Grapevine: The happy camper at Silverstone

OK, I'll come clean. Delphi's a car, a VW Combi, actually, dating from the mid-70s. And for the British Grand Prix weekend, Delphi was my home.

Camping has long been the done thing at Silverstone, located as it is in the pastoral heart of Northamptonshire. So on a whim last week, having decided that the appeal of yet another shared hotel room was distinctly limited, I began to investigate how possible it might be to take a mobile home to Silverstone, for this year's big race.

But it couldn't just be any old motorhome, that much was certain. I didn't want a giant white barge, too big for the Formula One media car park, and which, frankly, would have made me cringe with embarrassment to be seen anywhere near.

No, it had to be a Combi. For a start, it has enduring cult status, earned from its reputation as a '60s surfing passion wagon. That makes it still a revered vehicle and one whose second-hand value is increasing by the year (turn up anywhere in a Combi and you'll be bombarded with questions as to how to buy one).

Second, they epitomise a certain kind of motoring anti-fashion cool. Who needs the latest piece of hallowed exotica, when instead you can have a Combi - a vehicle that lets you not only drive it, but live, sleep and eat in it, too?

And third (a compelling argument, this) an old motorsport friend of mine now runs a company loaning out these classic VWs and was more than happy to service my request to 'blag' one for the weekend.

Once the loan of Delphi had been arranged, the format of my British GP weekend changed somewhat. Never before, for example, have I taken a sleeping bag and pillows to a Grand Prix. Nor have I ever thought about packing tea-bags and milk.

But these and other similar domestic matters are essential considerations for a Grand Prix weekend in a Combi. A refreshing change such thoughts made, too, from the usual preoccupations of flight check-in times and accommodation vouchers.

There was also the not-so-small matter of learning how to drive and operate a Combi.

While the basics of steering, throttle, brake and clutch are the same as in any modern car, the Combi's original design can be traced back to the first VW Beetles built in the '30s, so they're not the most a la mode vehicles to hustle around in.

Hustling a Combi is out of the question, in fact, even a relatively sprightly 2-litre model such as Delphi. Combis aren't built for speed. They're much more about the journey than the destination, and their lack of performance enforces a more leisurely driving style.

Don't rush the gearchanges, because you'll only crunch the cogs; don't throw a Combi through a corner, because they're happier trundling around the bends unhurried. And whatever you do, don't try to brake like a racing driver. Combis do not like rushing up to junctions and being stood on their friendly, round noses.

Far better than any of this hooligan nonsense is to ease off the gas, hook up the iPod to the stereo with the built-in adapter and enjoy the ride (remarkably quiet, thanks to the engine being tucked away at the back of the chassis).

Rolling along in a Combi on a sun-blessed afternoon, time not an issue, is a far more civilised way of travelling than the customary 21st-century rush. And as your wheels are your 'house', the final stop can be anywhere.

Mine, last weekend, was pre-determined, but at any other time a Combi lets you stop where you like and make that place home. Which is all very well, of course, as long as that home is a relatively comfortable one.

This is where Delphi and her clan score. She comes with a fridge (gas-powered), a cooker (also gas), a table, chairs, and a bed in the extendable roof that sleeps two.

Truth be told, I didn't trouble Delphi's catering facilities, on account of being able to park less than a minute's walk from the culinary wonders of the F1 paddock. But I did sleep in her, and it's fair to say I've a had less comfortable nights in five-star hotels.

There's something profoundly calming about being able to draw the curtains across all the Combi's windows and clamber up to the 'room in the roof' to bed down.

Such a shame that Silverstone's paddock Tannoys give a 6:00am wake-up call, like it or not...

• For more information on VW Combis and to find out how to hire Delphi, visit VW Camper Company