...........including a 1900 electric car!
The Royal Automobile Club is hosting the world's oldest motoring event, the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 4 November. One hundred and sixteen years since it was first run, the event will feature a maximum entry of 550 pre-1905 vehicles making their way from Hyde Park in London to Madeira Drive, Brighton. The event is part of a weekend Celebration of Motoring that includes the Future Car Challenge (for low energy use vehicles) and the Regent Street Motor Show (celebrating the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries of motoring).
This year there have been 15 entries from Ireland – including from people living in County Kildare, County Wexford, County Cork and Dublin. They will be driving cars ranging from a 1900 four-seater Gladiator (made in France) to a 1904 two-seater Peugeot – another French manufacturer and one still going strong today.
Of particular interest is the 1900 Cleveland three-seater with a Stanhope body entered by Reginald Blennerhassett-Plunkett because it is the oldest of the three electric vehicles taking part. Cleveland cars were made in America from 1899 to 1901. A Cleveland won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition and whilst 100 cars were exported to Europe just this and one other exists in the UK. Blennerhassett-Plunkett, a retired company director from Dublin, purchased his car in 1985. He first entered it in the Veteran Car Run in 1999 and has participated every year since. Affectionately known as ‘Jilly', the Cleveland has finished the 60-mile route on the majority of the events Blennerhassett-Plunkett has entered. As Blennerhassett-Plunkett said “it’s quite an achievement taking part with the car as we are depending on battery power for sixty two miles, not what the car was intended to do! Taking part in the London to Brighton run was always an ambition of mine and I have not been disappointed, every entry has been an amazing experience and I thoroughly enjoy having the opportunity to show off the car on the Saturday in Regent Street, as well as the actual run to Brighton”.
Whilst Reginald Blennerhassett-Plunkett will experience problems is keeping enough power in the battery. (It takes four charges to get to Brighton), the same can’t be said for the modern electric vehicles that will participate the day before. Many of which are able to go for 100 miles or more between charges, which clearly shows the technological advances that have been made in 112 years.
The Royal Automobile Club is hosting the world's oldest motoring event, the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 4 November. One hundred and sixteen years since it was first run, the event will feature a maximum entry of 550 pre-1905 vehicles making their way from Hyde Park in London to Madeira Drive, Brighton. The event is part of a weekend Celebration of Motoring that includes the Future Car Challenge (for low energy use vehicles) and the Regent Street Motor Show (celebrating the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries of motoring).
This year there have been 15 entries from Ireland – including from people living in County Kildare, County Wexford, County Cork and Dublin. They will be driving cars ranging from a 1900 four-seater Gladiator (made in France) to a 1904 two-seater Peugeot – another French manufacturer and one still going strong today.
Of particular interest is the 1900 Cleveland three-seater with a Stanhope body entered by Reginald Blennerhassett-Plunkett because it is the oldest of the three electric vehicles taking part. Cleveland cars were made in America from 1899 to 1901. A Cleveland won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition and whilst 100 cars were exported to Europe just this and one other exists in the UK. Blennerhassett-Plunkett, a retired company director from Dublin, purchased his car in 1985. He first entered it in the Veteran Car Run in 1999 and has participated every year since. Affectionately known as ‘Jilly', the Cleveland has finished the 60-mile route on the majority of the events Blennerhassett-Plunkett has entered. As Blennerhassett-Plunkett said “it’s quite an achievement taking part with the car as we are depending on battery power for sixty two miles, not what the car was intended to do! Taking part in the London to Brighton run was always an ambition of mine and I have not been disappointed, every entry has been an amazing experience and I thoroughly enjoy having the opportunity to show off the car on the Saturday in Regent Street, as well as the actual run to Brighton”.
Whilst Reginald Blennerhassett-Plunkett will experience problems is keeping enough power in the battery. (It takes four charges to get to Brighton), the same can’t be said for the modern electric vehicles that will participate the day before. Many of which are able to go for 100 miles or more between charges, which clearly shows the technological advances that have been made in 112 years.
