Historic Naiper in London-brighton run

Former racing machinery will feature prominently in the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday November 2, including the 1902 Napier – the first British car to score an international victory.

Selwyn Francis Edge won the 1902 Gordon Bennett race in the Napier, now owned by Daniel Sielecki. Another Gordon Bennett winner is the 1903 Mercedes of Tim Scott, used by Camille Jenatzy to win in Ireland that year.

Elsewhere in the vast field for the run is Peter Bartley’s 1903 Achilles, which was a race winner at the final meeting held at Brooklands in 1939, and Ian Moore’s 1899 Panhard et Levassor, which finished third in that year’s Tour de France.

The oldest car with a racing background is the 1896 Peugeot of Rodney Anderson, which is claimed to be the oldest racing Peugeot in private hands. It won the 1896 Bordeaux to Langon event.