The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run has a new partnership

LONDON – In a new partnership with the Royal Automobile Club, RM Sotheby’s has become the title partner to the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run for the next decade.

Staged on the first Sunday every November, the world’s longest running motoring event will be renamed as ‘RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run’. Open to vehicles built before 1905, the Run is the world’s largest and most evocative gathering of veteran cars, attracting hundreds of entries from all round the globe.

The event marks the anniversary of the original ‘Emancipation Run’, held in 1896 to acclaim the recently passed Locomotives on Highways Act. The legislation raised the speed limit for ‘light locomotives’ on roads from 4 to 14 mph and abolished the need for a man to walk ahead waving a red flag. To celebrate this new freedom, 33 intrepid motorists set off after breakfast from the Metropole Hotel in Whitehall, heading for the Sussex coast.

A shorter Commemoration Run was subsequently organized before a full London to Brighton revival was introduced in 1927. Other than a break because of World War Two, the Run has taken place every year since.

RM Sotheby’s long-established London sale will now be held on the eve of the Veteran Car Run in conjunction with the partnership. A staple on the global collector car calendar, the London sale welcomed bidders from more than 30 countries last year, and will celebrate its 14th year in 2020.

Sharing its deep-seated passion for the Run with the veteran car community, RM Sotheby’s will also be providing all those reaching the Brighton seafront with hospitality at the finish line on Madeira Drive.

Full details of the newly retitled RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run are available on the event website at www.veterancarrun.com. Additional information on RM Sotheby’s and its upcoming London auction are available at www.rmsothebys.com.

About RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

With its unique atmosphere and camaraderie, the RM Sotheby’s Veteran Car Run from London to Brighton (staged specifically as a non-profit making event) commemorates the Emancipation Run of 14 November 1896, which celebrated the Locomotives on the Highway Act. The Act raised the speed limit for ‘light locomotives’ from 4 to 14 mph and abolished the need for these vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot waving a red flag.

The first commemoration of the Emancipation Run was held in 1897 with a drive to Sheen House in Richmond Park. Then, in 1927, the inaugural re-enactment followed the original Brighton route and has taken place every November since, apart from the war years and 1947 when petrol was rationed. The Royal Automobile Club has managed the Run with the support of the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain since 1930.

For more information visit: www.veterancarrun.com

About the Royal Automobile Club

The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 and its distinguished history mirrors that of motoring itself. In 1907, the Club was awarded its Royal title by King Edward VII, sealing the Club’s status as Britain’s oldest and most influential motoring organization.

The Club’s early years were focused on promoting the motor car and its place in society, which developed into motoring events such as the 1000 Mile Trial, first held in 1900. In 1905, the Club held the first Tourist Trophy, which remains the oldest continuously competed for motor sports event. The Club promoted the first pre-war and post-war Grands Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and Silverstone in 1948 respectively, whilst continuing to campaign for the rights of the motorist, including introducing the first driving licenses.

Today, the Club continues to develop and support automobilism through representation on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Motorsport UK and the RAC Foundation while promoting its own motoring events including London Motor Week, which features the free-to-attend Regent Street Motor Show on Saturday 31 October and the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which takes place on Sunday 1 November 2020.

The Royal Automobile Club also awards a series of internationally recognized trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Torrens Trophy, the Simms Medal, the Dewar Trophy and the oldest trophy in motorsport still being competed for today: the Tourist Trophy.

About RM Sotheby’s

With offices in Europe, Canada and the United States, a global team of nearly 30 expert car specialists, and no less than 12 live auctions held in seven countries each year, RM Sotheby’s is the world's largest collector car auction house by total sales. With 40 years of proven results in the collector car industry, RM’s vertically integrated range of services, from auctions and private sales to estate planning and financial services, coupled with an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM Sotheby’s is currently responsible for six of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction. In February 2015, RM formed a strategic partnership with Sotheby’s, uniting the two companies for the full calendar of future automobile auctions.

For further information including details on how to consign a car to RM Sotheby’s London sale, or to register to bid, visit rmsothebys.com.