The UK’s historic motor sport-themed Race Retro show roared back to life over the weekend of February 21-23, 2025, following its cancellation in 2024 due to flooding.
While still more compact than pre-pandemic editions, this year’s event expanded from two halls in 2023 to three, reflecting its steady revival. Attendance also saw a slight uptick, with 23,229 enthusiasts converging on Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire for the three-day motoring spectacle.
A key feature for 2025 was the Hall of Fame, headlined by the Legends of Formula 1 display that featured eight Grand Prix cars spanning multiple eras. Highlights ranged from a 1976 Penske PC3 to a 2019 Racing Point RP19 – believed to be the most modern F1 car in private ownership.
The Rallying with Group B community assembled its own Hall of Fame in tribute to its late founder Steve Davies. This special exhibit showcased an array of 1980s WRC icons, including a Lancia 037, Audi Quattro S1, Ford RS200 and MG Metro 6R4.
Outdoors, Race Retro’s Live Rally Stage delivered the event’s most spectacular action, with 120 rally cars thrilling crowds with breathtaking demonstrations. Machinery ranged from a 1964 Mini Cooper S to a modern Ford Fiesta R5, and everything in between.
Beyond F1 and WRC, an eclectic mix of racing cars from disciplines including hill climb, NASCAR, Formula Ford, karting, rallying and GT racing ensured there was something for all manner of motor sport fans.
At the heart of the event, the Talk Motorsport Stage drew large crowds for live interviews with motor sport greats. Guests included former F1 driver-turned-pundit Anthony Davidson, BTCC legends Jason Plato and Matt Neal, and WRC stars Nicky Grist, Rauno Aaltonen and David Llewellin.
Another highlight was the Pride of the Paddock, where 19 competition cars vied for visitors’ votes. In the end, James Williams’ modified 1976 Hillman Imp claimed victory, followed by Jim Angliss’s 1963 Ford Anglia 105E and the Icon 917K presented by Dave Eaton and John Hartland.
The ever-popular autojumble returned for 2025, transforming an entire hall into an Aladdin’s cave of parts, spares and automobilia. Meanwhile, those in search of their next competition or collector car were well served by Iconic Auctioneers’ Race Retro sales. Despite the ongoing challenges of the collector car market and UK economy, the auction house enjoyed a relatively successful weekend.
Iconic achieved £4.2m worth of sales with a 71 percent sell-through rate across the three auctions held over the weekend. The 2000/2024 Prodrive P25 was the most lucrative consignment, crossing the block for £562,500 – £12,500 above the auction list price. This particular example was the first of 25 examples built, and was offered from its first and only owner with a mere 121 miles on its odometer.
The P25 was followed by the 1986 Ford RS200 S that sold within estimate for £305,000. This particular car was offered by the same collector that consigned the P25, and it was sympathetically recommissioned by Tolman Motorsport to the tune of more than £70,000.
The pugnacious 1986 MG Metro 6R4 ex-Works rally car achieved the third-highest result at £270,000, although this was still £5000 short of its low estimate. It had competed in the infamous 1986 Rallye de Portugal with Tony Pond and Rob Arthur, and later achieved a podium finish in the 1986 Marlboro Port Talbot rally with David Llewellin and Phil Short.
Reflective of the current market is the fact that the cars with the highest pre-sale estimates – the 2019 McLaren Senna prototype and the Bentley Continental GT3-R Pikes Peak – failed to sell. These one-of-a-kind machines were both projected to cross the block for between £800,000-£1,000,000.
After the event, Race Retro show director Lee Masters said: “We are blown away by the feedback from both visitors and collectors. Race Retro has not had an easy time since Covid, so to hear the buzz in the halls, see these epic cars on display and see the show back to its best is fantastic.”
Race Retro is expected to return in February 2026, with dates announced in the coming months. For more information, click here.
