Drivers wearing top hats, flying goggles, capes and deer stalker hats brought hundreds of vintage motors to Brighton.
Participants in this year’s RM Sotheby’s Veteran Car Run gathered before sunrise in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday for the “symbolic” tearing-up of the red flag and the traditional dawn start towards the coast.
Car enthusiasts were ready to greet arrivals at Madeira Drive under a bright sunny sky.
The run has been taking place every year since 1939, with variations of the event beginning in 1897.
The event commemorates the famous Emancipation Run of November 1896, which celebrated the removal of “draconian restrictions” against motor vehicles, including a four mile per hour speed limit and the requirement for someone to walk ahead of a vehicle.
Famous faces are often spotted in the vehicles and tis year saw Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason in his 1901 Panhard Et Levassor.
Organisers said this year’s 60-mile journey was “particularly special”, with the largest entry of pre-1905 vehicles in recent years.
More than 400 “horseless carriages” were joined by four veteran motorcycles and 25 veteran bicycles from the same period – including a few crowd-pleasing penny farthings.
The oldest car that set off from Hyde Park, and one of the first to depart, was a single-cylinder Benz built in 1894, entered by Hermann Layher from Germany.
It was among more than 100 overseas entries, with participants travelling from as far afield as Australia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States.
Other makes of cars entered included well-known brands such as Chevrolet, Ford, Peugeot, Mercedes and Renault. Other brands less known today included Mors, Berliet, De Dion Bouton, Napier, Thornycroft and Gladiator.
Organisers said many of the veteran cars now run on “green” sustainable biofuels. All four of the Royal Automobile Club’s entries will be powered by a drop-in biofuel provided by SUSTAIN.
RM Sotheby’s is the world’s largest collector car auction house by total sales.
Ahead of the run, Duncan Wiltshire, chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, said: “The magical RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is a truly great British tradition.
“Now in its 129th year, it is an extraordinary showcase celebrating the introduction of motorised transport, and the pleasures and freedoms this pioneering technology brought.
“The 1000 Mile Trial we are honouring this year played a significant role in putting both the joys and the practicalities of motoring on the map. We must pay tribute to the British Motor Museum not only for curating the original Wolseley from that event but also for its enthusiastic support this year.
“Most of all, I would like to thank all our participants and partners. Only their incredible enthusiasm makes this unique occasion possible, and creates an extraordinary experience for everyone involved.”
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