The Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is of course not a race. Firstly, a race on public roads would be against the law, and secondly, with 20 miles per hour being the maximum speed many of these veterans can reach, it wouldn't really be a spectacle.
But the Run - a Royal Automobile Club event - does have a competitive element. Launched in 2014, the Chopard Regularity Time Trial combines the intelligence of the drivers and their passengers with the sands of time... and there's a Chopard Mille Miglia Chronograph worth £4,900 waiting for the trial winner.
The time trial starts in the middle of the run after the riders rejoin at the Crawley checkpoint at halfway and finishes 13 miles later at another checkpoint at Burgess Hill in Sussex.
Prior to the run, each participant will indicate the average speed they expect to maintain over the 13 miles. The car and driver closest to their nominated average speed will win the watch.
Although there is only a 12-year difference between the youngest and oldest cars at the event, technical development at the beginning of the 20th century has been rapid, and the difference in performance is enormous.
As always, the 2017 race will take place on the first Sunday in November, which this year falls on November 5.
More than 400 veterans have registered this year, including a large contingent of cars built in France. While Germany is generally considered the birthplace of the automobile, it was the French who accelerated the concept of the horseless carriage, making them by far the largest automobile producing nation between the 19th and 20th centuries.
The run is just one element of the Royal Automobile Club's London Motor Week. A whole week is packed with motoring events. Popular events include the free Regent Street Motor Show, which takes place on November 4. In addition, auction house Bonhams will hold its annual classic car sale on Friday, November 3, with cars dating back to 1905.
Further information about the event can be found on the website.
