JUST PUBLISHED: Nick Mason leads celebrity line-up at London Motor Week

Film stars, TV personalities and rock stars joined motoring connoisseurs and collectors in Britain’s capital for London Motor Week 2025, held from 27 October to 2 November. Emulating California Car Week, this often eccentric and very British affair exchanged sun, sea and prestigious golf courses for bright autumn vibes, Royal Parks and the odd seasonal shower.

The series of events that made up London Motor Week built in magnitude throughout the seven days, culminating in the annual RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run — now in its 129th year and billed as the longest-established motor event in the world.

Kicking things off, the Mountbatten Room at Pall Mall hosted the Autocar Live podcast, where Steve Cropley and Matt Prior interviewed luminaries from the motoring world, while the Motoring Heritage Collection opened its archives to the public, revealing rare documents and photographs tracing the evolution of British motoring.

Tuesday evening saw the Motoring Industry Dinner, welcoming Dr Andy Palmer, former CEO of Aston Martin, who delivered a keynote on electrification and legacy. Wednesday brought the Motoring Book of the Year Awards, celebrating literary contributions to automotive culture. Thursday’s lectures explored the future of design, sustainability and autonomous technology. Each event formed a thread in the rich tapestry of London Motor Week, weaving together past, present and future.

All served as a prelude to a spectacular weekend that I immersed myself in fully. London on 1 November 2025 was a fabulous place to be for car enthusiasts. Travelling to the heart of the city as autumn’s golden hues settled over Pall Mall and Hyde Park, the streets became a mecca for motoring fans.

Organised by the Royal Automobile Club, London Motor Week’s itinerary was a masterclass in curation — blending industry insight, historical reverence and artistic expression. Pall Mall closed to traffic and opened to wonder.

The St James’s Motoring Spectacle, now in its second year, returned with even greater fanfare. Designed to showcase more than 130 vehicles across six themed zones, it drew nearly 10,000 visitors. A symphony of roaring engines, gleaming chrome and evocative artistry, it featured more than 60 pre-1905 vehicles — many bound for the Veteran Car Run the following morning. Owners, dressed in period attire, mingled with spectators, sharing stories and posing for photographs beside their brass-era machines.

Rowan Atkinson, of Mr Bean and Johnny English fame, could be seen demonstrating friend and vintage-car stalwart Duncan Pittaway’s 1896 Salvesen Steam Cart, while Edd China of car-fix-it television and the ever-green Alan Titchmarsh chatted with enthusiasts in period costume. Both are firm veteran-car devotees and took part in the run.

Adjacent zones celebrated motorsport history, including a tribute to the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, with Lando Norris’s British Grand Prix trophy on display. Hypercars dazzled near St James’s Palace, while electric bikes and motorcycles bridged the gap between tradition and innovation. RM Sotheby’s curated a display of classic and vintage cars available for private-treaty sale, teasing what was to come at their flagship auction later that day.

Just a short stroll from Pall Mall, the Iconic Images Gallery at 16 Waterloo Place hosted the 11th annual Art of Motoring Exhibition. Curated by Andrew Marriott and Rupert Whyte, it brought together Britain’s finest automotive artists in a celebration of speed, style and nostalgia. The evocative works captured everything from Le Mans legends to Brooklands’ banked curves, offering a serene escape from the bustle — a space to reflect on the emotional power of motoring through brushstroke and canvas.

Dexter Brown, considered one of the world’s top motoring artists, showed an abstract image of a Le Mans Porsche 917 that would have looked perfect in my lounge. It was fascinating to talk to Paul Cameron about the beautifully detailed Ferrari and Alfa Romeo Grand Prix models he has created using 3D-printed components.

Back on Pall Mall, Lockton Performance marked its third year as official insurance partner of the London to Brighton Run, reinforcing its commitment to heritage motoring. As a trusted name in specialist vehicle insurance, Lockton provides tailored coverage for collectors, racers and enthusiasts alike. Its continued partnership with the Royal Automobile Club underscores a shared dedication to preserving automotive history and supporting iconic events — a few of its lucky team even travelled to Brighton on the run the following day. Jonny Shears, its producer and Assistant Vice President, took part in a 1903 Daimler 14hp. He told me: “Taking part in the London to Brighton Run was unforgettable. The rain-soaked start added to the adventure, while the camaraderie and charm of the event kept spirits high. It’s the perfect event for Lockton Performance to support, reflecting our core value celebrating the joy of motoring.”

As twilight descended, collectors and connoisseurs gathered in the Grand Ballroom of The Peninsula London, a newly built architectural gem superbly situated at Hyde Park Corner with views of the Wellington Arch. A cornerstone of London Motor Week, RM Sotheby’s London Auction has become the definitive fixture on the UK collector-car calendar. Returning to The Peninsula in 2025, the sale once again delivered atmosphere, quality and exceptional consignments.

The ballroom, decorated with vast mirrors and gilded walls, provided a fitting backdrop for 64 cars offered for sale, with a combined estimate of £31.5 million.

Headlining was a rare 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari FXX-K Evo from Ferrari’s prestigious XX Programme. The Bianco Italia example with Rosso Fuoco and Argento accents featured the coveted Evo upgrade and had covered just 213 kilometres since a full overhaul at Maranello. It sold for a cool £4,730,000.

Two standout Aston Martins followed: the futuristic 2024 Aston Martin Valkyrie Coupé in its “Anemos” configuration fetched £2,226,875 — one of only 25 right-hand-drive examples, dazzling with exposed purple carbon fibre, 24-carat gold-leaf accents and a purple Alcantara interior. The more traditional 1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT, one of just 75 built, sold for £1,950,000. Originally owned by Aston Martin Works driver Noël Cunningham-Reid, it featured a lightweight chassis, aluminium bodywork and twin-plug straight-six engine.

Italian racing heritage shone with the 1954 Maserati A6GCS, a five-time Mille Miglia Storica entrant that found a new home for £1,748,750 after a career across Europe and North Africa, including class victory at the 1955 Tourist Trophy. Another Italian icon, the 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone, sold for £1,298,750, finished in factory-correct Bleu Miura and restored by Scartapatti.

Pre-war British craftsmanship was represented by the 1929 Bentley Speed Six Weymann Saloon by Freestone & Webb, proving that originality commands the highest prices at £875,000. I fell in love with a black-and-biscuit 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America by Pinin Farina, one of only 59 right-hand-drive examples, which sold for £426,875 after a full restoration by Thornley Kelham.

Italian classics continued to impress: a 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Series V Spider achieved £972,500, while a spectacular 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Spider rounded off the top three selling lots at £2,817,500.

Track-focused collectors had their eyes on a 2015 McLaren P1 GTR, which sold for £1,310,000. Finished in Iridium Blue, it looked ready for its next private-track thrash. The auction also featured rare registration plates — including EB1, GTR 1, WTF 1 and 1F — which sold for £905,000, setting a world record for a number plate at auction.

Several London to Brighton-eligible cars were sold, including three already entered for the next day’s run, with mechanics offering to drive new owners to Brighton. One such example, a 1902 Boyer 9 HP Two-Cylinder Rear Entrance Tonneau, sold for £126,500.

A 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16, bought new by Ayrton Senna and driven home from the Mercedes factory alongside fellow Brazilian F1 driver Maurício Gugelmin, fetched £230,000. Senna fans were further treated to the sight of his 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix-winning McLaren MP4/6, currently for sale through RM Sotheby’s sealed-bid programme with an estimate of $12–15 million.

Overall, RM Sotheby’s London Auction 2025 delivered a spectacular showcase of automotive excellence, blending heritage, innovation and collector passion in one unforgettable evening.

After a short sleep, we were up at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, 2 November. The city was still cloaked in darkness as enthusiasts gathered at Hyde Park for the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run — commemorating the Emancipation Run of 1896, which celebrated the repeal of the Red Flag Act and raised the speed limit for “light locomotives” from 4 to 14 mph.

The first re-enactment took place in 1927 and, apart from wartime interruptions and the 2020 pandemic, has run every year since. Managed by the Royal Automobile Club, the Run remains the world’s longest-running motoring event.

As night turned to dawn and rain added to the atmosphere, the air filled with the scent of oil and the clatter of exposed gears. Four hundred veteran cars — built up to 1905 — lined up in Hyde Park for the 60-mile journey to Madeira Drive in Brighton. They were led away by the British Motor Museum’s 1899 Wolseley, nicknamed Owl for its number plate, driven by racer and YouTuber Alex Brundle with journalist Charlotte Vowden, who had the honour of ripping the symbolic red flag — a reminder of our freedom on the roads.

Pink Floyd rock legend Nick Mason enjoyed a coffee before taking to the wheel of his 1901 Panhard B1 with family members. This truly was a family event: many cars were driven by Generation Z enthusiasts, often guided by older relatives in the rear seats.

Among the entrants were steam, petrol and electric vehicles — some resembling horseless carriages, some with three wheels or single cylinders, others representing the pinnacle of early motoring technology. Spanning barely a decade of development, it was exhilarating to witness such a romantic and visceral event.

It was also heartening to see many internal-combustion engines running on sustainable fuels. Event partner SUSTAIN has developed a bespoke blend — Classic Veteran 80 — specifically for heritage vehicles. Containing at least 80 per cent sustainable content, it is derived from second-generation biomass hydrocarbons and blended with traditional fuel components to enhance performance. The ethanol-free formula offers excellent engine protection and improved reliability during cold starts.

Extinct names such as De Dion-Bouton, Gladiator, Léon Bollée, Panhard-Levassor and Darracq lined up beside familiar ones — Benz, Peugeot, Renault and Vauxhall. Drivers in period attire waved from tiller-steered vehicles, steam-powered carriages and early petrol cars. Spectators cheered as the procession set off; breakdowns were met not with frustration but with laughter and offers of help.

After several hours admiring and exploring — including a taxi dash to Westminster Bridge for extra photographs as the rain intensified — we wished the participants luck and retreated for a well-deserved breakfast. Over three-quarters of the entrants reached Brighton, a testament to their dedication to keeping these pioneering vehicles reliable and on the road. Sunshine and a spectacular sunset rewarded them at the finish — a fitting close to a memorable week.

London Motor Week 2025 was a celebration of heritage, innovation and passion. The St James’s Spectacle, the art at Waterloo Place, the auction at The Peninsula and the run to Brighton each showed a different side of the same story.

Cars are part of our culture, our history and our art. For one week in London, that was clear to everyone who came.

READ MORE: ‘Bicester Motion October 2025 Scramble: 2025’s final ode to British motoring culture’. Britain’s best-loved motoring meet closed out 2025 in style as Bicester Motion’s October Scramble transformed its historic RAF base into a living showcase of restomods, craftsmanship, and modern engineering flair.