Motoring back to past glories

This months' Bennett Run is not the Festival of Motoring in another guise, says Brian Storkey of Bexhill Promotions Group.

Brian, the "voice" of the Bexhill 100 and its principal organiser throughout its 13 years, says: "This is much smaller, but never the less an important celebration of Bexhill's Motoring History.

"In 1903, Mr F.S. Bennett imported the first Cadillac into England, one of the earliest American cars to come to this country.

"In order to publicise the car and prove its reliability he set out on a 1,000 mile Reliability Trial, starting out each day from Crystal Palace and travelling to and from a different town on the South Coast for eight days until he had completed 1000 miles.

"One of these towns was Bexhill-on-Sea. He repeated this feat in 1913 - and then again in 1953 when he was 79 years old!"

The car, a small 6hp Cadillac is still owned by the Bennett family and this year his grandson, Julian, will be driving the car on an identical route to re-enact the eight-day reliability trial successfully completed 100 years before by his grandfather.

This month's event is being overseen by the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain who are giving the Bennett Run extensive coverage in their magazine, as are The Cadillac Owners Club of Great Britain.

Brian Storkey says: "They are keen to make something special of their visit to Bexhill and they intend to bring the 1/3 scale replica of the Cadillac to Bexhill to meet with the scale replica Veteran Car built by Bexhill's Councillor Fairhurst and our own replica Serpollet Steam Car.

"The overall main 1,000 mile reliability trial to the various coastal towns is being sponsored by The Daily Telegraph. CNN intend to cover the event as do BBC TV who have recently located footage of the 1953 reliability trial.

Julian 'Frederic' Bennett is raring to have a go at the 1,000 miles in his recently MoT'd 100-year-old Cadillac.

At the races at Bexhill between 1902 and 1906 - which were celebrated in Bexhill annually from 1990 until 2002 via the Bexhill 100 Festival of Motoring - one of the most famous racing drivers of the day was Mr. S.F. Edge. His wife was living in Bexhill during the Cadillac Reliability trial of 1953 and she presented a trophy to Mr Bennett when he arrived at Bexhill.

"We are in contact with the grandson of Mr and Mrs Edge and hope that he will be able to attend on Wednesday, September 24 and fit another piece into the jigsaw of Bexhill's Motoring History."

The Cadillac Owners Club of Great Britain has organised a coach tour that will be visiting Bexhill on Friday, September 19, partly because it is one of the destinations of the reliability trial but also because Bexhill is the Birthplace of British Motor Racing.

"The main event will take place opposite the Sackville, the venue in 1903, 1913 and 1953.

"We intend to have a parade of vehicles around the town when the tour arrives in Bexhill and when they leave.

"Hopefully we will welcome the return of the very popular Happy Harold trolley bus, which will parade around the town during the event, promoting the event, give rides around the town and creating a fun atmosphere for residents and visitors. It is also hoped that other classic cars and the Serpollet replica will make appearances round the town.

"We are hoping to attract a number of veteran, vintage and classic American vehicles in particular Cadillacs, to the event, and a few other interesting cars. The events on the green opposite the Sackville will probably begin at about 11.00am and finish at 3.00pm "

The 1903 Cadillac and other vehicles are scheduled to arrive in Bexhill at noon having driven from Crystal Palace via the A21.

It is planned that Town Mayor Cllr Deirdre Williams will meet the party at the outskirts of Bexhill in the Serpollet and lead them via Old Town to the seafront and the town centre to De la Warr Parade.

At De La Warr Parade, the parade will join other interesting vehicles. The Expedient jazz band will provide the music and period displays will be provided by Bexhill Museum and Bexhill Museum of Costume and Social History.

The Town Mayor will welcome the Bennett Run to Bexhill and present a trophy to mark the occasion.

Brian Storkey says: "This is a non-profit making venture, celebrating Bexhill's place in motoring history."

He is asking for potential sponsors of elements of the event and owners of Cadillacs and other pre-1930 American cars to contact him on 01424 730564.