UK’s Oldest Fiat To Drive In London To Brighton Veteran Car Run

• 1899 Fiat 3½hp to take part in London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on 5th November, 2017

• 118 year old Fiat can reach top speeds of up to 21mph

• Fiat 500 60th anniversary celebrated at Regent Street Motor Show

The 1899 Fiat 3½hp

LONDON - November 5, 2017: The oldest Fiat in the UK, the 1899 Fiat 3½hp, will take to the roads today as part of the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

One of the earliest surviving Fiats in the world, the 3½hp will take to the road as it takes part in the event’s 60-mile drive, from Hyde Park in London down to Madeira Drive in Brighton, as part of the notorious heritage trial on 5th November, 2017.

The 1899 Fiat 3½hp

Owned by FCA UK Ltd, and on permanent display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, this Fiat 3½hp can seat two adults in comfort, plus two children facing the driver, in a vis-à-vis layout. With a horizontal two-cylinder engine producing 697cc and a three-speed (no reverse) gearbox, it can reach a top speed of 21mph while returning a very respectable 35mpg.

This year marks 121 years since the inaugural London to Brighton run which celebrated the passing of the Locomotives on the Highways Act. This saw the abolition of the need for a motorized vehicle to be led by a red flag carrying man and raising the speed limit from 4mph to 14mph.

The 1899 Fiat 3½hp

Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (FIAT) was founded by a group of Turin investors in July 1899 and began assembling cars in a temporary factory. The new founded company absorbed two smaller businesses, including a bicycle manufacturer which had a prototype car, called the ‘Welleyes’. The first dozen or so cars manufactured by Fiat in 1899 were derived from this prototype. A new purpose built factory started producing cars from March 1900 and from this Fiat grew to be an industrial giant and one of the world’s largest motor manufacturers.

Saturday 4th November will also see the Regent Street Motor Show marking the 60th anniversary of the iconic Fiat 500 with a special display staged by the Fiat 500 Club. It will depict the evolution of the original supermini, showcasing rare model including the Giardiniera estate and the 500 Saloon.