OILING THE WHEELS OF THE VETERAN CAR MOVEMENT

OILING THE WHEELS OF THE VETERAN CAR MOVEMENT Total introduces modern lubrication technology to London to Brighton veterans more than 110 years old   What links the high speed, high-octane world of Formula 1 with the rather more stately progress of the century-old horseless carriages taking part in the annual Bonhams London to Brighton Run? The answer is total… or rather, Total, one of the world’s largest integrated oil and gas majors. Total has been a partner of Renault Sport F1 for more than 40 years, and supplier of lubricants for the automotive industry in partnership with the world’s leading car manufacturers for longer still, and the company is now also applying its innovative high tech thinking to cars that top 20 mph rather than up to 200 mph. While veteran cars may not be as quick as a Formula 1 car, veterans still have unique – and very different – demands on oils and lubes. To ensure older engines perform as well (or even better) as they did when new, Total’s range of mineral lubricants, fluids and greases perform particularly well in classic, vintage and veteran cars. To help strengthen its link with the veteran car community, Total will play a significant role in this year’s Run from capital to coast. Appreciating that older cars – the youngest on the Run is 110 years old – are not built to quite the same fine tolerances as modern cars, Total technicians will be on hand at the Run’s halfway Harrods Stop at Crawley ready to provide any practical assistance to the veterans as well as to distribute suitable lubricants as required. The company will also have a major presence at the end of the Run on Brighton’s Madeira Drive, with lubricants on offer and experts on hand to answer questions from participants. Their facility on Madeira Drive will also double-up as a media centre. Two Total representatives, meanwhile, will experience the atmosphere and the highs of the Run itself by taking part as passengers on two of the veteran cars. Marc Smith, General Manager Lubricants of Total UK said: “Total is a world-leading lubricant supplier with decades of experience designing specialist oils for a wide variety of engines. “Total’s rich history dates back to the 1920’s and since then our engineers have been catering to the needs and specifications of generations of engines, right up to our multiple F1 World Championship wins in collaboration with Williams, Renault and Red Bull.” As tradition dictates, the first of the 400-plus veterans on the Run will leave Hyde Park at sunrise (06.54) on the first Sunday of November, which this year falls on the 1st. More information on the Run can be found at www.veterancarrun.com. The Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the pinnacle event in a week of motoring in the capital during ‘London Motor Week’ – a series of events hosted by the world famous Royal Automobile Club which also includes a Motoring Forum, Motoring Book of the Year Awards and the Regent Street Motor Show. [Ends]