This Georges Richard is one of the most photographed cars on the London to Brighton

The driver accesses the cosy cabin by clambering past two levers and the bulbous rubber part of the brass horn to be ensconced into the deep-buttoned leather seat. The booth-like seating has no side window and there’s an absence of windscreen wipers, too, but there is at least a single exterior rear-view mirror. You’ll also find a flower vase inside, long before it was a fitment in the 1990s Volkswagen Beetle, while the lights are oil-powered.

Such idiosyncrasies will be familiar to vintage car enthusiasts. The Brougham harks from an era when pioneering car-makers had yet to settle on a consensus for how cars are put together. Gasoline, electric and even steam were still being experimented with for propulsion, while the number and order of the pedals was up for debate. To drive a car from this period is to fully embrace the act of conducting a mechanical device.

This car was owned for a long time by the late Lord David Strathcarron and comes with an extensive record of its history. Lord Strathcarron started campaigning the car on the London to Brighton in 1962, and prior that it was owned by Veteran Car Club members F.E. Davis and Michael Wilcock. It then had one more owner before coming under Lord Strathcarron’s long-term ownership.

By then, the car had been extensively restored. The chassis is Georges Richard but no suitable engines from the same maker were available so the Veteran Car Club approved the fitment of a 1,400cc De Dion Bouton engine, the twin-cylinder producing 10PS (7kW). That distinctive bodywork is of Trupp & Maberly origin and is believed to date from 1895. 

Following the passing of Lord Strathcarron, the Georges Richard was sold via a Bonhams|Cars sale in 2006 to Sir Ray Tindle. He completed numerous London to Brighton Veteran Car Runs before ownership passed to the vendor, a friend of Sir Tindle who had a museum collection.

The museum’s workshop completed a thorough restoration in March 2025. The bodywork was stripped to bare wood and repaired where necessary, and the interior upholstery was renewed. The engine received rebuilt pistons, valves, crankshaft and bearings and the wheels and axle were rebuilt. While the car has been tested, it will need running-in and desnagging before a run from London to Brighton can be contemplated. 

This Georges Richard is said to be one of history’s most photographed London to Brighton entrants, and it’s easy to see why. Amid a genre of cars that’s known for diversity, it still manages to stand out with unique charm. It is being offered in Bonhams|Cars’ upcoming Golden Age of Motoring sale with an estimated value of £100,000-£120,000.