The London - Brighton Run

[TimD]

Well, I know it's not strictly Historic Racing, as it's on the public roads, but it surely represents racing history, what with Mercedes GP cars, Gordon Bennett Napiers and a firebreathing Peerless all regular entrants.

As the Veteran Car Club's London to Brighton run is a couple of weeks away, do any of our posters ever make a point of seeing it?

Is there any other country in the world that would allow a cavalcade of 500+ pre-1904 cars onto the streets of the capital, and then on for a 50 mile trip on the open highway? And of course, the fact that the annual happening is in November, and you are required to set off from the crack of dawn in Hyde Park, exhibits the kind of enthusiastic masochism for which the British are justly proud.

So, what's everyone doing at daybreak on Sunday November 5th. Hyde Park beckons for me, and then lunch with the Bentley boys down at Horley, where the Bentley Drivers Club arrange a display of magnificent machinery on the roadside as a silent salute to the pioneers.

Are you brave enough?

[Marshal]

I have to agree Tim that seeing the cars start off in Hyde Park is a fantastic experience, just about worth the early start! My Particular favoutite is the Land Speed Record holding Mors, which I've seen a couple of times.

When you see them all starting up and steaming (in some cases literally) into the distance, its not too hard to imagine what the starts of the great city to city races in the 1900's were like.

I'd definitely edorse Tim's recomendation to get along and see them. Can you give specific details Tim?

[SNH]

Check out the feature on http://www.thegrid.co.uk for the details

[TimD]

Wow! Just clicked on the grid link, and got a real surprise.

I've seen the Grenville steam carriage in a museum, but I never thought I'd see it running, let alone on the open road. Wonderful.

I've spent a couple of days searching for specific timings for the event, but so far this has been pretty fruitless. The Grid reports a start time of 7.30am. I would actually say be earlier than that, if you are going to Hyde Park. A lot of people make the effort to be there, and prime spectating places get filled quickly.

The cars line up alongside the Serpentine, and are marshalled out in clusters of about ten a time, out of Hyde Park Corner.

Very briefly, the veterans then make their way out of London via Victoria and Brixton hill, picking up the A23 Brighton road.

My chosen vantage point after leaving the start is Horley, where the Bentley Drivers Club set up camp, but other car clubs have been seen on the route before now. Closer to Brighton, the Singer and Morgan clubs take over pubs for the day, and in the outskirts Croydon, I have witnessed an armada of Bubble Cars parking up for the parade.

Earliest arrivals in Brighton will be at around 10.30am, where they are welcomed onto Madeira Drive on the sea front. The stragglers are required to make it to Brighton by 4pm to qualify for their finishers medal. On average, about a fifth of the entry fails to make it.

Whilst we've all done it, it really is not recommended that you follow the cars down the A23. The traffic congestion is huge, and there's always the danger that the veteran behind you won't be able to stop in time. There was a 1901 Lanchester a couple of years ago which made it to Brighton unscathed, but which had managed to peel open a Nissan Bluebird on the journey. These cars are a lot stronger than a modern tin box.

If I can find a map of where to see them on the route, I'll post more details. I know I've got one somewhere.

[SNH]

TheGrid gets all the important info..............