Introducing Jeremy Vaughan, Head of Motoring at the Royal Automobile Club

Introducing Jeremy Vaughan, Head of Motoring at the Royal Automobile Club Jeremy Vaughan recently joined the team at the Royal Automobile Club as Head of Motoring. He has more than 25 years of experience in media and events at Haymarket Media Group where he worked across the motoring department, publishing magazines such as Autosport, Classic & Sports Car, Autocar and F1 Racing before being seconded to Asia and Australia to lead Haymarket’s activities there. Jeremy’s motoring events experience includes Haymarket’s Autosport International show with more recent experience gained at Brand Events who produce CarFest, London Classic Car Show and Ignition Festival, giving him a thorough understanding of the motoring events business in the UK. In addition to motoring events and cross platform media, Jeremy has an in-depth knowledge of the motoring book market and was commercial director with Evro Publishing which published award-winning books on John Surtees, Brian Redman and Sir Stirling Moss OBE. Jeremy has a passion for all things motoring and motorsport, having competed in historic rallying and even a round of the World Rally Championship in Australia. He is particularly excited about playing an active role in evolving the world’s longest-running motoring event while protecting the great traditions of the iconic Run. Jeremy Vaughan, Head of Motoring, Royal Automobile Club Early Bird period ends 26th May The early bird period on entry fees comes to an end at 23:59 on Friday 26 May. If you haven’t yet entered but are still planning to, don’t miss the deadline in order to take advantage of early bird entry fees. If you’re going to be taking part for the first time, don’t forget that the Hiscox First Timer’s Briefing has been added to the Run’s programme of events in recent years and will be held on Saturday 4 November from 17:30 to 18:00 at the Royal Automobile Club. To register your place at this informative session, please email VCRadmin@goose.co.uk.  The first cars leaving Hyde Park at the Veteran Car Run start line Announcing the 2017 Motoring Forum as part of London Motor Week (Thursday 2 November) The Royal Automobile Club and the Veteran Car Run Steering group are delighted to present the sixth Motoring Forum, taking place on Thursday 2 November in the Mountbatten Room at the Club’s Pall Mall clubhouse. Kicking-off the Forum in 2017, esteemed expert of hydrogen technology, Professor Ad van Wijk, will talk about the future of motoring, Paul Niblett will discuss the evolution and development of the tyre, Dr Shaun Crofton will talk about safety helmets and material failures, while Nick Young will conduct a presentation on motor vehicle registrations from 1903 onwards. The event, as ever, is rounded off with the popular quiz, hosted by Veteran Car Run Steering Group member Daniel Ward. A sumptuous buffet lunch in the Club’s stunning Mountbatten Room is included in the ticket price offering fabulous value at just £15. Places are limited so, to avoid disappointment, book your tickets now at veterancarrun.com/shop Motoring Forum 2016 Long-timers, don’t forget to contact us about Veteran Car Run Longevity Medals! Don’t forget to let us know if you’re one of the few who have entered in fifty or more London to Brighton Veteran Car Runs; the Royal Automobile Club is presenting the gold ‘50 Year Longevity Medal’ at this year’s Hattingley Valley Participants’ Reception supported by Hagerty, scheduled for the evening of Saturday 4 November, at the Club’s Pall Mall clubhouse.  Longevity Medals are also available for the many who have entered the Run for 10 times and 25 times, too. Application forms for all 3 levels of achievement are available via email to VCRadmin@goose.co.uk. The cost of the 25 year and 10 year longevity medals is £26.00 (inc VAT) whereas the 50 year medals will be awarded courtesy of the Royal Automobile Club. Bronze, Silver and Gold Longevity Medals Special Offer: A chance to buy 2016 Run Pennants Finishers’ pennants were provided by the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain to those who completed the Run in 2016. The Club has a small stock of surplus pennants for sale for £5.50. If you would like to buy one, please visit the VCC website and complete the order form at: 2016 Pennant Run Application Form 2017 Route Alteration Update  As highlighted in last month’s VCR Times, due to major roadworks in the Brixton area on parts of the normal A23 Veteran Car Run route out of London, we’ve been busy investigating a detour to this year’s Run in November. Some of you may have seen an update from VCC Chairman, Adrian Goding, in the April issue of the VCC Gazette. The team, made up of VCR Steering Group members, officials of the VCC and representatives of both the promoters of the Run, the Royal Automobile Club, and organisers of the Run on behalf of the Club, Goose Live Events, made an early morning start from the Club’s Pall Mall clubhouse back in March to test drive a number of route options out of the City in veteran cars. In Adrian’s words: “Last month an intrepid team set out from Pall Mall in a pair of Veterans at 7:00am to experiment with alternative westerly routes to Redhill. The morning gave really useful feedback on our options and, to ensure we all got truly into the spirit of Victorian motoring, the heavens opened to give us a thorough soaking!’ The team unanimously agreed on an alternative route for 2017 starting at The Oval, Kennington, progressing via Clapham Common on to Morden and then to Reigate - a stop on the original Emancipation Run in 1896 - and re-joining the previous Run route at Redhill. According to the authorities the Brixton roadworks will continue for at least 24 months. Therefore, a review a review of this alternative route, with participant feedback, will be made after this year’s Run. The intrepid team exploring alternative routes out of London, for the 2017 Veteran Car Run From the Archive Royal Automobile Club Heritage Manager, Jane Holmes, shares an insight into the earliest days of motoring exhibitions from the Club's archive   The Edwardian automobile often arrived in a cloud of dust thrown up from the road surface. In a bid to abate the prevalence of dust on roads, experiments took place throughout the world to find a solution, with varying degrees of success. In 1902, sections of the Promenade des Anglais, Nice, were surfaced with coal tar. Rather unfortunately, the heat of a sunny July in the South of France and the effects on other forms of transport, were not considered. Initially, horses slipped and fell, their stability greatly compromised by dust carried on carriage wheels from other untreated roads, which adhered to the newly tarred surface. This created another layer of debris for motorists to contend with instead of stabilising the original terrain as hoped. Eventually, the tarred sections also melted to form a paste. It was decided that further experiments should be undertaken somewhere less congested and the Touring Club of France donated 500Fr towards tar tests in a cooler climate. Californians had slightly more success with their oil solution. The oil mixed well with dirt and gravel, which hardened to a smooth, asphalte-like surface. Pre-1902 experiments at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, were mixed, but it was generally acknowledged that oil on American roads was an improvement to sprinkling water only, which had to be distributed frequently. Unrefined petroleum was the most popular dust retainer, but the quality of the product differed greatly. Crude petroleum did not ignite easily and it consolidated any ballast on the roads. The infrequency of application also made it appeal to cash strapped councils in England. In 1902, Hampton Wick District Council sent their representative Mr Pullman, to consult with the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland and the Automobile Club de France, to find a remedy for Surrey’s roads. Crude petroleum seemed to be the way forward, however, Club representatives omitted to tell Mr Pullman that it had one drawback…it stank for several hours until the odour fizzled out or the residents stopped noticing it. Surely, the healthiest roads could be found in Algeria where the mixture consisted of Naphtha and good quality olive oil.