The Moulin Rouge adds a French flavour to the 2008 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run

The first stage of the Official Launch of the 2008 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (LBVCR) will take place at the Moulin Rouge in Paris on Tuesday 9 September. Dancers from the world famous venue will also provide a fitting backdrop to the second stage at The Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall on Wednesday 10 September as the world's longest running motoring event this year celebrates French motor manufacturing of the period up to 31 December 1904. 

Moulin Rouge CEO Jean-Jacque Clerico is a regular enthusiastic participant of the world renowned motoring event in his 1902 Darracq and was very pleased to be involved in the 2008 French celebrations. In a show of 21st Century Entente Cordiale, Jean-Jacque Clerico will be joined by British LBVCR participant Daniel Ward in his 1904 Renault in a 250-mile trip starting at 12 noon from the Moulin Rouge on Tuesday 9 September and finishing at The Royal Automobile Club at 12 noon in Pall Mall, London on Wednesday 10 September where they will be greeted by the Moulin Rouge dancers.   

The dancers from the Moulin Rouge will also be involved in the LBVCR event itself. They will perform on the stage at the LBVCR International Concours in Regent Street on Saturday 1 November and from 06:58 on Sunday 2 November the dancers will wave off the 500 plus participating vehicles from Hyde Park and also be on Madeira Drive in Brighton to welcome the successful cars and drivers who have completed the 60-mile trip.

“The Moulin Rouge is instantly recognisable worldwide as very French and we are pleased to have them as a partner for the 2008 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run as we celebrate French manufacturing of the period,” said Roger Etcell, LBVCR Event Director.  “The trip from Paris to London by two veteran cars is a great way to link France and Britain in this special year.  I was pleased to learn that there was already a London to Paris link at the Moulin Rouge. The name for the famous French Cancan dance was invented in London in 1861 by the great master of the music-hall Charles Morton and it was in Paris that the dance really found a home and has become forever linked with the Moulin Rouge.  We look forward to seeing the Moulin Rouge dancers in London on 10 September and on the event itself at the start of November.” 

The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which is a celebration of the Emancipation Run held on November 14 1896, is held over three days. The LBVCR Auction with Bonhams at their New Bond Street salerooms is held on Friday 31 October, the LBVCR International Concours in Regent Street on Saturday 1 November and the actual Run on Sunday 2 November, with the first car leaving Hyde Park at 6:58am (sunrise).  An estimated 500,000 spectators attended the LBVCR last year, making it the UK's largest free-to-view motoring event. 

The event is run for cars manufactured up to 31 December 1904.  The 2008 LBVCR has already attracted a maximum entry of 550 vehicles from all over the world, with another 40 on the reserve list. 

The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is organised and promoted by Motion Works UK Limited on behalf of The Royal Automobile Club, an agreement that started from early 2004.  A new five year agreement has just been concluded with Motion Works continuing to organise and promote the event from 2009.