8:43 am, October 20, 2022
Bicester Heritage has welcomed its 50th specialist company, taking this area of the ex-Second World War RAF bomber station to capacity.
Founded in 2013, the aim was to create a thriving ecosystem of classic car, automotive and mobility-themed specialists.
It’s now seen as the home of historic motoring enterprise in the UK and forms part of the overall Bicester Motion site.
Bicester Motion CEO Daniel Geoghegan said: ‘From the very beginning, our vision for Bicester Heritage has been to create a vibrant hub for 50 specialists to safeguard crucial heritage skills and boost both the local and national economies.
‘We’re delighted to see our vision believed in so enthusiastically by such a diverse range of businesses of all sizes on site.’
The final four tenants – Polestar, Neom McLaren Formula E, Zapp Electric Vehicles and Zero Petroleum – join a line-up that includes vintage Bentley specialist Kingsbury Racing Shop, classic Porsche experts Sports Purpose and the Vintage Car Radiator Company.
Bicester Heritage said its ‘marina’-like feel had lent itself to many new opportunities for companies that had based themselves there, since a customer of Vintage Car Radiator Company may equally be interested in pre-war Bentleys or classic Porsches, for example.
Morgan Motor Company and Singer Vehicle Design – both major global automotive brands – now each have a base at Bicester Heritage as well, as does the governing body of all four-wheel motor racing in the country: Motorsport UK.
The site itself has become a visitor attraction, with some 100,000 people visiting Bicester Heritage each year, and regular ‘Scramble’ events attract 7,000 attendees each time for an insight into the skilled work that the businesses do.
The new Bicester Innovation development is due to start in 2023, offering 230,000sq ft plus on-site test tracks and airfield to accommodate market-disrupting businesses in the mobility sector. The buildings should be open for occupation in early 2026.
