Bonhams, international fine art auctioneers, has extended its partnership agreement with the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (LBVCR) until at least 2009.
Bonhams will continue to host the Friday LBVCR Auction and the International Participants Reception at its New Bond Street salerooms. On the day of the Run itself, Bonhams will continue to provide participants with hot chilli and mulled wine on reaching the finish line on Madeira Drive in Brighton.
“We are extremely pleased to announce our continued involvement with the LBVCR,” said James Knight, the International Director of Bonhams’ motoring department. “Since first becoming involved with the event in 2004, the numbers of participants and the overall profile of the LBVCR has grown year on year. We are looking forward to a long and rewarding partnership with the LBVCR for many years to come.”
“It is great news to have Bonhams renew its partnership with the LBVCR,” said Event Director Roger Etcell. “In 2004 when the event was extended to three days, Bonhams was the first of a new group of sponsors to get behind the new look LBVCR. To have the company renew this agreement until 2009 is a positive indication that the new event format, introduced two years ago, is the right one.”
The line up of 490 veteran cars, all pre 1905 vehicles, will participate in the 2006 LBVCR on Sunday 5th November starting in Hyde Park. The first cars leave at 7:07am (sunrise), and travel the 60-miles to Brighton along the A23. The event also includes a special LBVCR auction at Bonhams’ New Bond Street salerooms on Friday 3rd November. On Saturday 4th, Regent Street will be closed to allow over 100 of the veteran cars to be displayed in Central London in the 2006 LBVCR International Concours, with selected vehicles giving demonstration runs around Berkeley Square.
The LBVCR takes place on the first Sunday of every November (2006 event is on 5th November) and commemorates the Emancipation Run of 14 November 1896 which celebrated the passing into law of the Locomotives on the Highway Act, which raised the speed limit for `light locomotives’ from 4 mph to 14 mph and abolished the requirement for these vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot carrying a red flag.