FULL STEAM AHEAD

Another busy year of events is planned for the Bentley Drivers Club in 2023, with the Summer Concours, Silverstone race meeting and one-off Birkin Tour the highlights

Plans are already under way for a variety of exciting activities as the BDC prepares for another busy and enjoyable programme in 2023. Of the main annual events, the Club is pleased to announce that this year’s 75th Summer Concours & Party will be held in the delightfully rural surroundings of Kelmarsh Hall & Gardens in north Northamptonshire on Sunday 9th July. The highlight will be the crowning of the car named Best in Show. Which model will succeed Michael Dacre’s 1936 Derby 4¼ as the overall winner this time? Prizes will also be awarded in a host of other classes, in both the Concours and Patina categories. The country house, built in 1732, is surrounded by award-winning historic gardens, all set within a scenic 124-acre parkland site. It has also built a reputation as a popular location for motoring shows.

In the motorsports arena, the Club’s Competitions Committee has confirmed the date of this year’s 75th

Silverstone race meeting – it’s Saturday 12th August. Another packed race programme is planned with the Bentley scratch race for the Times Challenge Trophy the main event. Can Ben Eastick (T Type) make it three wins in a row? Look out, too, for the always exciting Bentley handicap encounter, won last year by Oliver Llewellyn (3/8 Litre).

A special excursion being arranged this year is The Birkin Tour – a weekend excursion, from 19th-22nd May, to celebrate the life of Sir Tim Birkin, the renowned Bentley Boy and the driving force behind the Blower Bentley Le Mans cars. The tour will take place in Norfolk, Birkin’s burial place.

Another interesting event to look forward to is the second Talks Day at the Clubhouse, organised by the Bentley Memorial Foundation, on Saturday 1st April. Among the guest speakers already lined up is Mike Flewitt, former CEO of McLaren Automotive and Production Director at Bentley Motors.

Another date for your diary is the Club’s Annual General Meeting which will also take place at the Clubhouse in Wroxton, on Sunday 23rd April. A host of Regional driving tours and weekends is scheduled for this year, which will see UK-based Members visit various scenic locations around the country, such as Oxfordshire, Northumberland, Norfolk, Scotland and North Wales, as well as travel abroad to Brittany in France.

Meanwhile, 2023 sees the 90th anniversary of the Bentley Derby – which will be marked with a celebration. The event, organised by The Silent Sports Car Club (SSCC), is open to all Derby owners and will be based at the four-star Cranage Hall Hotel, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire. For an application form please email Neill Fraser, SSCC Secretary, at neill@ClaremontCottage.co.uk

Plans are also to be firmed up for a major event in 2024 to mark the centenary of Bentley’s first of six wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours. To be held in June 2024, 100 Bentleys are due to partake in a five-night tour to the event. www.bdcl.org