Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Launching the 2019 Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

• Entries open six months ahead of the annual capital to coast pilgrimage
• Redesigned website to benefit participants and spectators (www.veterancarrun.com)

As tradition dictates, at day break on the first Sunday in November more than 400 remarkable horseless carriages dating back to the dawn of motoring will set out from Hyde Park on their annual pilgrimage to Brighton on the Sussex coast.

As entries open today, almost exactly six months in advance of the annual pilgrimage from capital to coast, participants from across the globe can now sign up their pre-1905 cars for the 2019 Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

This year, the Run has a new-look website and a new entry management system so entrants can look forward to an updated and intuitive entry process which will make signing-up their veteran cars for the Run easier than ever.

Changing habits mean that over 40 per cent of those using the website and registering to take part in the Run now do so via a mobile device. It is for this reason that the official website and entry system have been significantly refreshed and are now fully device-responsive.

Commenting on the entries opening and redesigned website, Miles Wade, Club Secretary of the Royal Automobile Club, said: “To this day, the Run remains the Club’s flagship event, drawing in a truly international following every year. We always seek to provide the best experience possible for our participants and followers, and our revamped website and entry system contributes to this. The Run has a phenomenal heritage and, as its custodians, it’s important that we work to ensure that the Run is easy to access for our participants and all those who choose to follow this extraordinary event.”

This year’s Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run takes place on Sunday 3 November.
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[Rick]

Special milestone celebration for Fiat on its 120th birthday.

• Italian company appointed Manufacturer Patron for 2019 Bonhams Veteran Car Run
• Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino founded in 1899
• National Motor Museum readies the UK’s oldest Fiat for trip to Brighton

Fiat, one of the world’s oldest and most distinguished car companies, has been appointed as an official Manufacturer Patron to the 2019 Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (Sunday 3 November), a Royal Automobile Club event.

Patronage is reserved solely for those illustrious motor manufacturers that can trace their history back to the very early pioneering period of pre-1905 veteran cars – as permitted to participate in the world’s longest-running motoring event – and which are still actively making cars today.

Known initially as Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, Fiat was founded in Turin by a group of investors on Tuesday 11th July 1899 and is celebrating its milestone 120th anniversary in 2019.

Boasting such a pedigree, it is no surprise that a number of the legendary Italian company’s first few inventions are always among the 400+ extraordinary innovators on the annual commemorative journey from capital to coast. Now, to honour the company’s new status as a Manufacturer Patron of the Run in its 120th year, the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu is working with Fiat to ready the oldest Fiat in Britain for next month’s magnificent homage.

Dating back to the origins of today’s global industrial giant, the museum’s remarkable 1899 model is one of the world’s earliest surviving Fiats. It is propelled by 3.5 horsepower, 697cc, twin-cylinder engine powering the four-seater vis-à-vis bodied car to a top speed of around 22mph – very respectable for the period.

Fiat became the first Italian marque to take on the Run in 1934 when A. Powys Lybbe participated in a three-wheeled Fiat constructed at the end of the 19th century, featuring a three-speed mesh gearbox.

“Fiat has an incredible heritage and we are honoured that it has chosen to become a Manufacturer Patron to the Run – more so in what is clearly a very special year for the company,” said Miles Wade, Club Secretary of the Royal Automobile Club. “To have the oldest Fiat in the country joining us on the road to Brighton will add to the Run’s celebratory atmosphere whilst also illustrating Fiat’s remarkable ancestry.”

In its eminence as an official Patron, Fiat will also be partnering the Drivers’ Briefing on the eve of the sunrise departure from Hyde Park at the Royal Automobile Club’s prestigious Pall Mall clubhouse.

Fiat UK’s Marketing Director Andrea Lo Presti said “We are very pleased to partner with the 2019 Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in our 120th year. It will be great to see one of the earliest surviving Fiats in the world back on the road and heading down to Brighton.”
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[Rick]

Alan Titchmarsh looks forward to "an event like no other"

• TV personality prepares for his debut veteran car drive on the Run
• Another famous face joins the magical London to Brighton glitterati
• 2019 Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 3 November

As an extraordinary and magical event, the annual Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run has always been a magnet for people from all walks of life.

Taking part each year are families who have participated in their cherished automotive heirlooms for generations, but the enchanting lure of the world’s longest-running motoring event also has a history of captivating numerous well-known personalities too. In recent years, famous faces driving on the annual pilgrimage from capital to coast have included the 1996 Formula One World Champion, Damon Hill, broadcaster Chris Evans, and supermodel Yasmin Le Bon.

Come Sunday 3 November 2019 another familiar tv broadcaster – Alan Titchmarsh MBE – will be motoring to Brighton in one of the pioneering pre-1905 veteran cars.

As well as his well-known work on TV and as a professional gardener and novelist, Titchmarsh is also a huge classic car enthusiast… his first such acquisition was a 1928 Morris Cowley and, today, he owns a 1929 Bentley Le Mans 4.5-litre and a fully restored 1963 Jaguar E-type. On the day of the Run he’ll be behind the wheel of a stunning 1902 Mors (photo below) as he leaves Hyde Park at sunrise on the first Sunday in November all bound for Brighton.

He knows the Run well, having jumped aboard with others on the route to Brighton last year. But he has never driven on the Run before… until now; a prospect he is really relishing.

"The Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is an event like no other,” says Titchmarsh. “You can keep your Formula 1 – for me this is the real thing. I know of no other experience which can match it: the wind in your hair, a vehicle more than a hundred years old throbbing beneath you and a heart-stopping journey to the seaside on a mechanical work of art. Pure magic! I've enjoyed it as a passenger and this year I get to drive. Beam me up Scottie!"
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[Rick]

Float like a butterfly from London to Brighton.

• ‘Le Papillon Blue’ comes under the Bonhams hammer
• One of the original participants from the 1927 Run
• Freshly serviced and ready to tackle the capital to coast celebration
• Media accreditation available on request

Each and every one of the 400+ remarkable vehicles that enter the annual Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run has its own extraordinary tale to tell.

Some of these venerable machines dating back to the dawn of motoring have been passed down through generations, continuing long-running family traditions; others have been rescued from automotive graveyards all around the globe and restored especially to follow the iconic trail from central London to the Sussex coast.

A further stepping stone into the world’s longest running motoring event is provided by the now traditional Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Sale. Hosted in the renowned auctioneer’s New Bond Street Salerooms on Friday evening before the Run, it is not uncommon for successful bidders to join those on the hallowed pilgrimage to Brighton less than 36 hours later.

One of the pioneering cars coming under the hammer this year with a guaranteed entry into the Run (3 November) has a very special place in the illustrious event’s history.

Known as ‘Le Papillon Blue’, this 1901 Panhard et Levassor was among the first plucky participants partaking in the inaugural revival which took place back in 1927.

It was then that 37 vehicles set off on the now revered route from London to Brighton to commemorate the very first Emancipation Run that had famously taken place on a wet Saturday on the 14 November in 1896. That original journey – still followed to this very day – had been in celebration of the passing of new laws raising the speed limit to 14mph and removing the need for an escort carrying a red flag to walk 60 yards in front of any powered locomotive.

Unsurprisingly, having been one the 37 trail-blazers, the well-engineered Panhard has quite a history to tell. It had originally been built specifically for Chevalier Rene de Knyff – he was a renowned racing driver of the age, as well as a director of the Panhard Company.

The light blue 7hp tonneau-bodied French creation was subsequently named ‘Le Papillon Bleu’ – or ‘The Blue Butterfly’ in English – by the daughter of its second owner, Leslie Bucknall.

The Panhard et Levassor has successfully completed more than 60 trips in November from Hyde Park to Madeira Drive. Further underlining the significance of its heritage, ‘Le Papillon Bleu’ also won the coveted Concours d’Elegance award as ‘the car which most embodies the spirit of the veteran era’ when displayed in the 2016 Regent Street Motor Show.

Boasting such a stand-out story, ‘Le Papillon Bleu’ is expected to generate huge interest and comes with an estimate price of between £200,000 and £250,000. It will be one of the first lots to go under the hammer when the Bonhams London to Brighton auction starts at 6pm on Friday 1 November. Freshly serviced by specialist NP Veteran Engineering, it is ready to tackle this year’s Run with its new owner.
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[Rick]

The Ride of a Lifetime.

• Movember offers passenger seats on Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran car Run
• Three places available via a unique fund-raising online auction
• Rare opportunity for public to experience iconic motoring event
• Movember raising awareness around men’s health issues

As the Official Charity Partner to the world’s longest-running motoring event, Movember is providing three people – through an online auction – with the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a passenger aboard one of the pioneering pre-1905 veteran cars entering the annual capital to coast celebration.

As well as fulfilling the dreams of the three highest bidders, the initiative will raise funds for the only global men’s health charity which strives year-round to help men live happier, healthier, longer lives.

All those wishing to take advantage of this unique proposition must register their bids for a passenger ride on either a 1904 Humber, a 1904 De Dion Bouton, or a 1904 Mercedes via the dedicated https://www.goinggone.io/vcr website before 20:00 on Sunday 27 October. More details on each of the cars can also be found here.

“I am most grateful to the generous veteran car owners who have kindly offered up rare passenger seats in their vehicles for next month’s Run, helping Movember’s fund raising efforts,” said Miles Wade, Club Secretary of the Royal Automobile Club.

“Every year we receive more and more requests for passenger rides, so we are delighted, not only to offer more people the opportunity to participate in the Run, but also to generate awareness and funds for what is a very worthy and important cause.”

Commemorating the first Emancipation Run of 1896, the iconic event is always staged between dawn and dusk on the first Sunday of November, providing the Movember Foundation with the perfect platform to promote its endeavours at the start of what is its most active month of campaigning.

Two years ago Damon Hill, the 1996 Formula One World Champion, teamed up with renowned adventurer Charley Boorman to raise awareness for the charity when piloting a 1904 Rover on the road to Brighton. Last November renowned supermodel Yasmin Le Bon combined her love of cars with support for Movember, driving a 1901 Wolseley on the world’s most historic of motoring events.

Adding to the occasion and generating further awareness, many of those taking part in last year’s Run – both cars and participants – sported moustaches especially for the occasion.

For more information on Movember visit www.movember.com.
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Rick - Admin
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[Rick]

Veterans turn back the clocks as they head from London to Brighton

The world’s longest-running motoring event delivers a slice of living history as pioneering automobiles tackle their annual outing

The clocks went back by one hour last Sunday… but this coming weekend they will be going back more than 125 years as hundreds of veteran cars set off from London on their annual pilgrimage to Brighton on Sunday 3rd November.

An extraordinary entry of more than 400 pre-1905 cars will leave Hyde Park as dawn breaks, ready to tackle the epic 60-mile drive from capital to coast as the world’s longest-running motoring event gets underway.

The Veteran Car Run - dating back to 1927 - was founded to commemorate the Emancipation Run of 1896 which celebrated the new-found freedom of motorists granted by the ‘repeal of the Red Flag Act’. The Act raised the speed limit to 14mph and abolished the need for a man carrying a red flag to walk ahead of the cars whenever they were being driven.

In the early morning darkness, Hyde Park will be full of the sights, sounds and smells of the past. From 6am a wonderful gathering of veteran cars, their drivers and their passengers - many dressed in period costume - will be preparing for their annual trip down memory lane.

Some of the makes represented ­­– such as Fiat, Renault, Peugeot, Daimler, Vauxhall, Mercedes and Benz – will be familiar to today’s motorists. But there are plenty of long-forgotten marques there, too: Daley, Napoleon, Yale, Durkopp, Maxim, Star, Lambert and Gladiator to name but a few.

As ever, the historic event’s unique charisma has attracted a number of star cars and well-known personalities and among this year’s notable machines is Britain’s oldest Fiat, a splendid four-seater vis-à-vis bodied model which will be helping the illustrious Italian company to celebrate its 120th anniversary.

Meanwhile TV personality and classic car enthusiast Alan Titchmarsh will be fulfilling a lifetime ambition when driving a 1902 Mors to the Sussex seaside resort, while fellow TV presenter and motoring guru, Fuzz Townshend, will be behind the wheel of the National Motor Museum’s meticulously prepared 1904 De Dion Bouton.

After the traditional pre-dawn tearing up of the red flag, they will be among the hordes of remarkable cars and well wrapped-up crews being flagged away from Hyde Park as the sun rises at 6.56am.

Three- and four-wheelers - mostly petrol-driven but with eight powered by steam plus a quartet of pioneering electric vehicles including a 1901 Waverley owned by Harrods – will depart for the coast at first light to the delight of the hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the route to cheer on the hardy participants.

After leaving Hyde Park, the veterans will drive through Admiralty Arch, down Constitution Hill, past Buckingham Palace and onto the Mall, before heading down Whitehall to Parliament Square. Then, as a result of roadworks at Bridge Street (the link between Parliament Square and Westminster Bridge), a small but necessary amendment has been made to the route out of London with all the cars now set to travel over Lambeth Bridge.

Once south of the river, and as successfully introduced last year to alleviate traffic issues in south London, the route will split into two with half of the field following the A23 through Kennington, Brixton and Streatham while the other half will take the A3, A24, A217 and A236 over Clapham Common and then through Tooting and Mitcham.

The two routes will then merge once again on the A236 north of Croydon with all cars reunited as they head to the spectator-friendly halfway point at Crawley.

Crawley High Street marks an important stage on the Run as it’s not only where members of the public can enjoy great spectator views and the chance to pose for a photo in a stunning veteran car thanks to our relationship with Run partner, Gatwick Airport, but it also marks the start of the A. Lange & Söhne Regularity Time Trial; the only competitive element of the event. Finishing 13 miles away in Burgess Hill, the Time Trial requires drivers to get as close to a chosen average speed as possible.

After Burgess Hill, the Run tackles the scenic but demanding roads through the villages of the Sussex South Downs, passing through Hassocks and Clayton where the route joins the A23 for the final run into Brighton and the welcome finish on Madeira Drive.

Aside from the start, timings are approximate with the first cars expected at Crawley from 8.20am with the last leaving by 2.00pm. The first car is due at the Madeira Drive finish shortly after 10am while to be sure of a finishers’ medal to celebrate a punctual arrival at Brighton, participants need to make it to the finish before the 4.30pm curfew.

Aside from Hyde Park, Crawley and Madeira Drive, the organisers have suggested the following locations as popular viewing points:

6.56 am - 8.15 am: Constitution Hill, London
6.56 am - 8.15 am: The Mall, London
6.56 am - 8.15 am: Whitehall, London
7.10 am - 9.15 am: Clapham Common, London
7.05 am - 9.15 am: Streatham Common
7.35 am - 11.00 am: Croydon – A236, A235 and A23
7.50 am - 11.30 am: Redhill – A23
8.00 am - 12.15 pm: Gatwick – A23
8.20 am - 2.00 pm: Crawley High Street
8.30 am - 2.15 pm: Hammer Hill B2114
8.45 am - 2.30 pm: Cuckfield High Street, B2114
8:55 am - 3.00 pm: Burgess Hill – B2036
9:00 am - 3.30 pm: Clayton Hill – A273
9.56 am - 4.30 pm: Brighton – Madeira Drive

“Seeing all these lovingly maintained cars is more than a spectacle. It’s a piece of living history, a reminder of the fearless motoring pioneers who, literally, paved the way for all of us,” said Miles Wade, Club Secretary of the Royal Automobile Club.

The Bonhams Veteran Car Run is a Royal Automobile Club event and is the final act in the Club’s annual London Motor Week – seven days filled with a whole range of functions and events to suit all motoring tastes culminating with the free-to-view Illinois Route 66 Regent Street Motor Show on Saturday 2nd November and the world-famous Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 3rd November. Some events are open to the public while others are invitation only.
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