SMMT Test Day North 2019 Held at Wetherby Racecourse

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has held its annual Test Day North event, hosted again this year at the regular Wetherby Racecourse venue.

More than 25 manufacturers brought over 50 cars — and two motorbikes — to the event, including Bentley, Maserati, and Porsche.

Members of the motoring media from across our region and beyond all gathered at Wetherby for the opportunity to test out vehicles they might not ordinarily get a chance to drive.

Of course the cars are only part of the picture, with the various press teams also on hand for a spot of networking, and a good old-fashioned catch-up. And doughnuts.

Naturally the September weather in the middle of Yorkshire is pretty much a coin toss, and this year it came down firmly on tails, with clingy cloud and persistent rain. That didn’t stop the fun, though it did make suitable photo opportunities a rare occurrence.

One important aspect of SMMT Test Day North for the Northern Group is the award of our Car of the Year. This year that would go to one of the six cars from our second annual driving day, with only one of the potential winning manufacturers not present in some form.

We’ll reveal the winning car in due course — and look forward to the 2020 event, hopefully with some better weather!