Unless you happened to have a DeLorean and a Flux Capacitor then the best way to time travel back to the 1980s and 1990s was to head to RADwood 2025.
Returning to Hagerty’s home at Bicester Heritage the celebration of shell suits and body kits, power suits and horsepower was enjoyed by more than 600 visitors and an incredible array of automobiles.
Some 65 proud owners entered the sold-out Show ‘n’ Shine competition where a Marty McFly-spec Toyota Pickup lined up against Audi Quattros, Honda NSXs, and incredible Kei cars like the Honda City Turbo and its Motocompo companion, as well as the gull-winged Autozam AZ-1. Other highlights from the JDM scene included FC and FD Mazda RX-7s, MX-5s and an oddball Subaru XT.
As our judges discussed LED instruments and eight-bit graphics, over in the Hagerty Clubhouse Hagerty Drivers Club members took turns on Sega Rally and a host of other classic arcade games.
Feasting on Frazzles, Space Raiders and other nostalgic snacks, club members also admired a curated collection of cars including a Lotus Carlton from the British Motor Museum, two Jaguar XJ220s supplied by Pendine Historic Cars, a Mazda RX-7 owned by Hagerty’s Antony Ingram, and a pristine Porsche 911 930 Turbo from Broad Arrow.
Club Members were treated like movie stars as they were chauferred to and from the main display area in a Jurassic Park Ford Explorer, a Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles VW van.
Sarah Champion pumped out bangers from New Order, Wham! Duran Duran and other pop legends from her DJ booth, competing with the pops and bangs from the rally cars of Ralli 22 doing demo runs on the airfield circuit. Group B Audi Quattros, a Subaru Impreza and Legacy, and even a Triumph TR7 wowed the crowds.
They say “always check the car park” at events and RADWood 2025 was no exception with fans turning up in exceptional cars from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Whether it was Hagerty contributors Paul Cowland’s Chrysler Viper or Nathan Chadwick’s Maserati Ghibli, the not-so-mellow yellow Volvo 850 T5R estate of young influencers Lucas Tolson and Meg Pinfield-Thomas, or the 4×4 fan who arrived towing a Suzuki SJ410 behind their Range Rover Classic.
Many owners dressed to impress in vintage leisurewear or suits with shiny red braces, accessorised with classic brick phones and aviator shades.
It was the cars, however, that were the real stars. The judges, led by Hagerty’s resident host Charlotte Vowden, made their final decisions and handed out the trophies.
The Raddest Brit award went to James and his MG Maestro Turbo, Raddest European to Kirby’s Saab 900 Turbo, and Radmod of the Show to Matthew’s Max Power-spec Vauxhall Corsa.
The Raddest 80s car was Matthews Honda City Turbo (complete with Motocompo), Raddest 90s was the McFly-style Toyota Pickup (another Matthew) while
James’ Lotus Esprit picked up the Raddest Sports Car trophy.
Finally, the big one. After entering several times before Craig, dressed as an archetypal City Boy, with his daughter Amber fully shell-suited and their BMW 8-Series won Raddest Car in Show.
