When the participants on the Veteran Car Run arrive in Brighton and line up in front of those ornate arches, it's fascinating to think of the crowds who gathered above those same arches to witness the first-ever Brighton Speed Trials in 1905 - and what they would think of it all today... 

Pictured above: participants on the 2023 RM Sotheby's London to Brighton Veteran Car Run arrive in Brighton.

In 1905, local hotelier Sir Harry Preston persuaded the Town Corporation to lay a motor racing track in Brighton. A track that used the pioneering material of Tarmac as its surface, the first of its kind. The Town Council collaborated with the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland to organise an event known as Brighton Motor Week. The event ran from the 19th – 22nd July 1905 and consisted of a series of motor races.

The first event ran westwards, from Black Rock to the aquarium, the opposite directions to which the event runs now. It attracted over 400 entries and cars were classified according to rolling chassis prices. They were timed over a flying start kilometre and were allowed to have passengers. Motorcycles competed in handicap races and were timed over a standing start mile. Classes were based on engine capacity, the weight of the bike and the weight of the rider.

During this first event three world records were broken, two by French motorcyclist Henri Cissac. Henri set a new record for the flying kilometre, with a time of 26 seconds, and a top speed of 86mph. He also lowered the standing mile time to 53.2 seconds. The other record was set by Harry Rignold who lowered the flying mile record from 64 seconds to 46.2 seconds.

This first event was entered by The Hon. Charles Rolls (later of Rolls Royce fame). He took part in an enormous four-cylinder 26.5-litre Dufauls (see photo below). Unfortunately, it started belching flames and smoke while making horrendous moaning noises terrorising the crowds as it did so! it is alleged that the car was still being built on the Channel crossing on its way to Brighton.

The last day of the week was essentially a “Ladies Day” and the best performance by a driver was by Dorothy Levitt in an 80hp Napier, pictured below.

This first event drew huge crowds to Brighton and also included several concerts throughout the city and a pre-race banquet!

Our thanks to the Brighton & Hove Motor Club for giving us permission to reproduce their history of that 1905 event, and these wonderful archive photographs. Click on the logo below to read the Brighton & Hove Motor Club's full story of the history of the Speed Trials.