John Dennis on the 1959 Run .
John Dennis with Boris Johnson in 2013 .
family firm and was returned to it a couple of years later in part-exchange . It then sat in a corner of the factory until the mid-1930s , when John ’ s father recommissioned it and used it for three Runs before the outbreak of war .
As with John Kemsley ’ s Renaults , the car has reached Brighton every time , its closest brush with failure coming when the rear axle bearing collapsed . Fortunately , that happened in the days when it was possible to find a local garage that had some ball bearings with which to repair it , and they made it to Madeira Drive with an hour to spare .
His most memorable Run , however , was when the Lord Mayor of Westminster fell ill and wasn ’ t able to join him as planned . Not wanting to set off on his own , he put out a message on the PA system and was joined by a young lady whose boyfriend was a passenger on another car . Having thought that she ’ d have to get the train to Brighton , she was delighted not only to take part in the Run , but also to share a VIP lunch with Sir Stirling Moss at the finish .
There ’ s a hint of good-natured competition in this group , with John Dennis being keen to hear how many Runs John Newens has entered . The answer is 64 and counting , the first having been as a passenger in 1955 , at the age of seven . All have been on the 1904 Star that his father bought and restored in the 1950s , and John has been at the controls since 1965 .
The twin-cylinder Star has also made it to Brighton every time , although a fuel blockage made it a closerun thing in 2014 . On another occasion , it arrived at the finish making ‘ a terrible noise ’ after running a big-end bearing . Then , in 2019 , it survived being hit at some traffic lights by another veteran . The incident provided the opportunity for a restoration to be carried out , and 2023 will mark its first Run since .
When you ’ ve done more than 50 Runs , you ’ re bound to notice changes over the years , from the number of spectators along the way to the construction of major roads easing the traffic on certain parts of the route . As for what keeps them
coming back , John Kemsley jokes that it might be ‘ some sort of masochism ’ but , like the others , he revels in the event ’ s unique atmosphere . ‘ Leaving Hyde Park is an incredible spectacle early in the morning ,’ agrees Neil Lucas , ‘ and seeing these machines on the road all the way down to Brighton is amazing .’
It ’ s also significant that family plays a large part in many of these stories , whether that ’ s being introduced to the Run by a parent or being joined every year by children and partners . That continuity means that there will no doubt be plenty more Gold Medals awarded in years to come . -
John Newens ’ 1904 Star .
John Newens ’ parents meeting HM The Queen in 1968 . www . veterancarrun . com F / veterancarrun . I @ veterancarrun 25