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Hill climb event surpasses the magic £1m mark for local charities
The Kop Hill Climb has been a thing since 1910, when motorcyclists would converge on the steep, twisting slope to test their machines’ prowess.
Cars were introduced to the Buckinghamshire event the following year and, as its reputation grew, so did the number and quality of the entrants: Malcolm Campbell, Raymond Mays, Henry Segrave and Count Zborowski all competed. But after a spectator was injured in 1925, no further permits were issued by the RAC for high-speed contests on public roads.
Fast-forward to 2009, and the Kop Hill Climb was revived as a non-competitive, moving celebration of the history of the car and the motorcycle. It drew a superb variety of pre- and post-war cars and bikes for a combination of static displays and demonstration runs up the famous hill, all while raising lots of money for local charities.
By lunchtime on the 2023 event, it was announced that funds raised for local good causes since the revival in 2009 had exceeded £1 million; and by the end of the two-day event, the grand total stood in the region of £1,070,000.
David Garratt, from the event’s brand marketing team, told PC: ‘It's probably unlikely that, back in 2009, the KHC Revival founders ever envisaged that the event would deliver over a million pounds for its local good causes. This huge achievement is testament to the devotion of hundreds of past and present volunteers, the faithful support of thousands of classic owners, the involvement of many local businesses and the tens of thousands of spectators who have all been part of the Kop history to date.’
PC’s Matt Tomkins entered his 1937 Austin Seven Special and made two runs up the hill, alongside some 500 other entrants over the two-day event. An impressive 800 classic vehicles attended
