Classic Car Events to Visit in 2024

One of the great joys of owning a classic car or motorcycle is there’s no shortage of places and events to take your gleaming pride and joy for a day out or weekend away. With so many classic shows now established on the calendar and more seeming to be added every year, the biggest dilemma can be picking which ones to head for. Here are some of our favourites, and where better to start than Footman James’ very own Coffee and Chrome gatherings? 

Coffee & Chrome 

Always among the most relaxed and varied meetings you’ll find, we’ve also come up with a variety of places across the UK to encourage as many owners and vehicles out as possible. Our year kicks off at the British Motor Museum on 7 April, followed on 9 June and 4 August with two events at The Impney Estate. Then it’s off to Prescott Hill Climb on 15 September before a further visit to the stylish Impney Estate to conclude our Coffee and Chrome season on 13 October. Whichever venue suits you best, you’re guaranteed a warm welcome, perfect brew, and a tasty bite to eat while chewing over all things classic with fellow fans. 

Drive It and Ride It Day

Get those fiddly jobs ticked off the list and you’ll be in perfect shape to enjoy Drive It and Ride Day on 21 April. Organised by the Federation of British Historic Vehicles Clubs, this is one of the highest profile classic events in the world and shows just how large the classic community is in the UK. It’s also a mighty fine excuse to get out in the spring sunshine in your own classic machine with friends and family. 

Donington Historic Festival

A couple of weeks after this, the historic motorsport season goes up a gear with the Donington Historic Festival on 4-5 May. If you haven’t been before, you’ll be bowled over by the close quarter racing and sheer variety of classic competition machinery out to play. The ‘festival’ part of the title also lives up to its billing with loads of activities for the family alongside the racing. 

London Concours

A very different setting hosts the London Concours on 4-6 June in the heart of London at the Honourable Artillery Company’s headquarters. For anyone who lives in the capital, it’s a chance to see some of the best classic cars imaginable right on your doorstep. For the rest of us, it’s the perfect excuse for a city break with a classic car difference, and it has a sense of occasion to rival anything Wimbledon, Wembley or Lords can offer. 

 

Brooklands

Hot on the heels of this is another landmark event of the year at Brooklands, the home of motor racing, on 15-16 June. This is a superb weekend that mixes motorsport action on the Mercedes-Benz World track on the Saturday followed by a weekend celebrating all things vintage, from clothes to cars, on the Sunday at Brooklands Museum. 

Shortly after this is one of the largest classic motorcycle events of the year on 7 July, again at Brooklands with its Motorcycle Day. As well as the more usual post-war classic bikes, there are plenty of early pioneer and flat tank machines that hail from the glory days of the track. 

Glamis Extravaganza

At the other end of the country on 13-14 July, the Glamis Extravaganza is among the biggest classic events in Scotland and attracts visitors from all over the UK. It’s easy to see why with the sensational Glamis Castle as a backdrop and the cars spread around the immaculate grounds. There’s always a vibrant show field and plenty of variety of cars, commercials, and steam-powered machinery. 

Classic Nostalgia at Shelsley Walsh

It’s then off to Shelsley Walsh in rural Worcestershire for a weekend of hill climbing at its Classic Nostalgia meeting on 20-21 July. The oldest permanent motorsport venue still running in its original configuration, Shelsely is steeped in racing lore and this means many of the best, fastest and exciting competition cars come out to play on its challenging and narrow strip of tarmac. There’s also a perfectly relaxed atmosphere where visitors mix with competitors in the paddock amid the old sheds (and we mean the wooden buildings, not some of the drivers…). 

Classic and Supercar Show

Down in Dorset that same weekend as the Shelsley meeting, you could visit the Classic and Supercar Show at Sherborne Castle on 21 July. Always well supported, it brings together many strands that make up the perfect classic car gathering with a range of cars, people, and activities. 

Goodwood Festival of Speed

Either side of these events. Goodwood will be vibrating to the noise of classic race cars at the Festival of Speed on 11-14 July and then the Revival meeting on 6-8 September. For motorsport fans, little comes close to the all or nothing racing at the Revival, while the Festival of Speed is a world-class event with garden party feel. 

International Beaulieu Autojumble

Further down the road, the International Beaulieu Autojumble on 14-15 September is a long-running and eclectic event where you’ll find everything from on sale from a Bugatti to a banjo bolt. Much of the fun is having a rummage, a natter, and a haggle, even if you don’t know exactly what you’re buying or why you need it, but then that’s all part of the pleasure of classic cars. 

NEC Classic Motor Show

Then, to round out the year, we have the NEC Classic Motor Show back in Birmingham. One of the biggest shows in Europe, you’ll need at least two days to do it justice, and best to pack comfortable shoes to get round the amazing spread of displays and stalls. 

On top of this lot, there’s also a plethora of other events all over the UK across the year, from local pub runs to brilliant charity fundraisers. Whichever gets your vote, make sure you’re out there and making the most of your classic. 

Would you like to join us at Coffee & Chrome this year? You can see the full calendar of meets here.