After Rustival 2024, I’ve been rather busy with the BX getting a new exhaust, which I’ll cover in another article. The car also needed an MOT. All this work has meant a lack of opportunity to really get out in the car. However, with the work complete, fortune would have it that Drive It Day 2024 was right around the corner.
What is Drive it Day?
Drive It Day is an initiative set up by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) in 2005. The FBHVC describes drive is day as;
Held each year on a Sunday in April, it is the day when historic vehicle enthusiasts and the public at large have the opportunity to celebrate the ‘One Thousand Mile Trial’. This was an 11-day round-Britain public test, that started on 23 April 1900 to “prove the viability” of the then new-fangled invention – the motor car.
Today, Drive-it Day is an opportunity to raise awareness and support amongst the public for the historic vehicle movement, as part of our ongoing campaign to keep transport heritage on UK roads, without restriction.
Drive It Day 2024 is an excellent excuse for many to get cars out of hibernation, back on the road, and stretch sleepy legs. Better still, the Drive It Day initiative has been supporting the NSPCC to raise funds for Childline.
Supporting Childline
With so many cars now getting out on the roads for Drive It Day, rally plaques were created to celebrate the annual event. Rally plaques are a traditional way for car clubs to comemorate events and have been around for over 100 years. The Drive It Day team at FBHVC offers annual rally plaques, with a donation made to the NSPCC for every plate sold.
All the profits from the rally plaques sales go to Childline, and according to the FBHVC, £51,000 was raised in 2023. The plaques come in two sizes, the standard 12″ ish car plate and the smaller bike plate. I opted for the smaller badge this year. The plaques are, unfortunately, made from plastic, so the smallest plate is a vague attempt at being more sustainable.
Where to go on Drive It Day?
Every Drive It Day, hundreds of vehicle clubs organize drives and gatherings throughout the UK. Drive It Day travellers are welcomed at any number of places. With so many opportunities, deciding where to go or who to join can be a little daunting.
Fortunately, some friends in the 2CV GB Club had plans and kindly invited me out with them. After a short trip across Cheshire, I met up with a handful of old Citroens at a visitors centre on the outskirts of the Peak District National Park.
And off we went. Taking up the rear, I enjoyed an hour of meandering over the Peak District, behind a line of 2CVs. While the pace was relatively placid, those little cars could still get a bit of pace on when the roads opened up.
The BX should quite happily keep up with the considerably smaller displacement engines of the rest of the pack. However, a hastily fitted fuel pressure regulator somewhat hampered my own progress. It would later transpire that the ‘yeah, it’s definitely set right for an XU9j4 mate’ guarantee wasn’t worth much. Barely reaching 2bar when it should be at 3bar, I can see why I had no ponies.
Fortunately, the weather was absolutely fantastic. So, despite being tremendously down on power, the drive to Crich was very rewarding. Following a brace of 2CVs through the beautiful Peak District on a lovely sunny day does wonders for your outlook.
Crich Tramways Musuem
Arriving at the Tramways Museum in Crich, I remembered the huge turnout that comes with 2CV gatherings. They had come from far and wide, and the six cars I had convoyed with were just a drop in the ocean. The 2CV GB club had been invited to park in the museum grounds, leading to some interesting traffic jams.
The main road through the site is predominantly used by trams going up and down the hill—a beautiful sight in its own right. But coupled with the amazing array of colours that 2CVs come in, this was the kind of traffic I could get behind. And they just kept coming!
Every spare nook and cranny of the museum site was awash with 2CVs, Acadiene, and Dyane. There was no way to avoid them, and it was fascinating to see so many variations in colour, shape, and accessories. Being a bit of a fan, I was disappointed not to see any Mehari.
I’ve not been to the museum before, but I’d strongly recommend it. The site is beautifully well-kept. Despite only one building being original to the site, the feel and flow are brilliant.
The more you look at the 2CVs, the more and more differences you see. Be it the grills, lights, or roofs, despite so many joining Drive It Day 2024, no two seem the same. The simplicity, affordability and outright enjoyment, I completely understand their popularity.
The main attractions, the trams, are really accessible. I really enjoyed seeing all the different tram types. A highlight was the workshops where trams were being maintained, revived and built. But the most interesting exhibit for me was ‘869’, the last Liverpool tram. I had no idea this is where this vehicle has ended up, and it is probably thirty years since I last saw it!
The solo road home on Drive It Day 2024
I wonder now, just how long some of the 2CVs stayed at Crich Tramways Museum. Did they all manage to get out, or are some now permanent additions? Unfortunately, my afternoon plans meant I set off home in the early afternoon.
And while I was returning from Drive It Day 2024 solo, I was by no means alone. Many other clubs and classics adorned the route home. Most notable was a herd of Jagaurs with examples from at least the last 60 years.
Thank you to 2CVGB for inviting me out. Sorry it’s taken so long to write up the brilliant day out, but I hope you’ll join me next year!
M
NEXT – Kelsall Steam Rally 2024
PREV – Rustival Part One
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