Five unlikely epic drives: the vintage years

Philip White knows a thing or two about vintage cars, having piloted some of the world’s most prestigious classic cars on rallies from Brighton to Berlin and beyond. Now business development and marketing manager for motoring mecca, Bicester Heritage, here he tells Rory Smith about five of his most memorable classic drives.

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Hawkesbury to Rudgeway, UK

Without a doubt, the most memorable drive I’ve done was leaving the church on my wedding day with my new wife. We drove from Hawkesbury to a village called Rudgeway in South Gloucestershire in my father’s Bristol 404. It was his first car and he’s used it throughout his life, so it was a special moment. We devised a half-hour route, cutting across the commons and into woods before hitting the roads of home.

Car of choice: Bristol 404

Photo: Courtesy of Philip White

London to Brighton rally, UK

For the best part of a decade, my father and I have competed in the London to Brighton in my great-grandfather’s 1903 Panhard Levassor. It was given to him as his 21st-birthday present in 1903 and we’ve had it ever since! It's one of the most curious British motoring events out there, and held in deepest, darkest November – the worst weather to try to pilot an open-top veteran car for 60 miles. You just never know whether you’re going to finish or not, but it’s fun trying!

Car of choice: 1903 Panhard Levassor

Photo: Getty Images

Epsom to Edinburgh to Epsom, UK

A friend and I tackled the rally in an Austin Seven Ulster – it was my first vintage car, and probably the most inappropriate in which to attempt the RAC’s 1,000 Mile Trial around the UK. We started from Woodcote Park in Epsom and were delighted to make it to Her Majesty’s yacht in Edinburgh. We had all sorts of breakdowns and sadly didn't finish the race, but at least we managed to escape without injury!

Car of choice: Austin Seven Ulster

Photo: Courtesy of Philip White

Vienna, Austria to Bicester, UK

My wife and I were given the opportunity to bring a Series 1 Jaguar E-Type back to Bicester Heritage from Vienna. The owner had just competed in the Paris-Vienna Rally and had to fly back to the UK. We could choose any route back, so my wife planned it, taking us through Austria, into southern Germany and up into France, via the Champagne region. It was absolutely brilliant – the weather was perfect and the car even more so. It didn’t miss a beat.

Car of choice: Series 1 Jaguar E-Type

Photo: Courtesy of Philip White

Hamburg to Berlin, Germany

I was invited to take part in the Hamburg to Berlin rally with a friend who owned a Bristol 404 Farina. Only five were made, so we were very lucky to drive one across Germany in this great rally, going to parts of the country people wouldn’t usually visit – from having lunch in an abandoned mine, to arriving at beautiful country houses, before finishing in the Hamburg docks, which, on a sunny afternoon in August, were simply beautiful.

Car of choice: Bristol 401 Farina

Photo: Auto Bild Klassik

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This article has been tagged Adventure, Driving