The 2026 RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run marked 130 years since the original Emancipation Run, with 349 of 396 pre-1905 vehicles completing the historic 60-mile journey on Sunday, November 1. The annual event, organized by the Royal Automobile Club, remains the world’s longest-running motoring event.
This year’s Run also celebrated the 140th anniversary of Carl Benz’s 1886 Patent-Motorwagen, widely recognized as the first production automobile. An example of the pioneering three-wheeler was displayed at the Hyde Park start.
Nearly 400 Veteran Cars Depart Hyde Park
The traditional tearing of the red flag was performed before dawn by Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO and Head of Mercedes-Benz Heritage, and Royal Automobile Club Chairman Duncan Wiltshire. The ceremony commemorated the 1896 legislation that increased Britain’s speed limit for light locomotives from 4 mph to 14 mph and eliminated the requirement for a pedestrian carrying a warning flag.
The first veteran cars departed at 6:53 a.m., leaving Hyde Park in age order to give the oldest vehicles additional time to reach Brighton. The entry included petrol, steam and electric vehicles, ranging from primitive motorized tricycles to the coal-fired Salvesen Steam Car.
Rare 1904 Rolls-Royce Among Historic Entrants
Among the standout vehicles was the oldest surviving Rolls-Royce, a 1904 Type A 10hp finished in its original Primrose yellow. The fourth of only 17 examples built, it had won Best in Show at the preceding St James’s Concours on Pall Mall.
More than 100 marques participated, including Cadillac, Ford, Renault, Peugeot and Mercedes, alongside numerous manufacturers that disappeared during the automobile’s early development. Entrants traveled from across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, including 21 from the United States.
Wolfgang Kraemer Reaches Brighton First
The non-competitive Run followed two routes through south London before rejoining near Croydon and continuing to Madeira Drive in Brighton. German entrant Wolfgang Kraemer was first to arrive, completing the journey in just over three hours aboard a single-cylinder 1903 Lacoste et Battmann. Land-speed-record holder Andy Green also finished, driving a 1904 Stanley steam car after retiring with boiler trouble in 2025.
Other notable participants included Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and television personality Alan Titchmarsh. Some veteran cars also ran on sustainable e-fuels supplied by event partner SUSTAIN.
Why It Matters
The London to Brighton Run provides a rare opportunity to see working examples of the earliest automobiles undertaking a substantial road journey. Its combination of surviving petrol, steam and electric historic vehicles illustrates the technological experimentation that shaped the modern motor industry.
The event concluded the Royal Automobile Club’s London Motor Week, with the next Run scheduled for Sunday, November 7, 2027.
Facts
2026 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
| Category | Details |
| Event date | November 1, 2026 |
| Organizer | Royal Automobile Club |
| Title sponsor | RM Sotheby’s |
| Route | Hyde Park, London, to Madeira Drive, Brighton |
| Distance | Approximately 60 miles |
| Vehicles started | 396 |
| Vehicles finished | 349 |
| Completion rate | 88.1% |
| Vehicle eligibility | Pre-1905 |
| First car departure | 6:53 a.m. |
| First to arrive | Wolfgang Kraemer |
| First arriving car | 1903 Lacoste et Battmann |
| Notable Rolls-Royce | 1904 Type A 10hp |
| Finish deadline | 4:30 p.m. |
| Next event | November 7, 2027 |
Above contents © 2026 RM Sotheby’s, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee 🏁
