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29/10/2003
London to Brighton Run 2003 - Concours in London on 1st November before Sunday's big event

This week-end fifty of the world’s finest veteran cars will be on display for the first time in central London. The public will be given a chance to savour the runners and riders for this Sunday’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Rally. Situated at Waterloo Place (bottom of Haymarket outside the Institute of Directors) this Saturday 1st November 11.00 a.m. the public will also be able to see the cars undertake mini exhibition runs.

Some of the highlights -

A steam powered vehicle on the London roads for the first time.

The 1901 Gardener Serpollet recently brought back from the United States. With its stage coach appearance, it will be the first time that it has been on the road in over 90 years.

The Gresham family purchased their De Dion Bouton Vis-a-Vis in 1901 and it has remained in their family since that date [the unique aspect of this car is the passengers face the driver, who has to look beyond them to the road ahead].

A James & Browne, an English built car was gifted to the Imperial College and it is the responsibility of the engineering students, who take great pride in its immaculate condition. The students dressed in their colourful college colours, matching the car’s livery, will be one of the stars at the concours.

Cars from as far afield as South Africa and Germany, whilst others will take two or three days to drive from the North of England, will all participate in this unique celebration.

The all-lady entry. Maggie Newman in 1900 Daimler, she comes from Tampa Florida. Her husband was a great car collector of Rolls-Royce and she took on his passion after his death. She is a previous winner of the rally.

The London to Brighton Run is spectacular; but it is more than a nostalgic collection of vintage cars; it celebrates the repeal in 1896 of the “Locomotive Act”, known universally as the “Red Flag Act” and the freedom that that allowed the motoring public. In 1895, a more vocal British public demanded that motoring be recognised as a force for the good, rather than a passing fad, and a year later, Harry Lawson, an entrepreneur and part of the fledging British Motoring Manufacturers organised a London to Brighton Run on the first Sunday of November to celebrate the repeal of the Red Flag Act. It was a tremendous success, with in excess of a million spectators and this celebration has been re-enacted every year since 1929, with few exceptions, on the first Sunday of November.

This year, 420 vehicles will participate in the London to Brighton Run on Sunday 2nd November in an event that was brought to life for thousands of cinema goers in the BAFTA award winning film “Genevieve”.

The following cars and drivers are scheduled to appear at Saturday's concours -

Car	Driver
1898 Leon Bollee	Tom Campbell
1899 Clement Panhard	Stuart Evison
1900 Napier G20 8hp	Christopher Thomas
1900 Daimler	Maggie Newman
1900 Benz Dogcart	Robert Holdridge
1901 Panhard et Levassor	Dick Sheppard
1901 De Dion Bouton	James Gresham
1902 Mors Type J	Stuart Evison
1902 Wolseley 10hp	Michael Doughty
1902 Panhard et Levassor	John Lawson
1903 De Dion Bouton	Nick Pellett
1903 Panhard et Levassor	Benjamin Jacques
1904 Darracq	Peter Moffat
1904 Siddeley	Giles Estler
1901 Serpollet Steam	Daniel Ward
1902 Mors 12hp	Richard Moore
1895 Peugeot	Evert Louwman
1904 Darracq (Genevieve)	Quirina Louwman
1901 Mors	Royal Automobile Club
1904 Humberette Beeston	Sandra Strong
1899 Panhard et Levassor	Toby Ward
1903 Peugeot 2 Seater	Martin Chisholm
1903 Oldsmobile	Ian Kerr
1901 Stonebow	David Ingleby
1904 Daimler	Frederick Mostert
1902 James & Brown	James Devine
1902 MMC	Henry Lawson
1903 MMC	Henry Lawson
1902 Panhard	Stephen Battye
1900 De Dion Bouton	Shaun Crofton
1902 Renault 4 Seater	Cliff Jowsey
1904 De Dion Bouton	Edwin Jowsey
1901 Sunbeam-Mabley	Christopher Thomas
1904 CGV	Michael Bradbrook
1901 Panhard	Mary Lambert
1903 Berliet	John Bentley
1904 Soc.Des Armes	Bill Haines
1900 Georges-Richard	Helen Fowler
1902 Panhard	Bill Wrather
1903 Panhard le Vassor	Malcolm Bishop
1901 Pick 2 Seat Racer	Rodney Fowler
1901 Darracq	Robert Brooks

Text/Photo - The Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall.

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