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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The London to Brighton Run - now called Veteran Car Run and sponsored by Bonhams and Hiscox - is the world’s longest running motoring event, having first run in 1896 when the Red Flag Act, which required motorised vehicles to be preceded by a man or woman waving a red flag or lantern, was repealed.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
Autocar - now the world’s oldest surviving car publication, played a key role in the repeal of the Red Flag Law, having been set up “in the interests of the mechanically propelled road carriage" on 2 November 1895. It spent much of its early editorial energy campaigning for a change in the law, lest Britain be left behind by more progressive nations.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The first event was called the Emancipation Run and was organised by Harry Lawson, today noted as a bicycle designer, motoring pioneer and - ultimately - a fraudster, who was sentenced to a year’s hard labour for defrauding investors in his early motoring initiatives. His one great success was founding the Daimler Motor Company in Coventry.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
In Britain the speed limit was set at 4mph out of town, and 2mph in it, from 1878. The new laws brought in in 1896 set a speed limit of 14mph. Today, as then, the event is begun with the symbolic tearing up of a red flag. This year the job was undertaken by 1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill and actor Charley Boorman.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
This year’s event market the 121st anniversary of the London to Brighton Run. It began in London’s Hyde Park at sunrise and finished in Brighton, on Madeira Drive. After the first run, held after the change in Red Flag laws, the event was reborn in 1927 and has run most years since, the most notable suspension coming during World War Two. The 1927 event had 37 starters - this year’s more than 450.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
In 1896 33 competitors started from the Metropole Hotel at around 10.30am, after a hearty breakfast, and were followed by numerous (some say thousands) of cyclists. In total, 17 cars finished the event, with an American made Duryea Motor Wagon reaching the finish more than hour earlier than any other car, in around four hours. Now competitors start at dawn and - usually - finish earlier.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
This year’s event was the biggest for more than five years, with the focus on celebrating French marques attracting an especially large level of interest. Entrants came from 23 countries, including Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. The vast variety of makes included the well-known - Ford, Renault and Vauxhall – and the largely forgotten, such as Brush, Gladiator, Achilles and Bolide.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
Autocar tackled this year’s event from the passenger seat of John Worth’s 1900 Daimler Type A Tonneau. The car - registration number EX10 - was originally supplied by Norfolk Daimler dealer Frank Morriss of Kings Lynn in 1900, The same dealer is believed to have supplied the first royal Daimler, also a Type A Tonneau, to the then Prince of Wales (soon to be Edward VII), at Sandringham.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
Daimler was the UK’s first manufacturer of motor cars for public sale. The first car was produced in January 1897 and, by 1900, cars were still few and far between. Following restoration, EX10 is today regarded as one of the finest and most original remaining British Victorian motor cars. It was used for reference purposes when the Marquis of Beaulieu restored the royal Daimler in 1977-1978 for the Queen as part of her Silver Jubilee celebrations.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
Among the many impressive details are this monogram, which was uncovered underneath several layers of paint when the car was restored by current owner Worth. The monogram, which reads EE, was believed to signify the name of one of the car’s original owners. Cars were not registered until 1904 in the UK, but Worth’s sleuthing suggests it relates to Ernest Estcourt, a wealthy builder.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The restoration - undertaken by Wood Brothers and a team at Fairbourne Carriages - paid painstaking attention to detail, including recreating the handpainted linework on the wheels. You’ll notice that while some of the lines are perfect, others are less so - this is because the craftsmen restoring the car discovered the original paintwork beneath several layers of newer paint while restoring the car, and Worth elected to leave it on display. Each spoke has eight coachlines, requiring three coats of paint - with 16 spokes per wheel.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The only concessions to modernity are the use of gas in place of petrol in the burner, which ignites the fuel (spark plugs being a later invention). This is done on safety grounds and because of the different properties of modern fuel. To start the car, Worth lights the burners, manually pumps fuel through to flood the carburettors and then hand cranks the car.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The Type A has four forward gears and four reverse and is controlled by a three pedal arrangement. The only dial is for fuel pressure - that being the only real concern of motoring pioneers. The two-cylinder engine produced a heady six horsepower. It is notable from earlier Type As for having a steering wheel rather than a tiller.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
With Worth at the wheel and Autocar editorial director Jim Holder joined by Hiscox guests Trish White and Jeremy Carey, the Type A departed Hyde Park at 7.30am. Without the need to carry fuel, water, oil and other kit, space would have been generous for four, with the rear carriage arrangement mimicking that of some of the horse-drawn carts of the time.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
As a result of its start location, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run takes in numerous landmarks early on, including Marble Arch, Big Ben (under scaffolding now for two years), Buckingham Palace and Parliament. This year’s event was marked by heavy traffic across its first half, making progress harder. However, competitors are allowed to use bus lanes in the Capital, and also found some other novel ways to keep moving.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
After a reroute from the traditional course due to road works, competitors made their way to a stopover in Redhill, where a Honda dealership turns over its car park and premises for the competitors to tinker with their cars and take on a cup of coffee or tea. With EX10 running faultlessly, work was confined to a top up of oil, fuel and water. Not everyone was so lucky...
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The London to Brighton run is notable for not just being about the competitors. It draws thousands of spectators along the route, with many taking the opportunity to show off their own treasured cars. Car clubs that gather along the route include fans of Bentley, Lotus Sevens, Triumph Roadsters, Morgan, Panhard et Levassor and MG.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
It’s not all classics that come out, however. This year there was a notable hot rod contingent heading into Brighton, including this bright yellow example. The variety of cars also gave the hardy volunteer marshals something to cheer, many of them manning the route for upwards of 12 hours despite the strongly autumnal weather.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
However, perhaps the most heroic followers of the event were those who decided to pedal the route on period bikes, including this intrepid fellow on a Penny Farthing type bicycle. Most set off at daybreak with the first cars - and many beat numerous competitors to the finish line (albeit with the ‘benefit’ of foregoing the servicing halt).
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The mid-afternoon run into Brighton mixes the veteran runners in with everyday traffic, making for an impressive site as participants make their way down to the iconic Madeira Drive finishing location, just down from the pier. Worth and team crossed the line at around 2.30, just over seven hours after setting off on the 65-mile journey.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The only competitive element of the event is a Regularity Trial, with competitors nominating the average speed they will achieve over a set part of the route. Whoever gets closest to their target wins a Chopard Mille Miglia Chronograph worth £4950. This year, the winner was Robert Abrey driving a 1899 Daimler.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
John Worth wasn't the only Daimler driver/owner in the event.. This (even) older example is notable for being steered by a tiller rather than a steering wheel. Built in 1897, W95 is powered by a 4hp two-cylinder engine.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
Early transport innovations came in all shapes and sizes, and initially focused on motorising the bicycle and tricycles that were popular in the day. They may have required less effort to get from A to B, but we pity the front-mounted passenger in the cold.
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2017 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
The finish line arrives on Brighton seafront. The 65-mile journey took just over seven hours, including the service halt. Because the event is a run and not a race, there are no finishing times, but those who do make it to the end are recorded and presented with a special Finishers' Medal.
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