A thousand cars from the 1930s onwards took to the track for a special three-day festival of nostalgia.

Races included the group C Endurance Cars, and arguably the top event, the Daily Express International Trophy for Grand Prix Masters, Jason Minshaw and Alex Buncombe achieved dominant wins in pre-66 rear-engined GP car and Jaguar E-type races.

Andrew Smith then teamed up with Oliver Bryant to win the mini-endurance race for sixties Le Mans cars.

Martin Stretton whose Ferrari 312PB truly wowed the crowds, was  ‘driver of the weekend.’

Qualifying on Friday under wet conditions did little to help the races that got underway in the sun and heat of the weekend with drivers taking more risks as the dry track increased top speeds and shortened braking distances.

Intense battles between thunderous sounding F5000 cars brought back memories of the 1970s for many spectators and the classic Touring Car race boasted over 20 Lotus Cortinas amongst its 70 strong field.

Just about every sportscar of the past 80 years was represented in some race or other over the weekend and many of those cars were also present in their original roadform in the infield as over 7000 classic car club members.

With so many cars and drivers it meant that both the original paddock and the new International paddock wing had to be used to accommodate the mouth watering machinery on display. It also meant that there was barely a break between them as one race would end whilst another was already assembling in the paddock, this posed a few problems for some lucky drivers who were entered in multiple races. 

Anniversaries galore were also celebrated, not least 80 years of the Morgan three wheeler, 60 years of both the Mercedes Benz Club, BMW Car Club and the Renault Owners Club. The AC Cobra, Mk1 Ford Cortina, Triumph Spitfire and the TVR Car Club celebrated half centuries, while the Marcos Owners Club marked 40 years of the marque. Twenty-five years of the Ferrari F40 was also being honoured, with some 62 examples taking to thee circuit - a world record.

The new AA World attraction included a vast display of the motoring organisation’s vehicles through the ages, from a wartime motorcycle to a pair of Mini vans. Event director Nick Wigley commented: “Summer returned in style just in time for another truly memorable Silverstone Classic. There were so many highlights with fantastic racing, amazing parades, the birth of AA World and some fabulous live music and, not surprisingly, taking all that into account a new record crowd.”