London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

History

1896 Emancipation Run

The first run took place on 14 November 1896, a wet Saturday. Organised by Harry John Lawson,{{cite book

The event started with a breakfast at the Charing Cross Hotel, which included the symbolic tearing in two by Lord Winchelsea of a red flag.

The competitors gathered outside the Metropole Hotel (now the Corinthia Hotel London), with the cars accompanied by a "flying escort" – estimated by one witness as "probably 10,000" – of pedal cyclists, recreational cycling having become popular with the English in the final decades of the 19th century. Louise Bazalgette, one of the earliest women motorists in Britain, was photographed at the start of the event on an Arnold motor car, with her friend Henry Hewetson.

Subsequent runs

During the next few years, Commemoration Run took place between Whitehall Place and Sheen House Club covering the distance of about 8 mi. The London to Brighton run was not staged again until 1927. Since then it has run annually, except from the onset of the Second World War up to 1947 owing to petrol rationing, and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With all this considered, it is the world's longest running motoring event. Since 1930, the event has been controlled by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC).

Participants

Many racing drivers and celebrities have taken part in the event, including Richard Shuttleworth (1928–1934; 1936–1938), S. C. H. "Sammy" Davis, Sir Malcolm Campbell, Prince Bira, George Eyston, Richard Seaman, Kaye Don, George Formby, Phil Hill, Stirling Moss, Jochen Mass, Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill

The 72nd anniversary run took place in 1968 and was joined by celebrity participants Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, in a 1903 De Dion-Bouton. That year Stirling Moss also participated, driving a 1903 four-cylinder Mercedes.

Some participants dress up in a late Victorian or Edwardian style of clothing. In 1971 Queen Elizabeth II was a passenger in a 1900 Daimler. A regular participant is Prince Michael of Kent.

RAC Brighton to London Future Car Challenge

In 2010 the RAC launched the Brighton to London Future Car Challenge, following the same route as the veteran car run, but starting in Brighton and finishing at Regent Street, London – and taking place on the day prior to the veteran run. The event is intended to showcase low energy impact vehicles of various technologies – Electric, Hybrid and Low-Emission ICE (internal combustion engine). Participants compete to minimise energy consumption using "road legal" vehicles in "real world" conditions.

The results of the inaugural 2010 event showed that the electric vehicles used the least energy (0.62 MJ/km on average, or 141 mpgimp petrol equivalent), compared to the hybrid vehicles (1.14 MJ/km average, 76 mpgimp petrol equivalent) and the largely diesel powered internal combustion engine vehicles (1.68 MJ/km average, 52 mpgimp petrol equivalent).

1896 results

The event was not organised as a race, but the general classification of the fastest finishers was:

In popular culture

• The 1953 comedy film Genevieve is set during one of these runs.
• An episode of ChuckleVision, "Wheels of Misfortune", first aired on 15 January 1997, is set during one of these runs.
• In the 100th episode of Wheeler Dealers, Mike Brewer and Edd China restored a 1903 Darracq, borrowed from the Haynes International Motor Museum, to working order and drove it in the veteran car.

Notes

References

References

1. ''Motor Sport'', January 2010, Page 113.
2. ''The Manchester Guardian'', 24 November 1930, Page 9; ''The Scotsman'', 15 November 1938, Page 14.
3. "November 2022 – Sun in Hyde Park".
4. "London to Brighton Veteran Car Run". rove.me.
5. (4 November 1966). "Personal Memories of the First Brighton Run".
6. (5 November 1966). "The long road south".
7. "A red flag for one of motoring's most persistent myths". [[The Irish Times]].
8. (2 November 1996). "Just the weather for a seaside trip". The Times/Beaulieu.
9. (2004). "Bazalgette [née Seville], Louise (1845/6–1918), motorist".
10. "Event Info". The Royal Automobile Club.
11. Kevin Desmond, ''Richard Shuttleworth: An Illustrated Biography'', Jane’s Publishing Co Ltd., 1982, Pages 187–189.
12. ''The Manchester Guardian'', 16 November 1931, Page 5.
13. ''The Manchester Guardian'', 16 November 1936, Page 13.
14. ''The Observer'', 20 November 1938, Page 23.
15. (4 August 2004). "Wide World of Sports: Part 3".
16. ''The Manchester Guardian'', 2 November 1953, Page 2.
17. (6 November 2011). "Veteran cars take part in London to Brighton rally". BBC.
18. Adams, Rob. (15 November 2017). "In pictures: Driving from London to Brighton in a Victorian car".
19. (9 November 1968). "Fun in the Sun".
20. ''The Guardian'', 25 August 1971, Page 5.
21. (2011). "Comparative measurements of the energy consumption of 51 electric, hybrid and internal combustion engine vehicles". Transportation Research D.
22. "TeamDan Early results database – 1896".