London Motor Week 2026
London Motor Week returns to the heart of the UK capital from October 26 to November 1, 2026, with a programme of events celebrating the past, present and future of motoring. Organised by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), the London Motor Week 2026 ends with hundreds of pre-1905 cars embarking on the 60-mile London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday, November 1.
This year’s Motor Week commemorates 140 years since Carl Benz patented his pioneering Patent-Motorwagen in 1886, as well as the 130th anniversary of the 1896 Emancipation Run that inspired the Veteran Car Run. The Emancipation Run was held to celebrate the passing of the UK Government’s Locomotives on Highways Act, which raised the speed limit for motor vehicles from 4mph to 14mph and removed the requirement for a person to walk ahead of them with a red flag.
Art of Motoring Exhibition – October 28-31
The Royal Automobile Club’s Art of Motoring exhibition returns to the Iconic Images Gallery in Waterloo Place from October 28-31. Now in its 12th year, the free-to-visit exhibition brings together more than 30 automotive artists, including established names such as Dexter Brown, John Ketchell and Tim Potts, as well as car designers Paul Howse and Peter Birtwhistle.
Works range from paintings and illustrations to sculptures and furniture fashioned from automotive components.
Bonhams Golden Age of Motoring Sale – October 30
A selection of Veteran cars heads to the auction block on October 30 for Bonhams’ annual Golden Age of Motoring Sale. The auction during London Motor Week 2026 will be hosted at Bonhams’ New Bond Street headquarters and incorporates the Somerset Hoard of seven Veteran cars acquired in the 1930s that have remained largely untouched since the outbreak of World War Two. The collection includes a circa-1903 Baker electric car and a rare circa-1902 Progress, both estimated at £35,000-£45,000. The sale is led by a 1904 Darracq 10HP Twin-Cylinder Swing-Seat Tonneau carrying a £150,000-£200,000 estimate.
St James’s Motoring Spectacle – October 31
The free-to-attend St James’s Motoring Spectacle returns to Pall Mall on October 31, showcasing an eclectic collection of more than 150 vehicles spanning the history of the automobile. Organised by the RAC, the event sees Pall Mall closed to traffic from 10:00am to 3:00pm, allowing visitors to peruse everything from Victorian horseless carriages and pre-war models to cutting-edge hypercars and Formula 1 racers. Among the highlights will be more than 80 pre-1905 vehicles preparing for the following day’s Veteran Car Run, around 50 of which will compete in the St James’s Concours.
Leading attractions include the world’s oldest surviving Rolls-Royce, a 1904 10hp model that will make its first public appearance in the UK following a three-year restoration. Also on display is an 1897 Daimler Phaeton, one of the earliest-surviving British-built motor cars. At the other end of the motoring spectrum is a display of all seven generations of Ford Fiesta to mark the model’s 50th anniversary.
RM Sotheby’s London Sale – October 31
RM Sotheby’s London sale returns to The Peninsula London hotel in Belgravia on October 31, with a catalogue spanning more than 125 years of automotive history. Headline lots include a Ferrari F40, an Aston Martin Valkyrie and a 1991 Honda NSX formerly used by Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna.
Two pre-1905 machines eligible for the Veteran Car Run will also go under the hammer: a 1901 Milwaukee steam racer (est £40,000-£60,000) and a 1903 Clément AC4R (est £350,000-£450,000). A preview takes place from 10:00am to 2:00pm, before bidding begins at 4:00pm. Read our full auction preview here.
London to Brighton Veteran Car Run – November 1
The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run brings London Motor Week 2026 to a close on Sunday, November 1. More than 400 pre-1905 motor cars will gather in Hyde Park before embarking on an intrepid, 60-mile journey to Brighton’s Madeira Drive at dawn.
Among this year’s standout entrants is the world’s oldest-surviving Rolls-Royce, a 1904 10hp model fresh from a three-year restoration. Joining it is an 1899 Benz combination delivery vehicle, believed to be Mercedes-Benz’s oldest roadworthy commercial vehicle, which will mark 130 years since Carl Benz developed his first commercial vehicles. Another notable entry is a FIAT 16-20HP from Turin’s Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile, which was built in Italy, bodied in London and first took part in the Run in 1930.
The Run has attracted a host of famous names over the years, including former Formula 1 team principal Ross Brawn, actor Rowan Atkinson and Land Speed Record holder Andy Green. This year’s entry list includes JCB chairman Lord Bamford, whose 1901 Darracq provides a stark contrast to his company’s recently record-breaking, hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax.
Representing a younger generation of enthusiasts is 27-year-old Megan Casey, who will make her London to Brighton debut in a 1903 Humberette recently repatriated from Sweden. The car last took part in the Run during the 1970s and returns this year following a restoration.
Spectators can watch the Veteran Car Run for free at various points along its 60-mile route. The first cars depart from Hyde Park’s Serpentine Road at sunrise, approximately 7:00am, with the last expected to leave by 8:30am. Alternatively, enthusiasts can watch cars trundle through the Surrey and Sussex countryside before reaching the finish on Madeira Drive. The first arrivals are expected from 10:00am, with the event concluding at 4:30pm.
Approximate viewing times – Sunday, November 1, 2026
7:00am-8:45am: Constitution Hill, London
7:00am-8:45am: The Mall, London
7:05am-8:20am: Whitehall, London
7:10am-9:00am: Lambeth Palace, London
7:20am-9:20am: Clapham Common
7:25am-9:50am: Mitcham
7:35am-11:05am: Coulsdon High Street
7:40am-11:05am: Merstham
7:55am-11:35am: Redhill – crossroads where Brighton Road (A23) meets Mill Lane and Hooley Lane
8:10am-2:00pm: Three Bridges
8:25am-2:10pm: Handcross – The Red Lion, High Street, B2110
8:30am-2:15pm: Staplefield, B2114 – The Jolly Tanners, RH17 6EF, and The Victory Inn, RH17 6EU
8:50am-2:35pm: Cuckfield High Street, B2036
10:00am-4:30pm: Brighton – St Peter’s Church, York Place, BN1 4GU
