Britain’s motoring history came to life in London on Sunday, 1 November, as veteran cars gathered for the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
The 97-kilometre route began in Hyde Park and ended on the south coast. Some of the pre-1905 vehicles travelled at speeds of only 12 to 20 mph, reflecting the demanding nature of driving cars from the earliest days of motoring.
This year’s event marked 140 years since Karl Benz introduced his Patent-Motorwagen, widely regarded as the first production car. The mechanical difficulties faced by the participants were also on display when one vehicle broke down on The Mall.
Participants described the run as an experience that requires patience and detailed knowledge of the cars’ mechanics. Shaun Harborne, driving a 1901 Renault Type D, said the vehicle was fragile and required careful handling of its suspension, brakes, clutch and gearbox.
Karl-Heinz Jungbeck travelled from Munich in a 1903 Lacoste & Battmann. He said the event gives drivers a sense of the adventure motorists would have experienced more than a century ago.
Sources: Euronews English.