London to Brighton Veteran Car Run -- November 5, 2023

Photograph of the “Emancipation Run” from London to Brighton on 14 November 1896, taken in front of the Hotel Metropole in Brighton. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: U77666)

Mercedes-Benz Classic will take part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (LBVCR) on 5 November 2023 with a 1904 Mercedes Simplex 28/32 hp. The vehicle from the Mercedes-Benz Classic collection is currently a highlight exhibit at Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands. Only vehicles built up to and including 1904 are permitted at the LBVCR. It dates back to 1896, making it one of the oldest motoring events in the world. Automobile pioneer Gottlieb Daimler also took part in the first event 127 years ago.

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

The history goes back to the “Highway Act” of 1865, also called the “Red Flag Act”: this restricted the maximum speed of self-propelled vehicles with steam propulsion in England to 6.4 km/h (4 mph). In built-up areas, the limit was as low as 3.2 km/h (2 mph). Until 1878, a person with a red flag was required to walk ahead of the vehicle and warn other road users.

In 1896, the speed limit for road vehicles was raised to 19.2 km/h (12 mph). On 14 November 1896, motorists celebrated this liberalisation with the “Emancipation Run” from London to the seaside resort of Brighton, 96 kilometres (60 miles) away. A total of 33 vehicles took part. The vast majority were powered by internal combustion engines, but there were also five steam cars and five electric cars. Automobile inventor Gottlieb Daimler took part as a passenger in a Daimler Vis-à-Vis 3 hp. He was a guest of his business partner, Frederick R. Simms. In 1890, Simms acquired the rights to use Daimler’s engine patents in Great Britain and founded Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited in 1893. In addition to models from Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie., the starting field included several cars from Panhard & Levassor with Daimler engines and at least one Arnold Motor Car derived from the Benz Velo under licence.

In 1927, the historic run was commemorated and reinaugurated. The date was fixed as the beginning of November, with usually rather inhospitable weather. The first Sunday in November quickly established itself for the “Run”, hosted by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC). The gathering of the vehicles in London’s Hyde Park in the early morning hours, and the preparation of their propulsion systems ranging from steamers to combustion engines, is an impressive spectacle. The RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run – as it is currently known – will start at sunrise, i.e. at 7:01 a.m., on 5 November 2023. Two-, three- or four-wheeled vehicles built before 1905 are permitted. The drive systems obtain their energy from steam, batteries, petrol – or muscle power: since 2017, historic bicycles have also been allowed to participate.

Mercedes-Simplex 28/32 hp touring car, built in 1904. Contemporary crack drawing from the left. (Photo index number in the Mercedes-Benz Classic Archives: Mercedes-Simplex_28-32_HP_5137)

Mercedes-Simplex 28/32 hp, 1904

The Mercedes Simplex models were among the outstanding innovators in automotive history. With their modern concept of a flat vehicle design, the engine installed low down in the frame and the honeycomb radiator, they fundamentally changed the history of mobility from 1902 onwards. The Mercedes 35 hp with this completely new vehicle architecture appeared in 1900. From 1902 onwards, the Mercedes Simplex model family paved the way for the brand’s success and ushered in the breathtaking development of the entire automotive industry: 120 years ago, the Simplex models created the blueprint for modern automotive engineering. The 1904 Mercedes-Simplex 28/32 hp taking part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run 2023 was in production until 1909. Its four-cylinder engine has a displacement of 5,322 cubic centimetres and delivers an output of 24 kW (32 hp) at 1,200 rpm.

Technical data – Mercedes-Simplex 28/32 hp
Production year: 1904
Cylinders: 4/In-line
Displacement: 5,322 cc
Output: 24 kW (32 hp)
Top speed: 60 km/h