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The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the longest-running motoring event in the world. The first run was in 1896, and it has taken place most years since its initial revival in 1927. To qualify, the cars must have been built before 1905. It is also the world's largest gathering of veteran cars – 484 started in 2009, compared to 37 starters in 1927.And the London to Brighton Run has been going on for decades. There is a delightful 1953 movie called Genevieve in which the Run is the central feature.
It takes place, currently, on the first Sunday in November and starts at sunrise from Hyde Park, London and mostly follows the old A23 road to finish at Brighton – a distance of 54 miles. There are two official stops along the way: Crawley, for refreshment, and Preston Park (in a suburb of Brighton). Preston Park is the official finishing point.
The event is organised on behalf of the Royal Automobile Club who emphasise that the event is not a race – they do not even publish the order in which cars finish, and participants are not permitted to exceed an average speed of 20 mph. Any that finish (many do not) before 4:30 pm are awarded a medal.
The first run took place on 14 November 1896, a wet Saturday. Organised by Harry J. Lawson, President of The Motor Car Club, and named "The Emancipation Run", it was a celebration of the recently passed Locomotives on Highways Act 1896, which had replaced the restrictive Locomotive Acts of 1861, 1865 and 1878 and increased the speed limit to 14 mph. Since 1878 the speed limit had been 4 mph in the country and 2 mph in the town, and an escort had been required to walk 20 yards ahead of the vehicle. The 1865 act had required the escort to carry a red flag at a distance of 60 yards.