London
to Brighton Veteran Car Run -
2023
The first London to Brighton car run run took place on Saturday 14th
November 1896, organised by Harry J. Lawson, and was named "The
Emancipation Run" to celebrate the recently passed Locomotives on
Highways Act 1896 abolishing the need for an escort being required to walk
on foot 60 yards ahead of the vehicle waving a red flag, - and the raising
of the national speed limit of 4mph in the country (2mph in town) to 14
mph in the country. This LBVC Run of 2021 was the 125th anniversary of the
original Run and only cars that were in use THEN are allowed on the run,
now being called 'Veteran' cars. The Run is open to four-wheeled cars,
tri-cars and motor tricycles manufactured before 1st January 1905 and the
subject of a valid Veteran Car Club of Great Britain (VCC) Dating
Certificate. Similar Runs take place for early Motorcycles (Pioneer
Run) and early Commercial Vehicles (HCVS Brighton Run).
The LBVC Run is approximately 60 miles (97km) long and starts from
Serpentine Road, Hyde Park in central London, and finishes at the
sea-front at Madeira Drive, Brighton. First cars start at Official Sunrise
Time (7.06am) and depart in batches at intervals of two minutes. The
starting order is determined by age and horsepower, with earliest vehicles
starting first. The maximum average speed permitted is 20mph. The official
finish is at Madeira Drive, Brighton which closes at 4.30pm. The maximum
entry list is 450. This
year the catalogue suggests a smaller overall entry list and that the
start within London has again been split into two routes to ease
congestion and improve the flow of the run within the city. They join up
again north of Croydon. This is why some cars carry blue entry numbers and
some a red number. Some cars are also carrying a Red letter 'R' sign which
denotes they are undergoing a Lange & Sohne Regularity Time Trial of
achieving an average speed as close as possible to that nominated at the
start of the event over a defined 10 mile stretch of the route near
Redhill. Points lost for being early or late or lots for hiding out of
sight if early!
Weather on the 2021 LBVC Run was
quite reasonable and our intrepid snapper Tony Oakes was
again at his usual post on the hill out of Redhill where the cars are
getting towards their slowest as they grind up the steep incline out of
town. It is interesting to note that while the cars are generally spanning
only five or six year period, the speed they get up the hill differs from
having to have spectators and marshals pushing them up it, to veteran cars
galloping up the hill overtaking moderns.
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