FEATURE
SOAKING UP THE SUN
Jonathan Gill reflects on the Royal Automobile Club ’ s inaugural Summer Run , in which participants swapped scarves for sunglasses
Staged in glorious sunshine , predominantly on the leafy lanes of rural Surrey , the inaugural Summer Run , which took place back in the warmth of July , was hailed as a major success on all fronts . The welcome new addition to the Royal Automobile Club ’ s impressive portfolio of motoring events was inaugurated to complement this weekend ’ s world-famous RM Sotheby ’ s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run .
Staying faithful to the hallowed Emancipation Run of 1896 , the annual pilgrimage from capital to coast is always staged on the first Sunday in November – and thus participants often face less than clement weather after a predictably chilly start in Hyde Park . As a result , the Summer Run was created to allow custodians of these extraordinary pre-1905 vehicles the very welcome opportunity not only to drive their wonderful ‘ horseless carriages ’ in rather warmer weather but also to savour the camaraderie of like-minded fellow enthusiasts in relaxed sunny surroundings .
Meeting both those objectives , the single-day showcase was based at the Club ’ s idyllic Woodcote Park clubhouse situated near Epsom to the southwest of London . As an evocative introduction , the
24 The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run