Ian Johnstone (Sc 57-61) owns a 1904 De Dion car which he runs in various events. Last year he generously reached out to the School to offer a senior student with an interest in vintage cars a place with him in the Veteran Car Run London to Brighton, an invitation eagerly snapped up by Toby Stevens (FH 19-24). Toby was part of the School's Formula 24 team, building an all electric single seater race car to run at Goodwood. He has a current FIA race licence, raced the Carrera Panamericana in 2024 and just gone to Bath University to read Mechanical Engineering. David Baldock (PS 57-61) also took part in the Run with his 1904 Peugeot.

The Veteran Car Run (LBVCR) was first set up as a celebration of the Emancipation Run of November 1896, which abolished the requirement for someone to walk ahead of a motorcar and raised the speed limit to 12 mph. This was later further increased to 20 mph. The run was resurrected in 1927, with eligibility limited to cars built before 1904. 

The OTs met up on Sunday 2 November in Hyde Park and set off at 8am to drive the 60 miles to Madeira Drive in Brighton.

They started with light rain but then things improved to a crisp autumnal sunny day. They had the full race experience with ignition issues, they ran out of petrol enroute and were hit by another competitor breaking their steering tie rod four miles from the finish line. With Ian’s  ingenuity they cobbled together a fix with cable ties and managed to cross the finish line at 2.30pm.

Ian, Toby and Adrian Stevens in the 1904 De Dion

David in his 1904 Peugeot