Charming Brass Era motor cars returned to the open road on April 28, 2024, for the third edition of the Audrain Veteran Car Tour presented by Bonhams. The event, which took place in Newport, Rhode Island, US was inspired by the world’s longest-running motoring event – the UK’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which was first held in 1927 to celebrate the Emancipation Act of 1896.
The Audrain Veteran Car Tour saw an eclectic selection of Brass Era machinery lined up along Bellevue Avenue, before crossing the start line to begin the 50-mile route to Bristol and back.
While the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is open to vehicles built before 1905, pre-1908 cars are eligible to participate in the Audrain Veteran Car Tour.
A pair of competition cars – a 1905 Fiat 60hp and a 1901 Panhard et Levassor Type B1 – were some of the standout machines on the entry list
A pair of competition cars – a 1905 Fiat 60hp and a 1901 Panhard et Levassor Type B1 – were some of the standout machines on the entry list. The Panhard is particularly noteworthy, as it competed in the first-ever motor car race in Newport in 1901, before winning the New York to Buffalo endurance event in the same year.
Other highlights of the Audrain Veteran Car Tour included an 1898 Mors, a 1903 De Dion-Bouton, a 1902 Yale and the Audrain Collection’s own 1907 Ford Model S, which was driven by Audrain CEO Donald Osborne.
“The spirits of the participants and their love for these automobiles, each astonishing examples of rolling history, is a true testament to our hobby,” Donald said of the event.
“They navigated the streets of Aquidneck Island up to Bristol and back, with grace, grit and determination.”
As the official event partner, Bonhams hosted its Gilded Age auction of Brass Era cars and automobilia in the run up to the tour, on April 27.
Interestingly, the three cars with the highest estimates, a 1908 Napier Type 23A 45hp Tourer, 1921 Mercer Model 22-70 Series 5 Runabout and a 1908 Stoddard-Dayton Model 9A, all failed to reach their reserve prices, and remained unsold. The automobilia lots, on the other hand, proved popular with bidders, achieving a 97 percent sell-through rate across 200 lots.
For more on the Audrain Veteran Car Tour, click here.
