Competition launched for apprentices to drive 120-year-old car

British Motor Museum London to Brighton — Mike Brewer crossing the finish line on the Thornycroft

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the British Motor Museum recently launched a competition which will see four top UK automotive apprentices have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in November.

The competition celebrates National Apprenticeship Week which took place 10-16 February, and promotes the critical role of apprenticeships in driving new skills and careers in the UK automotive industry.

Places on the Veteran Car Run are extremely hard to come by and the museum is keen to use its unique position to share the history of the industry and inspire the next generation of automotive leaders, designers and experts. Working closely with member companies, SMMT acts as the voice of the motor industry, promoting its position to Government, stakeholders and the media.

There are currently over 4,500 apprentices in the sector and contributing to its success — more than 550 having begun this academic year. Now, a lucky four of them will win the chance to take part in the world’s longest-running motoring event, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, behind the wheel of an iconic 1904 Thornycroft 20hp tourer, alongside hundreds of veteran cars on the 60-mile route from St James’s Park to the Brighton seafront. The prize would include a driver training day at the museum, an overnight stay in London and dinner the night before the Veteran Car Run with the British Motor Museum team, and a very early start on Sunday, 2 November, for the start of the Run at Hyde Park.

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
The Thornycroft 20hp tourer was a cutting-edge petrol-engined car in the early 20th century, having arrived first in the Veteran Car Run on several occasions prior to the Second World War. Sharing this historic vehicle with young people is just one of the ways that the museum aims to achieve its charitable objectives to collect, conserve, share and inspire.

Stephen Laing, head of collections and engagement at the British Motor Museum, said: “This partnership between our two organisations creates a unique opportunity for apprentices to participate in one of the world’s most prestigious and exhilarating motoring events, where places are keenly sought. The British Motor Museum tells the stories from the dawn of motoring and of its pioneers, illustrated by early cars like the Thornycroft. That heritage can inform today’s apprentices, who will be the pioneers in the 21st century’s rapidly-changing motor industry, developing the transport of the future.”

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Apprentices have helped drive automotive change for more than a century, bringing new skills, perspectives and ideas. We are proud to partner with the British Motor Museum in this world-famous event to highlight the incredible opportunities available to young people in an industry that has been around for over 100 years and still has the brightest of futures. Just as innovation revolutionised mobility and society at the turn of the last century, so will today’s transformation bring a better future — with apprenticeships our driving force.”

Apprentices currently employed in the UK automotive industry who meet the competition’s eligibility criteria must submit their application by 30 April. Applicants are required to answer the question: What would participating in the London to Brighton Veteran Car run mean to you? in a maximum of 250 words. Winners will be announced in due course.

The application form and further details can be found here: here.