THOUSANDS of car lovers enjoyed the biggest and warmest Sunday scramble yet at Bicester Heritage.

Organisers said the event was ‘at full throttle’ and that thousands of visitors made the most of the sunshine and the car displays.

Vintage vehicles were on sale and parked up around the former Second World War bomber station.

The historic motors roar into town several times a year and often attract crowds in the thousands.

Sunday’s weather added to the occasion and the number of visitors.

British motorcycle and sidecar racer Maria Costello MBE was one of many special guests enjoying the car extravaganza.

She said: “I was in my element - there was so much to see.

“I met some great people and heard fascinating motorsport stories.”

Alex Robbins, used cars editor at What Car? magazine, said: “Fantastic day at Bicester Heritage for the Sunday scramble, what a joy, terrific location and lots of drop-dead gorgeous classics.”

Now in their fourth year, Sunday Scrambles see enthusiasts drive their classic cars on to the former RAF base in Bicester three times a year and explore the hidden corners of a site that was closed off to the public for a century.

The event, at what has become a thriving centre for historic motoring, is now firmly established in the classic car calender and attracts people from across the country.

One of the event’s most popular - and perhaps surprising - attractions was the collection of Mercedes-AMG Formula One cars and parts.

The team brought along cars from seasons gone by - one from 2010 and one from last year’s championship-winning season - and were on hand to answers questions from fans.

The F1 team staff also explored the rest of the event and were particularly enamoured by the Mercedes 500 SL Gullwing.

The Association of Heritage Engineers was among the many groups there revelling in the extensive range of classic cars from down the years as well as modern vehicles.

The association said: “It was a quite fabulous day, thanks to the Bicester Heritage team for getting the weather just right, the place was buzzing and it was awesome as ever.”