BXProject@ Rustival2

6 min. read

The dark, cold evenings reduce car playtime as the Christmas season falls upon us. Usually, I would have some interesting project to play with, but being between accommodations, I’m restricted in opportunity. Instead, I reflect on happier, sunnier times, such as Rustival2, held in September 2024.

Parts of this article were originally published in the CCC Citroenian magazine in November 2024

All Roads Lead to Rustival2

After the success of Rustival in March 2024, the amazing organising team threw a follow-up. Another very early morning was in store for my trusty BX and me. After twenty-one years of ownership, a 5:30 am start was neither the first nor the earliest Jazz and I have been up and out. All to get down to Gaydon for the 7:30 am ish opening. The start of Rustival 2 had a very different feel. Where the first Rustival included a Citroen Convoy, I was flying solo this time. A splash and dash for some E5 dino juice, and there was no DS’s insight this time.

A quick stop at services hoping to pick up a convoy on the way down to the Midlands was soon dashed. The pack of mixed Citroens was an hour behind me, so I trundled southbound on the M6. To avoid the ever-increasing M6 Toll charge, we took the scenic route through Birmingham and over the spaghetti junction. Coming over the Gravelly Hill intersection, my mood started to lift as the sun started to dominate the sky. Today would be a good day, even if it is a cold one.

Arrival at the British Motor Museum

A week of senior management reviews, late nights and a general lack of time resulted in little preparation. Jazz had received little more than a battery charge and oil top-up. Even the screen wash was left at a low level, as I’d run out of top-up. This seems to be the way things have been in the last few years. My red Citroen BX16Valve is slowly turning pink and, in some places, decidedly orange due to an overall lack of attention. She is, however, seeing a lot more miles in the last few years. The run down to the BMM was certainly a welcome leg stretch for both of us. The 1991 Citroen BX completed the journey with no beat missed and only a single obvious rattle in the cabin.

Despite having set off later than the first Rustival, and taken a rather leisurely pace down the M6 and M40, I seemed to arrive rather early at the British Motor Museum. Colour me old-fashioned, but I still think of the place as the ‘Heritage’. I guess that’s what happens after 10 years of visiting for meetings. A cool start is soon overcome by the very welcome sunshine.

Old friends

The long solo journey was absolutely worth the effort, and it didn’t take too long to track down my fellow columnists, Richard and Sara. As seems to be a common sight at the moment, Sara had travelled out with her beautiful Traction. Unfortunately, Hilda the Imp was poorly, and Richard had brought ‘Dump-it’ the 106 out. I really enjoyed admiring the ‘average spec’ 106 next to the Saxo stable mate. Amazing what variance platform engineering used to achieve compared to modern standards.

New Friends

At my heart, I am very much a nostalgia and reminiscence fan of cars. While I’m Citroen and BX-centric, I love seeing all the cars that used to be rolling around when I was younger. I think this is the main pull of Rustival, a mixed-brand show where quite literally anything goes. From Dennis fire engines, Leyland busses, Crown Victoria police cars, there is such a huge range. The tagline for the show is ‘Clapped out to concours’, but it would be very hard to separate the clapped out to the concours as all the cars at the gathering are so clearly loved. Unlike so many other shows, I felt no shame in not immediately getting out and polishing the BX, despite being parked next to a gleaming Alfa.

Rustival2 Main Stage

In a similar lineup to the first edition, Rustival 2 included a main stage with all manner of celebrities managing a Q&A-style entertainment session. A highlight from this year was the ‘live’ walk-around game of Top Trumps, interspersed with crowd stories of owning versions of the cars. We also witnessed not one but two Citroen BX owners on the stage at the same time. Our very own Richard was telling the crowd about his next mammoth 24-hour fundraiser for Sophie’s legacy. He was joined by no one other than Darren Walster, who is loaning his JurasicCar to the fundraising event.

What I love about Rustival the most is the feel. Everywhere you look, new and old friendships are being cemented. Conversations with strangers and catch-ups between old friends. The cars are a way of getting to the show and starting conversations, but the event is about the people. Over the few hours of the show, I had great catch-ups with some of my oldest (longest-suffering) car friends. I also caught up with some ‘digital’ friends and spent far too long nattering about nothing in particular. With over one thousand cars at the event, it would be nearly impossible not to get chatting with someone. My only complaint about the show is that it is over all too quickly. An overnight version is desperately needed.

Citroen BX at Rustival2

Okay, I’ll confess, there were a lot of cars at Rustival2. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as much time wandering the rows of cars as I had hoped. I managed to have a quick run around the showground when I started to hear about how many BXs were in attendance. I managed to snap fourteen cars in total, but I know I missed snapping Tim Leech’s BX GT and subsequently found I missed ‘CCF’ as well. With these cars considered, the total number of Citroen BXs in attendance was 16, or about 1.5% of all the cars at the show. The BX was the most well-represented model despite the huge number of Minis and the high number of 205s.

My Car of the Show

While I don’t set out with a ‘car of the show’ in mind, I always enjoy a show more when there is a stand-out car at the show. Perhaps because it acts as an anchor for all the other exhibits? This time, my Rustival2 ‘Car of the Show’ is the Peugeot Hoggar Escapade. This car is one-of-one in the UK and was imported by its current owner, Mat. I’ve been following the adventures of this car on various social media channels; @channel205uk.

Manufactured in Brazil, the Hoggar is the spiritual successor to the Peugeot 504 pickup. With the front end of a Peugeot 207, the pickup starts as an almost familiar vehicle, but the more you look (especially at the back end), the stranger the ‘ute’ becomes. While I’m sure the Hoggar would have been a success in Europe and boosted the 13,000 or so units sold. I’ve rather enjoyed Mat’s Hoggar adventures, which he covers on his YouTube channel.

Rustival Variety

I mentioned the feeling of the ‘feel’ of the Rustival (and Rustival2) experience earlier. That coming together of friends, new and old, to natter about all things, some of them car-related. However, the approach to parking the cars generates part of that feel. Unlike many shows that park the same brands and models together in a segregated manner, Rustival parking is a little more ‘HubNut’. That is, cars arrive and park. No faffing, no lining up, no brand awareness. Just cars.

This results in a lot of juxtaposition. Be it a new Seat Leon next to a Fiat Punto or a 1988 Fiesta parked next to a 2007 Astra, old and new of all brands sit together. This really goes to highlight the uniqueness of Rustival; the key to the show is the owner’s love of the cars. From the cars presented in the peak of cleanliness to those arriving in their working clothes, the individuality of each car is really celebrated at Rustival2.

My Show Highlights

Not surprisingly, my Rustival2 show highlights are those cars that I used to see on the roads where I grew up but are now seldom seen. When I was a wee lad, the Mk2 and Mk3 Vauxhall Astra were key staples of the local police force, and I saw them everywhere. Similarly, I have fond memories of teachers and parents at my primary school having mighty Ford Sierras.

Many other childhood memories were seen in the flesh at Rustival2, and while the show was over far too quickly, I can’t wait until the next one.

Awaiting Rustival3

While the drive home was uneventful, it was incredibly satisfying being out in the BX, especially for a good long run out. Despite the rather tiring day, the event lifted my spirits and spurred me to work on the other BXs. Who knows, maybe I’ll get one of the other projects finished and out of the garage, and I can get to work on my own BX!

I can’t wait until Rustival3, this is certainly a show I intend never to miss!

M

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