About 400 pioneering pre-1905 vehicles made the journey from the capital to the coast for the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run today (Sunday 2 November).
The number of “old crocks” entered for the run was the biggest for some years, with the first of them setting off from Hyde Park at 7am. They started arriving in Brighton just over a few hours later.
The drivers and their passengers braved the early cold and damp to mark 129 years since the first “Emancipation Run” when just 30 cars took part. Today, the several hundred were greeted by crisp sunshine on reaching Brighton.
They were also greeted by the mayor of Brighton and Hove, Amanda Grimshaw. Councillor Grimshaw was also due to attend the participants’ annual dinner at the Grand hotel this evening.
The run celebrated the passing of the Locomotives on the Highway Act which raised the speed limit for “light locomotives” from 4mph to 14mph and abolished the requirement for vehicles to be preceded by a man carrying a red flag.
Every year in Hyde Park, a red flag is ceremonially torn before the entrants head off past Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and over Westminster Bridge towards the coast.
The organisers said: “Many of these veterans now run – very happily – on ‘green’ sustainable biofuels. Indeed, all four of the Royal Automobile Club’s entries will be powered by a drop-in biofuel provided by Sustain.
“Some of the 100-plus marques represented – such as Chevrolet, Ford, Peugeot, Mercedes and Renault – remain familiar names today. Others, like Mors, Berliet, De Dion Bouton, Napier, Thornycroft and Gladiator belong to motoring history.”
Those taking part this year included the 81-year-old Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason – a regular over the years. He owns a 1901 Panhard et Levassor.
This year he was in the passenger seat when his car reached Brighton – and although the event is not a race, he has often been among the first to make it to Madeira Drive.
Royal Automobile Club chairman Duncan Wiltshire said: “The magical RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is a truly great British tradition.
“Now in its 129th year, it is an extraordinary showcase celebrating the introduction of motorised transport and the pleasures and freedoms this pioneering technology brought.
“I would like to thank all our participants and partners. Only their incredible enthusiasm makes this unique occasion possible and creates an extraordinary experience for everyone involved.”
