The hero cars from the Oscar-nominated 1953 film Genevieve were the first out of the blocks for this yearʼs London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which was blessed with atypically pleasant weather on 5 November.
The famous event marks the anniversary of the Emancipation Run of 1896, which celebrated the repeal of draconian restrictions on driving in the UK, and today hundreds of pre-1905 vehicles drive the 60 miles from Hyde Park in London to Madeira Drive on the Brighton seafront.
This year, the normal starting procedure was modified to mark the 70th anniversary of Genevieve, which featured a cast of veteran cars, many of which were on the Veteran Car Run. The filmʼs two star cars, a 1904 Darracq 10/12 Type O and a 1904 Spyker 14/18hp (C&SC, November 2023), are both kept in the Louwman Museum in The Netherlands but came over to the UK to be the first cars to leave Central London at 7am. They were followed by other veterans that featured in the film, all identified by unique event plates.
The usual order of the oldest car first resumed after the Genevieve stars, with this yearʼs most senior automobile being the Turin motor museumʼs 1892 Peugeot vis-à-vis. A familiar sight on the run in recent years, it was the first car to ever turn a wheel in Italy. Regular Goodwood racer Duncan Pittaway amazed with his 1896 Salvesen: it is essentially a steam locomotive on road wheels, with a tiller.
It wasnʼt just petrol and steam power on the run, either. Before the cars set off, a collection of pre-1905 pedal cycles started the long journey in the early morning darkness among similarly aged motorcycles, while three veteran electric cars also took part.
In all, 341 cars attempted the route, with 301 making it to the finish, including ex-Formula One team boss Ross Brawn, on his fourth attempt in his 1904 Wilson-Pilcher 12hp. “It was probably the best London to Brighton we have done – not least because I had the huge honour of tearing the red flag before the start,” enthused Ross. “The car ran nicely. As ever, the atmosphere is unique, and thereʼs a great camaraderie among the participants. The crowds lining the route this year were probably the best Iʼve ever seen.”
Although itʼs not strictly a race, the first to reach the finish line, in just under three hours, was Henry Lawson on his 1903 MMC. Entrants came from 15 different countries, and more than 100 marques were represented.
