Historical

In Britain, the Emancipation Run of 1896 from London to Brighton observed the passing of the Locomotives on the Highway Act that raised the speed restriction on automobiles from 4 mph to 12 mph. That first run was followed by several others up to 1904. In 1927 the run was reintroduced for pre-1905 cars as the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, and is the world’s premier and longest running annual early car driving event. Hundreds of pre-1905 vehicles participate each year.

In the United States, among the most significant early driving events were the AAA Reliability Tours, more generally known as the Glidden Tours, named after the initial financial backer Charles J. Glidden. They were originally held from 1905 to 1913, but were revived in 1946 by the Veteran Motor Car Club of America, and have been held ever since. The AAA used these tours as both publicity for the auto industry and as lobbying events for state and federal government support of more user friendly auto legislation and the development of better auto related infrastructure.

In 1908, another milestone driving event took place—a race from New York to Paris, sponsored by the New York Times and the French newspaper Le Matin. With only 6 vehicles entered from 4 nations and only one America entrant, a 1907 Thomas Flyer, the turnout was not what the organizers envisaged. Nevertheless, 200,000 people turned out in Times Square for the start. The race took 169 days with live updates in newspapers around the world. At the end, the Thomas Flyer was crowned the winner by 26 days, having traveled some 22,000 miles. It remains the longest automobile race, and the 26 days the largest winning margin in history.

Modern

Auto enthusiasts and hobbyists form clubs and host events all over the world. Organizations such as the Horseless Carriage Club of America (HCCA), the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain (VCC-GB), the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), and many, many more, organize driving tours, road rallies, shows, and competitions in support of the antique car hobby.

Clubs include all manner of makes and time periods. AACA is perhaps the broadest, with events open to any vehicle at least 25 years old. Many clubs are marque specific. The HCCA is a pre-1916 touring club and considers their national and regional events a rolling museum of Brass Era vehicles. There are literally thousands of car clubs worldwide, and their members hold vast knowledge of the detailed history of their specific interest and represent a great resource for research on any particular vehicle.