The weather forecast was perfect, sunny and not too hot. No wonder the drivers of British cars came in droves and in greater numbers than ever before. The organizers estimated the number of vehicles at 1600 to 1800, and this is hardly an understatement. The 1400 program booklets were already gone by 12:00, the 1100 gift umbrellas, which provided welcome shade due to the good weather, even earlier.
This meant that significantly more areas were occupied by cars than in other years and the queue at the entrance meant that some people had to wait more than 15 minutes to get in - the downside of the record number of visitors.
A good mood and a bit of a swinging atmosphere
Once inside, everyone was delighted by the variety on display and those who had only wistfully foregone the Swiss Wrestling Festival in Zug were able to watch the live broadcast in the catering tent and see Stucki win.
However, very few people did, as there was a really good cross-section of British motoring to be seen over a distance of around one kilometer.
100 years of Alvis
Because the Alvis brand was buried many decades ago, only enthusiasts still remember this brand. On August 25, 2019, however, Alvis vehicles were remembered on a much broader basis. Over 20 Alvis sports cars and limousines were spotted in Mollis and showed that this brand in particular has been unjustly forgotten.
After all, the cars from Coventry, built from 1919 to 1967, were always among the most advanced and fast cars.
In addition to a number of pre-war vehicles and specials, Molls also showcased the elegant coupés and convertibles of the post-war period, some with Graber bodies and others with Park Ward bodies.
One cabriolet from 1959, which featured a particularly innovative roof construction, stood out in particular. The rear window could be completely retracted electrically and the roof disappeared under a flap flush with the bodywork. You could hardly do better today.
The story goes that an Aston Martin representative saw this design at the 1959 Geneva Motor Show and suggested that something similar be implemented for the James Bond DB5. This is supposedly how the bulletproof retractable panel was invented. True or not, it's a good story.
100 years of Bentley
The 100th anniversary of the Bentey brand was also celebrated in Mollis. The Bentley Club pulled out all the stops to bring together a wide range of Bentley vehicles. And anyone who had the pleasure of tasting one of the burgers served was sure to feel right at home with the Bentley Boys.
Pre-war and post-war Bentley sports cars and limousines provided a broad insight into the British car manufacturer's work before and after the merger with Rolls-Royce.
Many of the cars have survived, well over two dozen could be seen and heard in Mollis if you listened carefully.
Many exotic brands
Of course, in addition to Alvis and Bentley, there were many other brands from British motoring history on display, both well-known and lesser-known.
Everyone probably knows Lotus, Jaguar or Rolls-Royce, but who remembers Hillman or Daimler (not Mercedes), Singer or the Vauxhall models when they weren't unnamed Opel cars?
They were all there to see, the sports cars from Marcos and TVR even appeared in impressive numbers.
Folklore from the islands
Of course, the "usual suspects" were also present in large numbers, including the Mini Cooper, the MG A, the MG B, the Austin-Healey Sprite and MG Midget twins, Morgan roadsters from six decades, the Triumph models TR2 to TR7 as well as Spitfire, the Jaguar E and its predecessor XK and other evergreens.
Among the familiar cars, however, there was always something to think about for longer, such as an Austin A90 Atlantic, a Rover P2 or a Riley RMB.
You don't see an Aston Martin DB2 or a Ford Anglia every day either.
A lot of legwork
If you wanted to see all the cars and not miss out on any of them, you had to be prepared to do a lot of legwork and keep walking through the phalanx of British cars. So you were glad to be able to enjoy a cooling soft ice cream or a hearty bratwurst in between.
And the British-patterned umbrella also provided some shade for visitors who had already forgotten their club cap in the car.
Fun for the whole family
What made the BCM stand out again this year was that it is a car festival for the whole family. This is not only due to the "Gumpi Castle", but also to the relaxed atmosphere, the large grassy areas and the well-organized food stands.
You rarely see so many children in the back seats of classic cars. And there were also plenty of young drivers behind the wheel. That's a good thing!
What happened to the bread-and-butter cars of the seventies?
What was a little surprising was the absence of the younger everyday classics. Where have the Austin Allegro, the Morris Marina or the British Ford models that once roamed Swiss roads gone? Have they all succumbed to the rest or did their owners simply come with the more beautiful and elegant sports cars because the weather was so good? In any case, you saw more of these vehicles in other years.
A lot of tolerance
The BCM is deliberately aimed at all British cars, young and old. Accordingly, there were not only younger Bentley or Lotus models, but also super sports cars from McLaren and Aston Martin.
On the contrary, the younger visitors in particular also enjoyed these newer cars.
