Today marks the first day of three days celebrating 30 years of The Classic at Silverstone. As part of the festival countdown, some of the Motorsport UK team have shared their favourite classic cars!

Jaguar XK120

The Jaguar XK120 as driven by Pat Moss and was picked for its beautiful lines, and the fact that the car was driven with a woman behind the wheel was an extra bonus.

Jordan 191

This choice was considered as the most beautiful example of a racing car. It was also the first Formula One car that one of the team got up close to in real life at the Jordan factory during their first ever trip to Silverstone in 1994!

Toyota Celica ST185 GT-Four

We’re going down the ‘modern’ classic route with the 1993/94 Toyota Celica ST185 GT-Four. Juha Kankkunen, Didier Auriol and Carlos Sainz Snr won back-to-back driver and constructor World Rally Championships in this car. And a couple of years later, Austin McHale and Andrew Nesbitt beat the more modern Subaru and Ford Escort Cosworth marques in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

BMW E30 M3

Without doubt the BMW E30 M3 had to feature. This classic car was described as simple, timelessly beautiful and wonderfully balanced, capable of covering distance very quickly without the necessity to be overtly powerful. And the race car version wasn’t bad either!

Ford Escort MKII

The Ford Escort MKII is a natural choice for the classic car wish list for our rally enthusiast. Waking up at 2am to its unforgettable roar as it raced through a dark forest on the Scottish boarder is a treasured memory.

1930 Austin Seven Ulster Sport

Full of character, charming and sometimes feisty, the 1930 Austin Seven Ulster Sport is full of fun and never fails to make people smile. One of the Motorsport UK team is a regular rally scene competitor in their Austin Seven Ulster Sport, nicknamed ‘Little George.’

Audi Ur Quattro

The Audi Ur quattro changed the course of rallying forever with its four-wheel drive system and five-cylinder turbo engine. Its direct migration to Audi quattro road cars and increased road safety also added to the decision to put forward this classic as a favourite.

The rally car made its debut at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show where ‘Ur’ used to mean ‘original’ and related to the claimed first ever city build by mankind at Ur – now in Iraq – hence ‘first of its kind.’

Jaguar E-Type

The Classic at Silverstone will feature a special showdown to celebrate 60 years of the Jaguar E-Type, and the Series 1 coupé was naturally a top choice. The epitome of British car design, so beautiful you can’t help but stare when one drives by.

Mercedes-Benz 300Sl

When you think of classic cars, the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300Sl is a popular model that comes to mind. With its dramatic gullwing doors and old-school beauty matched with precision German engineering, it is a favourite amongst the team.

Mini Cooper

We couldn’t not mention mighty Mini Cooper on our most-loved classic car list. It’s low stance, go-kart like handling and whine from the A series engine makes it a firm favourite. The cool, cult classic has a special place in many people’s heart.

The Classic at Silverstone takes place from 30 July – 1 August 2021. All tickets must be purchased in advance at www.silverstone.co.uk/events/the-classic

[Picture courtesy of Jakob Ebrey / The Classic at Silverstone]