Prepare for the London to Brighton Veteran run
Unearth your old banger today...
Today sees the official launch of this year's London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (LBVCR) at The Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, London. The 2004 event , to take place on Sunday 7 November, is the 71st running of this world famous event from a history spanning 108 years, celebrating as much today the introduction of the motor car as the first Run did in 1896 when the Locomotives on the Highway Act came into force permitting light locomotives to increase their top speed from 4mph to 14mph and abolishing the requirement to be preceded by a man on foot carrying a Red Flag!
Eligibility for the Run covers pre-1905 four-wheeled cars, tricars and motor tricycles with this year's Run celebrating the youngest vehicles having just reached 100 years of age. From a start line of 465 vehicles 161 cars of 1904 manufacture will celebrate their centenary.
New look event
Under new organiser Motion Works UK, appointed by The Royal Automobile Club, this year's event takes on a new look whilst retaining its traditional entry criteria and historic 60 mile route along the majority of the A23 out of London and South to Madeira Drive on Brighton's seafront. The vision and goals of the new organisers are very clear and working on behalf of the Club the aim will be to position the LBVCR as the most outstanding celebration of early motoring history with worldwide recognition, whilst maintaining its traditional values and ensuring a sound financial footing.
Additional events have been added to the Run providing a full three-day programme of functions with plenty of interest for the public and the near 2,000 participating drivers/passengers.
New for 2004 is the LBVCR Auction presented by Bonhams, the International Participants Reception and the continuation of last years successful inaugural Saturday Concours. (Further details on all these functions can be found within this media pack).
In addition, a new identity was launched earlier this year to depict the Run's nostalgic appeal and status, creating a symbol that will become recognised as the signature of the event internationally.
More cars than ever
The 465-car field sees an increase of 12 per cent on last year and a dramatic 100 per cent increase on overseas entries to over 80 vehicles from all corners of the globe, including 14 from the USA. From the 2-cylinder 2 hp 1982 Panhard et Levassor to the 4-cylinder 20 hp 1904 Renault, the field features over 100 different marques covering one of the most important periods of motor car development.
Participating on the Run this year is the same 1896 Arnold Dogcart, courtesy of Mr Tim Scott, that took part in the original 1896 event plus the 1902 Napier of Mr Daniel Sielecki from Argentina that WON the Gordon Bennett race of the same year, the latter probably being the most powerful car on this year event with a 4-cylinder 40 hp specification.
Veteran actors and rock stars participate
Wing Commander Andy Green will be steering the 35 mph 1901 Mors as a guest of The Royal Automobile Club, a stark contrast from his 763 mph run at the Black Rock Desert, USA back in 1997. Veteran actor Sir John Mills will be helping to flag away the mass grid from beside the Serpentine in Hyde Park at 7.30am on Sunday 7 November while brother and sister Ollie (11) and Katie (8) Smart from Enfield in Middlesex has asked their Father, Dickie, to drive their 1903 De Dion Bouton whilst they wait for the year 2010 when Ollie can take his driving test.
Also included in this year's entries is a 1903 De Dion Bouton which was formerly owned by the legendary actress Brigitte Bardot and with a maximum speed of only 20mph it is difficult to believe that cars like this were in everyday use. Although Miss Bardot herself will not be participating, the current owner, Robert Cleminson, will be proudly driving the car to Brighton accompanied by Des Nichols from the run's joint title sponsor, the Daily Mail.
Nick Mason, Drummer with Pink Floyd, who has a keen interest in motoring and an active motor sport competitor will be participating in a 1901 Panhard et Levassor one of the greatest names in motoring history and one of the world's most successful racing marques of it's time. Nick's car is of particular interest as it is the only one in existence and embodies the fundamental technological formula which formed the basis of the rapid evolution of the motor car thereafter.
Spitfire display
The skies over Madeira Drive, during the mid-day arrival of the Veteran cars at the end of their run, will this year see (subject to weather conditions) an aerial display of vintage bi-planes courtesy of Renault UK plus a Spitfire display both helping to welcome home the 465 cars whilst entertaining the thousands that turn out to cheer the drivers and their passengers into Brighton.
For the first time in many years this years Run will be professionally filmed for television producing a stand-alone dedicated programme and a series of VNR's for national and regional coverage. Already, the satellite channel Motors has scheduled a number of showings of a 30 minute programme about the event during late November and December, with additional terrestrial coverage currently in negotiation.
The annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the world's longest running motoring event and one of the most testing veteran car endurance events.
For more about the event see www.LBVCR.com.
Still remember chasing the Run a few years back when I had a 2CV, thrashing down the A23 with the speedo needle on the maker's name and being overtaken by a thundering great Mors...
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