SMMT Test Day 2021 at Millbrook
Following last year’s cancellation, the SMMT Test Day has returned for 2021, in a slightly later summer slot, at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire.
It’s been nearly two years since motoring writers and press offices were able to gather together for an SMMT event, with both the regional and central Test Days ending up cancelled in 2020 — like so many other events.
That means that, for many of us, the most recent event would be the regional drive days in September 2019, or the main event in May 2019.
However with vaccinations now more widespread and restrictions easing significantly, SMMT was finally able to stage an event, with dozens of journalists once again descending on Bedfordshire.
That included a small delegation from the Northern Group, with chairman Andy Harris one of the dedicated bunch to make the eight-hour round trip — seen above in a 75% scale Bugatti Type 35 replica called “Baby II”.
The electric Bugattis were among close to 200 cars available for test drives around the famous “alpine circuit” (officially known as the Handling Course), city course, high-speed bowl, and routes out on the public roads nearby.
With close to 300 guests, that meant a lot of traffic around the site, but the SMMT is also a vital opportunity to talk to some press offices face-to-face that writers might not ordinarily encounter.
Given the return of the Test Day, it’s likely that SMMT will once again stage its regional events — one in the north, and one in the south — later in the year too.
