Motoring history: the 2026 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run takes place this Sunday, November 1
Set your Sunday morning alarms early this weekend, and when you get up, grab a coffee and a bacon sandwich and get out on the streets of Croydon for an annual spectacular that’s free to enjoy.
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run returns on Sunday November 1 with more than 400 pioneering pre-1905 cars expected to take part in what is one of the world’s most evocative celebrations of motoring history.
And the route to the south coast runs straight through Croydon.
The record entry for recent years begins its 50-odd mile journey to Brighton from Hyde Park at dawn, just before 7am. The cavalcade of old bangers is expected on the A23 at Norbury and Thornton Heath between 7.25am and 9.50am, and will be pottering along the A236, A235 and A23 though Coulsdon from 7.35am until just gone 11am.
It is 130 years since the landmark Emancipation Run of 1896 – the event that celebrated the liberation of the horseless carriage and effectively heralded the birth of motoring in Britain.
Legislation raised the legal speed limit for light locomotives from 4mph to 14mph and, crucially, abolished the requirement for a person carrying a red flag to walk ahead of every motor vehicle. The new-found freedom was celebrated on November 14 1896 when 33 intrepid early motorists drove from London to Brighton.
From dawn to dusk: the oldest vehicles set off on their journey to the south coast first
It is that pioneering journey which the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run has commemorated since 1927, making it not only one of the world’s most famous historic motoring events but also the longest-running motoring event of its kind.
This year’s impressive gathering is the biggest and best in recent years, with a number of highly significant entrants.
More than 100 of this year’s entries have travelled from overseas, with participants coming from across Europe as well as the United Syayes, Hong Kong and Australia.
“Few events can claim such a direct connection with the birth of motoring itself as the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run,” said Duncan Wiltshire, chairman of the Royal Automobile Club.
“The 1896 Emancipation Run was a defining moment in Britain’s motoring history, marking the freedom to travel by motor car and opening the road to the extraordinary development of the motor industry that followed.
“It is therefore particularly appropriate that, 130 years on, we are celebrating that landmark occasion with such a magnificent field of veteran cars. The scale of this year’s entry is hugely encouraging, as is the enthusiasm of the many younger drivers and participants who are becoming increasingly involved. They are ensuring that this remarkable piece of motoring history is not simply preserved, but continues to be enjoyed and brought to life for future generations.”
Around 100 different makes will be represented. Some – including Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Renault and Peugeot – remain familiar names to motorists today, while many others have long since disappeared from Britain’s roads. Mors, De Dion Bouton, Brush, Covert, Flint, Humber, Knox and Gladiator are just some of the fascinating marques represented.
Among the notable entrants this year are the world’s oldest surviving Rolls-Royce (from 1904), Rover and Vauxhall models, together with Mercedes-Benz’s oldest roadworthy commercial vehicle.
The 1904 Rover is entered by the British Motor Museum, while the venerable Vauxhall is another highly significant forebear of today’s well-known brand.
Hyde Park has been the traditional starting point since 1936. From there the veterans head down Constitution Hill, passing Buckingham Palace and continuing along The Mall before making their way beneath Admiralty Arch and into Trafalgar Square.
They then turn right into Whitehall, passing the Cenotaph before heading towards Westminster. The cars pass Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and the entire field crosses Westminster Bridge before the route splits into two. Half the cars follow the traditional A23 route via Kennington, Brixton and Streatham, while the remainder travel along Albert Embankment before crossing Clapham Common and continuing through Tooting and Mitcham.
The routes merge once again on the A236 north of Croydon. It is then along Mitcham Road to Roman Way, through Old Town and under the Croydon Flyover, where a roundabout and a sharpish left turn (by these old bangers’ standards) on to Lower Coombe Street is followed by a right turn on to South End and on to the Brighton Road (A235) heading on to Purley and points south.
Click here for the mapping of the full route.
The first vehicles are expected to arrive in Brighton shortly after 10am. To qualify for a coveted finishers’ medal, crews must complete the journey and reach the seafront before the 4.30pm dusk curfew.
For more details of the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, visit www.veterancarrun.com.
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