REGENT STREET 2013 – A MILE OF VERY SPECIAL AUTOMOTIVE STYLE
04/11/2013 – The traffic on Regent Street was brought at a total standstill on Saturday 2 November not, however, as a result of congestion in central London but for the annual Regent Street Motor Show.
The capital’s world famous West End shopping street was closed from Piccadilly to Oxford Circuses for the UK’s largest free-to-view motor show which featured a glittering display of more than 300 cars from past, present and future eras.
There were numerous highlights for the 250,000 visitors that filled the pavements and temporarily pedestrianised highway. Representing the dawn of motoring was a remarkable collection of 100 pre-1905 machines. As a curtain raiser to Sunday’s running of the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, these were participating in the prestigious EFG International Concours d’Elegance towards the northern end of Regent Street. The 1900 Daimler of John Worth won the overall prize.
Further down from Oxford Circus, the legendary Aston Martin marque was out in force commemorating its centenary with a mouth-watering line-up of 100 of its most iconic models. The milestone celebration right in the heart of the capital was even more appropriate as the company was founded locally in Chelsea back in 1913. Adding to the entertainment, the Aston Martin Racing team was wowing the packed crowds with dramatic pit-stop displays. Closer to Piccadilly Circus, further down the elegant Nash Curve, Porsche was honouring 50 years of its evergreen 911 sportscar.
Representing present and future generations, manufacturers such as BMW and Renault were showcasing many of their latest offerings including futuristic electric vehicles such as the Renault Twizy and BMW i3. Proving electric vehicles can be fast as well as frugal, the Drayson Racing Technologies Lola B12 69/EV Le Mans prototype was on the Michelin stand fresh from claiming the World Electric Land Speed Record for sub-999kg vehicles by covering a flying mile at an average speed of 205.139mph.
“It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying such a wonderful display of amazing cars in the fabulous setting of Regent Street,” said Ben Cussons, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee. “Staged on the eve of the Veteran Car Run, this truly unique motor show really had something for everyone from early coal fuelled steam vehicles right up to the cars that will be roaming our city centres in the decades to come. With the sun shining for most of the day and so much to enjoy and experience, it was no surprise to see the whole street absolutely packed with a mix of serious car enthusiasts and clearly curious shoppers. It’s been a huge success and a great start to what’s always a fabulous and historic automotive weekend in London.”
“The Regent Street Motor Show, displaying cars from the past, present and future, provides a great draw for visitors who can not only take great pleasure from the splendid displays but also appreciate The Crown Estate’s recent investment in Regent Street which has transformed it into the best shopping street in the West End,” added Annie Walker, Director of the Regent Street Association.
A British-built world beating electric racing car will be one of the star attractions at the Regent Street Motor Show on Saturday 2 November.
Proving the ‘E’ in EV can stand for ‘excitement’ just as much as ‘electric’, the Drayson Racing Technologies Lola B12 69/EV Le Mans prototype will be on the Michelin stand at London’s free-to-view motoring extravaganza fresh from breaking no fewer than four World Speed Records.
The brainchild of former science minister Lord Paul Drayson, the sleek all-electric racing car claimed the records earlier this month (October) on a runway at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire.
The official FIA-sanctioned record attempt saw the whisper quiet machine claim the World Electric Land Speed Record for sub-999kg vehicles by covering a flying mile at an average speed of 205.139mph. In so doing, the car broke its own record of just over 204mph, set in June. It also covered a flying kilometre at an average speed of 333.271kph.
Two other records tumbled at the same time: the car set a new EV acceleration world record by taking just 9.742 seconds to cover a quarter mile from a standing start… and it claimed a new outright British Land Speed Record for any wheel driven vehicle, regardless of its type of propulsion.
Green in colour and commitment, the racing prototype will be displayed by Michelin, whose Le Mans-derived LMP1 race tyres it used for the successful attempt. Michelin will also be showing the advanced treaded 18in race tyre that it has created for the new FIA Formula E Championship for electric-powered single seaters which starts next year and comes to London in June 2015. And its fuel saving Energy E-V road tyres can be found on other EVs on display in Regent Street, such as the acclaimed Renault ZOE.
Lord Drayson said: “For the land speed record, we absolutely had to have tyres with the right sort of grip and which provided outstanding traction off the line. Michelin offers tremendous R&D support which, for us, makes ours an important long-term partnership.”
“Whether it’s developing tyres for Britain’s world record breaking electric car, the electric race cars of tomorrow as for Formula E or zero emission city cars, Michelin is at the forefront of tyre technology for a cleaner, sustainable and exciting future,” commented Malcom Scovell, Commercial Director, Michelin Tyre Plc.,UK and Ireland.
Like Michelin, the Regent Street Motor Show embraces cars of all shapes and sizes. As well as the latest machinery from manufacturers including MINI, BMW and Renault, there will be historic displays from Aston Martin, which is celebrating its centenary this year, and Porsche which will be paying a 50th birthday tribute to the 911.
And there will also be a display of up to 100 veteran cars, all built before 1905. They will be competing for top honours in the EFG International Concours d’Elegance, before taking part in the annual Veteran Car Run from London to Brighton the following day (Sunday 3 November).
In four short years, the Regent Street Motor Show has become a keenly anticipated fixture on the motoring calendar which attracts more than 250,000 visitors on the day.
This year Regent Street will be closed to traffic in its entirety, from Piccadilly Circus to Oxford Circus, with manufacturer displays on the famous Wren Crescent.
For more information visit the official Regent Street Motor Show website: www.regentstreetmotorshow.com
Regent Street Motor Show:
The annual Regent Street Motor Show is a unique free-to-view London motor show in one of the capital city’s most famous streets which is closed to traffic for the day. Displaying over 300 cars spanning 125 years of motoring from the earliest 19th Century veterans to the very latest supercars, it stretches from Piccadilly Circus in the south to Oxford Circus in the north. The event is open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 2 November previews the famous London to Brighton Veteran Car Run and includes a special EFG International Concours d’Elegance featuring many of the extraordinary pre-1905 vehicles that will be driving from Hyde Park to the Sussex seaside resort on the following day.
Veteran Car Run:
With its unique atmosphere and camaraderie, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run sponsored by Tindle Newspapers and Bonhams (staged specifically as a non-profit making veneration) commemorates the Emancipation Run of 14 November 1896, which celebrated the Locomotives on the Highway Act. The Act raised the speed limit for ‘light locomotives’ from 4 to 14mph, and abolished the need for these vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot waving a red flag. The Emancipation Run was first re-enacted in 1927 and has taken place every November since, with the exception of the war years and 1947 when petrol was rationed. The Royal Automobile Club has managed the Run with the support of the Veteran Car Club since 1930.
The Royal Automobile Club:
Founded in 1897, the Royal Automobile Club’s continuous support and promotion of the development of motoring in Great Britain began with the famous 1000 Mile Trial in 1900. In recent years the Club has focused on running annual free-to-spectate motor shows in the country including the Regent Street Motor Show, and the world’s oldest motoring event – the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which will take place on Sunday 3 November 2013. For more information visit: www.veterancarrun.com. The Royal Automobile Club also awards a series of famous trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Tourist Trophy, the Simms Medal and the Dewar Trophy.