It’s
120 years since the original
Emancipation Run, which
was held in 1896 to celebrate the Locomotive on the
Highway Act. This raised the speed limit for
‘light locomotives’ from 4 to 14 mph and abolished the need for a man to walk ahead waving a red flag.
It also marked 130 years since German
engineer Karl Benz revealed his Patent Motorwagen, a petrol-powered three-wheeler regarded as the world’s first automobile. In his
honour, this year’s Run had a German theme
which was supported by Daimler Benz who
entered a number of early Benz and Mercedes cars from its museum. One of these, a
1901 Benz Spider, was driven by ex-Formula
1 team owner turned TV pundit Eddie Jordan.
Jordan was not the only former F1 team
owner turning back the clock on the road
to Brighton. Ross Brawn also completed the
course in his 1904 Wilson Pilcher.
After the ceremonial tearing of the red flag –
performed this year by Jordan – the cars set off
alongside Buckingham Palace and down the
Mall before heading past Big Ben and over
Westminster Bridge at the start of the journey
to the coast.
With the 60-mile route bathed in autumnal
sunshine and lined by hundreds of thousands
of enthusiastic spectators, the first target for the
intrepid automobilists was Crawley and The
Harrods Stop at Honda Gatwick. Here their
cars could be fettled while the participants enjoyed warming refreshments from the Harrods
Food Halls.
While the Run is famously not a race, the
Time Trial introduces a competitive element.
More than 180 entrants, more than ever before, elected to take part in the Trial by attempting to keep to a strict average speed
for the stretch between Crawley and Burgess
Hill. The winner was Wolfgang Presinger in a
1904 Covert who covered the 13 miles at an
average speed of 8.05mph compared to his
8mph target.
In total 351 of the 392 starters made it to
Brighton before the 4.30pm deadline to claim
a coveted finishers’ medal. Appropriately in
a year celebrating German cars, the first car
home was the 1903 racing Mercedes driven
by Chris Scott from Jersey which arrived in
the sunny seaside resort shortly after 10am.
With a mighty 9.2-litre engine under the bonnet delivering an impressive 60bhp, perhaps
that was no surprise.
The Royal Automobile Club’s Peter Read,
Chairman of the Motoring Committee, said:
“Once again this remarkable event – the
world’s largest gathering of veteran cars and
the globe’s biggest free-to-view motoring event
– was a huge success, a fitting tribute to the
men and machines who first put the world on
wheels.
The weather was glorious – if a little chilly
– this year, and that was a real bonus for the
spectators, the participants taking part not to
mention the volunteer marshals who, fittingly,
make sure it runs like a well-oiled machine.
Here’s to next year when the Run will be held
on 5th November, ahead of Bonfire Night.”