Bronwen May , her female crew and Percy the Puppy arrive in Brighton in 2023 .
Kelsie Whittemore on the Peugeot side by side with another lady driver - Polly Irvine on a 1904 Daraccq - in 2023 . very fond of them . It ’ s so important to find ways to encourage young people to get involved with these fantastic machines , and especially young women .”
Although 27-year-old Kelsie Whittemore has only been driving veteran cars since 2023 , she ’ s already notched up plenty of miles in her 1904 Peugeot . In her hands , this French gem has also become a global Instagram star .
“ In August 2022 , my father bought the Peugeot and our own family tradition started when he drove it on the Run that year , with me as passenger . I learned to drive the car in January 2023 and went on to drive it on that year ’ s Creepy Crawley . A couple of days later I created the Instagram account @ 1904Peugeot . First
I just posted a couple of videos , mainly for my parents because they love seeing them . But then it went crazy . I don ’ t even know why but within a couple of months those two videos had over a million views .
“ The Instagram account connects me to other people who have veteran cars , but it ’ s also attracted people from all over the world who know nothing about these vehicles . Some people ask “ Is this a fake ?” and I explain that it really is 120 years old !
“ I felt fairly confident when I made my Veteran Car Run debut last year . But on the day , we had engine problems . I had to drive extremely slowly , my boyfriend Ollie pushing the car up even the tiniest of hills as I clutched the steering wheel , willing the Peugeot on . But we managed to finish , reaching Brighton at 4:30pm just as the sun was setting . I was so proud of the car . This year I have an all-women car , with my mother and grandmother as passengers .”
You can read our in-depth interviews with each of these ladies on the Veteran Car Run website . -
42 The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run