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Latest News update from the world’s
longest running motor event – November 2011
The big day draws closer and the first of the sixteen Irish entries has departed for this run which boasts the participation of some of the most unique Veteran cars in existence which will be taking to the roads in their unaltered glory. In a sight to behold, over 500 pre-1905 cars will take the event’s 75th anniversary start from London’s Hyde Park at official sunrise on Sunday morning, 7.02am precisely. Among them will be a fine collection of entirely original vehicles, each with its own fascinating history and all of which helped build the foundations for the cars we drive today. One revolutionary car maker was George Bouton, under the patronage of Count Albert de Dion, who helped advance the more highly-powered engines of the late 19th century which became the heart of De Dion Bouton motor cars. In 2011, the De Dion Bouton is the most-entered event marque, with 86 models, but one in particular carries a delightful story behind the reason for its authenticity. Robert Brown’s De Dion Bouton two-seater is a fine 1904 example featuring significant items such as the De Dion Bouton carburettor. Although some minor ignition system revisions have been carried out some time ago, the paintwork appears to be original and the car’s bodywork unmodified, complete with leather valences to the inside face of the front mudguards, whilst the dashboard carries correct battery and coil boxes. The 6hp single cylinder car, chassis number 360, can boast such unspoilt condition as its first owner is reported to have moved the car into his living room for safe wartime storage. He would enjoy his pre-dinner aperitif sat in the driver’s seat, sounding the car’s bulb horn when necessary to summon the butler! Although a seasoned Veteran Car Run stalwart, with around 50 recorded finishes to the car’s credit since its first Run in 1950, its new owner for 2011 is not and Robert looks forward to making his event debut this weekend. A 111 year-old English Mechanic two-seater thought to have been the world’s first build-it-yourself car will also feature among the impressive field gathered in honour of the event’s 115th anniversary. It was built following instructions in the weekly magazine ‘English Mechanic and World of Science and Art’ of the same year. Hyler White, designer of the world’s first ever kit car, apparently rode in the 1896 Emancipation Run of what is now known as the world’s greatest and longest running motoring event. Boasting a single cylinder and 3hp, the 1900 model first tackled the Veteran Car Run in 1929. This year the car will be driven by the owner since 1966, Blake Dorrington. An extremely original car with an even more original story is the 1901 Argyll Spindle-seat Tonneau owned and driven by Michael Hilditch. After being kept in its first owner’s garage it then spent nearly 50 years, from 1945 to 1993, safely stowed in the second owner’s living room in a first floor flat. A beautiful example, the first owner’s crest is still visible on the bodywork of the car, chassis number 106, which features a single cylinder, 5hp and a maximum speed of 18mph. Manufactured just two years after the Argyll, the 1903 Peugeot two-seater can also claim an interesting history. Dismantled in 1919, it was found under floorboards in the 1960s and as such remains unspoilt. A full rebuild was completed of the rather typical French single-cylinder period car in 2004. A regular Run participant since then, the Peugeot completed the historic 60-mile route in 2010 prior to new ownership by Keith Austin this year. Another entry that can claim absolute originality is the 1901 De Dietrich Vis-à-vis that will be driven by the car’s fourth owner, Stephan Musfeld, who is also the owner of the Old Timer Museum Pantheon in Basel, Switzerland. Delivered on 7 June 1901 to Basel, 100 years later the vehicle remains in complete condition and received the award for Most Original Car in the 2009 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run Concours d’Elegance. Stephan will once again showcase this beautiful example as part of the 100 Veteran vehicles of the 2011 Concours d’Elegance which this year forms part of the inaugural Regent Street Motor Show on Saturday 5 November.
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Latest News update from the world’s
longest running motor event – October 2011
1902 Mercedes Simplex Nigel Mansell helps to honour 115 years of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run - October 2011
One of the greatest names in motor racing, Nigel Mansell OBE
will headline the celebrities joining the Royal Automobile
Club’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 6 November.
The 1992 Formula One World Champion will be joined by
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Mike
Penning MP, for the 115th anniversary of the world’s longest
running and greatest motoring event.
Nigel Mansell remains one of Britain’s best loved and most successful racing drivers. In a brilliant career spanning 15 seasons he recorded 31 grand prix wins and 32 pole positions from 187 starts, ranks third in the world’s fastest laps tally and sits fourth in the overall winners list. CART IndyCar World Series Champion in 1993, he remains the only driver to take back-to-back titles, winning the CART crown as the reigning F1 champion. His heroic on-track battles earned him worldwide acclaim, never more so than on home shores where his pass on Nelson Piquet in the 1987 British Grand Prix heading into Stowe Corner triggered ‘Mansellmania’. Mansell will be joined by Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport and MP for Hemel Hempstead. The duo are sure to be a highlight for the tens of thousands of spectators who line the 60-mile route from London’s Hyde Park to Madeira Drive in Brighton, in what is Britain’s biggest free-to-spectate motoring event. The 2011 event promises to be one of the best yet, featuring 500 of the most iconic pre-1905 Veteran cars, including an International entry accounting for twenty five per cent, while honouring Germany as the country of celebration. The event also boasts the largest entry ever from Ireland showing how popular early motoring is in this country. Driving a 1902 Mercedes Simplex, Mansell and Penning’s journey will help mark the birth of motoring innovation starting with the celebrations surrounding the Run’s 75th anniversary start from Hyde Park.
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Latest News update from the world’s longest running motor event – September 2011
Youngest
Veteran Car Run driver starts in pole position - LBVCR September
News
As the sun rises over London on Sunday 6 November, at precisely
07:02 the oldest vehicle participating in the Royal Automobile
Club’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run will be the first to
depart from Hyde Park. At the wheel of the 1.5hp 1894 Benz Velo
will be one of the youngest drivers to take on the historic 60
mile route as the event celebrates its 115th anniversary year.
Adopting the famed number one starting plaque for the world’s longest running motoring event, the 1894 Benz Velo will be driven by 17 year-old Oliver Wright from Skyreholme near Skipton, North Yorkshire. Yet to take his driving test, Oliver will head the 500 strong entry of pre-1905 vehicles joining to celebrate the anniversary event which this year honours Germany as the celebrated country, with event sponsors Mercedes-Benz and Bosch both marking 125 years in 2011. Believed to be the oldest Benz Velo in existence, the car is part of The Ward Collection, jointly owned by brothers Daniel and Toby Ward. Thought to be the first four-wheel model to be built by Benz, this particular 1.5 horsepower single cylinder Velo has an intriguing history. It was one of three cars shipped to Italy in 1894 rumoured to have been sold to the Marconi family. It was then imported to the UK in a packing crate in 1900 when the family moved to Berkshire. The car stayed in the same crate until 1980 when it was disinterred and sold by Sotheby’s at an auction in Bristol in 1981. Robert Holmes à Court fully restored the car for the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run while the Benz Velo travelled across the globe, from Australia to America, before it was acquired by The Ward Collection a decade ago. It is one of seven stunning Veteran vehicles entered by The Ward Collection for the 115th anniversary Run. Oliver, a talented automotive student who has shown a flare for motor mechanics from a very early age, has been given the wonderful opportunity to command the magnificent Benz Velo on its first Veteran Car Run under its current ownership as a Ward family friend. Just two years after the Benz Velo was built, on 14 November 1896 33 pioneering motorists set off from London for a drive to the Brighton coast in celebration of the recently passed Locomotives on Highways Act, signifying the birth of motoring innovation and laying the foundations for the world’s longest running motoring event. In 2011, Oliver will follow in the tyre tracks of those Emancipation Run participants along the 60 mile journey which will take in much of the original 1896 route before the nostalgic finish on Brighton’s Madeira Drive. Before setting out for what will undoubtedly be a memorable drive, both car and driver will join the Concours d’Elegance at the heart of the inaugural Regent Street Motor Show during Saturday. |
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Latest News update from the world’s longest running motor event – August 2011  Shane Houlihan at the start in 2010 75th Hyde Park annual start for quintessential London to Brighton Veteran Car RunSpecial celebrations will be in order on Sunday 6 November as The Royal Automobile Club’s 2011 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run marks the 75th anniversary start from Hyde Park. The historic world famous annual 60-mile Run will honour the birth of motoring innovation in an iconic British setting, with the first Veteran car leaving the Royal Park at official sunrise, 07:02hrs. The largest of the Royal Parks, Hyde Park is renowned for hosting the pinnacle of British events and the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is certainly no exception. Since the Royal Automobile Club moved the start of the annual Run that celebrates the 1896 Emancipation Run, to Hyde Park in 1936, it has become as integral to the event as the journey the 19th Century motor cars make. Hyde Park has remained synonymous with early motoring since the start of the Run was first held there 75 years ago, and this year’s anniversary celebration commends the dedication and continued passion of those who continue to enjoy historic automobiles. The 2011 Run promises to surpass all previous events with over 500 cars entered with participants from China, the USA and Australia already confirmed. In addition to the celebrations at Hyde Park, 2011 will also mark the 125th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz and its first patented motor car, as Germany is honoured as the country of celebration. Exclusive to pre-1905 motor vehicles, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the world’s longest running motoring event and a truly unique experience for both spectators and participants alike on the 60-mile route. Previous Runs have seen many famous celebrities and sporting personalities amongst the participants, including the Royal Family, making it an anniversary event not to be missed. 2011 has been a special Royal year for Britain, and the Run with its 75th Anniversary start from Hyde Park will surely seal this year as one of Britain’s finest. The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is one of the biggest free-to-view events in the country, and few other annual celebrations command the prestige and excitement of this quintessentially British celebration of international automotive commitment and creativity.
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111 year-old Porsche hybrid enters London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
A rare 1900 Lohner-Porsche, the world’s first electric front wheel drive hybrid car, is the latest International entry in this year’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. The 19th Century pioneering hybrid design motor car known as “Mixte” was conceived and built by Ferdinand Porsche whilst working for Vienna coachbuilder Jacob Lohner. Entered from Austria, the Veteran motor car will be famously driven on the Run by Ernst Piech, grandson of the late Austrian pioneer and Andreas Lohner of the coachbuilder family. In the late 1890s Lohner recruited Ferdinand as a youngster with no engineering training but shortly after the launch of this Lohner-Porsche he was quickly recruited by Daimler- Benz before starting his own automotive company. On Porsche’s departure, Lohner commented “he is very young, but is a man with a big career before him. You will hear of him again.” Now, 111 years later, the Lohner-Porsche will take part in the Royal Automobile Club’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run sponsored by Tindle Newspapers and Bonhams Auctioneers on Sunday 6 November. This unique car will also feature in the event’s Concours d’Elegance staged on the previous day in Regent Street. One of more than 500 pre-1905 motor cars participating in the 115th anniversary of the world’s longest running and greatest motoring event, spectators will be encouraged to look out for the Lohner-Porsche, or, more accurately, listen out for the distinct sound of an engine running at constant revs regardless of the car’s speed. By mounting electric motors in the wheels, Porsche had done away with any need for transmission or driveshafts. Unfortunately, battery technology at the time was rudimentary and made the car very heavy. The concept however impressed customers, and the firm received orders for a different version of his first development car. It included a petrol engine to generate electricity, topping up the batteries and increasing the car’s range, making it the world’s first hybrid electric vehicle. This also reduced the weight of the batteries but retained the benefits of a transmissionless drive. It was a simple concept but one that has stood the test of time with the development of today’s low-energy hybrids. The Lohner-Porsche was not only a revolutionary vehicle in its day, but it was also strangely prescient of vehicles more than a Century later, as will be seen in the Club’s Brighton to London RAC Future Car Challenge taking place during Saturday 5 November. This is an event for 21st Century low-energy vehicles that are competing with each other to complete the same 60 mile Veteran Car Run route in reverse using the least energy possible. The event starts in Brighton and finishes in Pall Mall, London, before the cars parade to Regent Street and feature alongside the Concours d’Elegance event for the 19th Century cars taking part in the following day’s Run to Brighton. Few Lohner-Porsche cars survive, and whilst it is unlikely to find one in the Veteran Car Run Auction, presented by Bonhams, held on the Friday prior to the event it will be possible to find the biggest collection of Veteran cars eligible for the Run on sale in one place. Some even have entries for the event allowing bidders to buy on Friday and participate on Sunday.
The 1900 Lohner-Porsche today
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World’s longest running and greatest motoring event heads towards 500 entries! Over 450 entries have already been received for the world’s greatest event celebrating the dawn of motoring. Owners of the world’s earliest motor cars, from over 20 countries, have already submitted their entries to secure their place on the 115th anniversary event of the Royal Automobile Club’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 6 November. The FIA award winning annual celebration sponsored by Tindle Newspapers and Bonhams Auctioneers continues to attract astonishing numbers of pre-1905 motor vehicles from around the globe and with over five months still to go a full-house of 550 entries is expected. A wide variety of 19th Century motor cars are currently being prepared for shipping to London from as far as USA, Australia and China. Germany is this year’s country theme and with their 125 year celebration of the Benz, one of the biggest entries of early Benz, Daimler and Mercedes is expected. An 1894 Benz Victoria is currently standing as the earliest car to enter and face the 60 mile challenge from Hyde Park, London to Madeira Drive, Brighton. Participants will start arriving in London with their Veteran cars in time for the event auction at Bonhams in New Bond Street on the Friday (4 November) featuring period-related vehicles, parts and automobilia. International Participants will then retire to a reception hosted by the auction house. On Saturday afternoon, around 100 of the 19th Century cars take over Regent Street in central London for a Concours d’Elegance. This display is a free-to-view show for the public and gives them their first opportunity to see the machines that will be taking part in the Run on Sunday. During the afternoon, these Veteran cars will be joined by today’s pioneering 21st Century new-energy (Electric, Hybrid, Hydrogen etc) cars taking part in the Royal Automobile Club’s RAC Future Car Challenge that will have just driven from Brighton covering Sunday’s route in reverse. Their challenge will be to cover the 60 miles consuming the least energy possible and employing advanced technical solutions to help them achieve it. See www.futurecarchallenge.com Participants are then invited to the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall on Saturday evening for cocktails before an early night in preparation for a dawn start the next day. The first Veteran car leaves Hyde Park at official sunrise (07:02am) and the 500 drivers taking part will attempt to cross the finish-line in Madeira Drive, Brighton before 4.30pm, their machines willing. Once again, this is one of the biggest free events in the U.K. and is supported by tens of thousands of spectators along the entire length of the route. See www.lbvcr.com Please click link below to access the LBVCR video page of YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/TheVCR2011?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/TpwGTKyIjHA Added 22:21 12 July 2011 |
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Members flying the IVVCC flag on the London to Brighton Run 2010
Jimmy Bohan – Cork – 1903 DeDion Since the foundation of the IVVCC in 1963 our members have been taking part in the world’s longest running Veteran car event – The London to Brighton. The run takes place annually on the first Sunday in November and commemorates the Emancipation Run of 14th November 1896 which celebrated the passing into law of the Locomotives on the Highway act – widely known as the ‘Red Flag Act’ which raised the speed limit from 4mph to 14mph and abolished the need for vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot carrying a red flag. The first re-enactment of the run took place in 1927 and has taken place every November since with the exception of the war years, making 2010 the 77th commemoration event. The run is open only to cars dated pre 1905 and last year there were 13 Irish participants. Entries are now open for the 2011 event and we will bring you details on Irish participation as we lead up to the event. (photos by: Sussex Sport Photography)
Shane Houlihan - Waterford – 1902 Panhard Jonathan Bewley – Dublin - 1900 Gladiator
Jim Boland –Kildare - 1902 Renault Jim Boland –Wexford - 1904 Mercedes
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