For those who’ve always wanted to take part in the iconic London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the Bonhams’ auction offers six opportunities to make the trek in your own ancient contraption, with entry to the Run included in the sale.
The London to Brighton Run, which celebrates the lifting of onerous British traffic laws in 1905, is limited to pre-1905 vehicles, several of which Bonhams has included in its Golden Age of Motoring Sale scheduled for November 5 at the company’s New Bond Street Saleroom in London. The Run takes place on Sunday, November 7.
“After a year’s break due to the pandemic, the pioneer motoring community is looking forward to this year’s Veteran Car Run,” Tim Schofield, the head of Bonhams Motor Cars UK, said in a news release. “Our sale gives a unique opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts to get in the driving seat, by bidding for and buying one of these fine examples on the Friday and then taking part in Sunday’s Run.”
Topping the veteran-car docket is a 1904 Peugeot Type 67A 10/12hp Twin-Cylinder Swing-Seat Tonneau with an estimated pre-auction value of £140,000 to £170,000 ($192,640 to $233,920).
“Brought over from France and fully restored in the early 1970s, the Peugeot entered its first Run in 1974 and has been a regular participant since,” Bonhams says in the release.
A handsome blue 1903 Wolseley 10hp Twin-Cylinder Four-Seat Rear-Entrance Tonneau has an estimated auction value of £120,000 to £150,000 ($165,120 to $206,400). The Wolseley has been restored and upgraded, with an entire new body, new gears and braking, Bonhams says.
Other Run-eligible cars at auction are:
• A 1904 Brennan 14/18hp Twin Cylinder Five-Seater Rear Entrance Tonneau, estimated at £80,000 to £120,000 ($110,080 to $165,120), that’s one of only four known surviving pre-1905 American Brennan cars.
• The possibly only surviving 6hp Warwick, a 1902 6hp Stanhope Four-Seater, estimated at £45,000 to £55,000 ($61,920 to $75,680).
• A 1904 Crestmobile Model D 8½ hp Four-Seater Rear-Entrance Tonneau, estimated at £40,000 to £45,000 ($55,040 to $61,920).
• A circa-1900 Bruneau Quadricycle, the earliest vehicle in the auction, estimated at £40,000 to £50,000 ($55,040 to $68,800).
The Golden Age of Motoring Sale is a traditional live auction, with bids accepted from clients in the salesroom. For more information and a complete list of auction lots, visit Bonhams website.
