At the end of last year, thousands of spectators stepped back in time to watch the antique mingle with the modern as the Royal Automobile Club’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run took place. Brighton seafront and surrounding roads were lined with people cheering the arrival of almost 500 magnificent machines, all of them more than one hundred years old.
The run itself has been held on the first Sunday of almost every November since 1927 to commemorate the Emancipation Run of 1896, which celebrated the law change enabling the speed limit for light locomotives to rise from 4mph to 14mph. So it really was cause for celebration when the cars finally made it over the finish line after
chugging away for 60 miles – when you look at cars today with their speedometers exceeding 120mph, it’s no mean feat ambling along at 14mph on a hugely busy route.
Internationally renowned, it was not just locals taking part in the run. As the longest running veteran motor celebration in the world, cars were shipped over specially from places as far as South America, Asia and Australia.
The run, however, was just one of a series of events that took place over the weekend. Friday kicked off in London with an exclusive auction followed by a participant’s reception, whilst Saturday hosted a lunch and awards ceremony for members and participants before the run itself on Sunday morning, which began at Hyde Park, London, from 7am. To cap off an eventful weekend, members and participants were invited to a gala dinner held at Brighton’s Hilton Metropole.
With the rapid advancement of technology today, the run was a welcome reminder of the past, showing that these century old machines can still hold their own in the modern world.
Website: www.veterancarrun.com
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