along the side of the road for a few hours over breakfast, with the most eager visitors turning up just before 8am. For an idea of just how diverse the turnout tends to be, Hustles in the past year have seen everything from a Facel Vega to a Ferrari 250 SWB, to a gull-winged Mazda AZ-1, to a Bond Bug, to an Aston Valkyrie.

[Image credit: Mitcham Media]

The Wonder Works

Wonder Works motor events

This Margate venue is perhaps ideal if you want to combine cars with activities for the children. The Wonder Works is a hobby venue, catering for families with an interest in miniature railways, slot-car racing, model kits and more, but thanks to Takona, whose automotive-themed products and events go towards supporting mental health charities, The Wonder Works also hosts ‘Coffees & Cars’ mornings on the second Sunday of every month. You’ll also find Takona events at Gasoline Juice in Northamptonshire and Re:Fuel in Devon, among others, but the 10am events at The Wonder Works coincide nicely with the venue’s opening hours, so it’s great for kids.

[Image credit: The Wonder Works]

Need secure winter car storage?

London classic car storage

While there are plenty of motoring events for you to attend this winter, you don’t always want to take your own precious wheels. We offer secure winter storage facilities with six-star service where your car can hibernate in motorised luxury. With regular maintenance checks, exercise routines and optimised battery charging, your car is kept on the button and ready for action at a moment’s notice. To find out more about secure winter car storage, take a look at our blog on Storing your classic car over winter, or contact us for more advice.

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