Rare cars descend on London for free St James’s Spectacle show

St James's Spectacle is free to attend, running on Pall Mall between 10am and 3pm on 2 November

Inaugural event tomorrow – Saturday 2 November – is a prelude to the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

The organiser of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run has announced a new car show presenting landmark models from history of motoring.

The St James’s Spectacle is free to attend and will take place on London’s Pall Mall tomorrow, Saturday 2 November, ahead of the London to Brighton Run the following day.

It will comprise a concours event for some 75 pre-1905 cars judged by industry and television personalities including Edd China and Alan Titchmarsh, as well as several zones highlighting the past and future of the motor industry.

The Heritage Display area will provide a neat timeline through the history of the industry, from horse-drawn carriages through to steam-powered cars and up to today’s high-tech electric vehicles.

It will also celebrate 125 years of Fiat and Renault, plus the 50th anniversary of the Volkswagen Golf.

Meanwhile, the Modern Design showcase will feature a mix of famed classics and new supercars. They range from a 1904 Mercedes Simplex and a Subaru Impreza rally car to the Aston Martin Valkyrie and a Porsche 963 hypercar that raced in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.

“The Spectacle really will live up to its name,” said Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. “Whether it’s the extraordinary collection of Victorian and Edwardian pioneers or the glittering array of equally innovative hypercars furthering the ground-breaking technologies to come, Pall Mall will be packed automotive legends past, present and future. And, best of all, everyone can enjoy the Spectacle for free.”

The event will start at 10am and end at 3pm.