Classics, Formula 1 cars, veteran machines and extraordinary little microcars brought around 15,000 visitors to London’s Pall Mall. Here’s my video coverage of a glorious day celebrating motoring
London in late October, under a cloudless blue sky, with a street full of wonderful cars and people smiling at one another. We should probably bottle that.
The St James’s Motoring Spectacle 2026 returned to Pall Mall on Saturday 31 October, transforming the street outside the Royal Automobile Club into a living journey through motoring history.
According to the organisers, around 15,000 visitors came along to enjoy more than 160 vehicles, spanning 140 years of automotive development. With Pall Mall closed to through traffic and admission completely free, enthusiasts, families and curious passers-by could wander among everything from pioneering veteran cars to Formula 1 machinery.
I was there with my camera gear, naturally. And you’ll find my collection of videos embedded on this page; shorter highlights, some unexpected encounters and even a specially created song celebrating the occasion.
Watch My St James’s Motoring Spectacle Walkaround
Join me for a relaxed walk down Pall Mall, taking in classics, Ford Fiestas, microcars, rally machinery, touring cars, Formula 1 displays and the magnificent veterans. (Video above)
The video opens with a song inspired by the event. Apparently, filming cars and talking about them wasn’t quite enough. Now there’s a soundtrack too!
From the First Motor Cars to Formula 1
The event’s timeline stretched back to an example of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, marking 140 years since Carl Benz’s pioneering three-wheeler.
Elsewhere, the motorsport displays celebrated another milestone: 100 years since Britain’s first Grand Prix, organised by the Royal Automobile Club at Brooklands in 1926.
A 2026 Williams FW48 and 2004 BAR-Honda represented different generations of Formula 1, while visitors could also have their photograph taken with the British Grand Prix trophy.
There was plenty beyond F1, too. The displays included rally cars associated with Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Elfyn Evans, alongside an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1. Touring cars, Jaguar’s Formula E machinery and the Defender D7X-R added further variety.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH and Cadillac V-Series.R brought contemporary endurance-racing drama to the street. Seeing machines like these against Pall Mall’s grand buildings gives you a rather different perspective from watching them flash past on a circuit.
Familiar Favourites and Supercar Milestones
Part of the appeal was the sheer breadth of the gathering. You could enjoy a familiar classic, then turn around and find something dramatically lower, louder-looking and considerably less practical.
The official displays celebrated 50 years of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, pairing the earliest surviving example with the anniversary Golf GTI Edition 50.
Another feature marked 60 years of the mid-engined supercar, bringing together the Lamborghini Miura, Countach, Lotus Europa and Unipower GT. Different interpretations of an idea that transformed performance-car design.
The wider line-up also included a Plymouth Superbird, Jaguar C-Type and modern exotica such as the Aston Martin Valhalla, Bugatti Chiron and Koenigsegg CCX.
It was the sort of event where walking the length of one street could take considerably longer than expected. Every few steps, something else demanded a look.
Veteran Cars Ready for London to Brighton
The St James’s Concours provided the spectacular curtain-raiser to the following day’s RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
More than 100 pre-1905 vehicles gathered on Pall Mall, with many drivers and passengers wearing period clothing. Hats, goggles, long coats and elegant dresses helped complete the impression that we had wandered into an earlier chapter of London life.
Among the historic entries were the world’s oldest surviving Rolls-Royce, the oldest surviving Daimler and Mercedes-Benz’s oldest roadworthy commercial vehicle, dating from 1899.
The overall concours winner was Terry Brammall’s recently restored 1904 Rolls-Royce. Head judge Philip Oldman highlighted its significance as the only surviving Rolls-Royce eligible for the London-to-Brighton Run.
Organisers expected more than 400 veteran cars to leave Hyde Park at daybreak on Sunday 1 November for the journey to the Sussex coast. Watching some of these machines heading away from Pall Mall gave a wonderful taste of the adventure ahead.
One driver spotted me filming and called out “BrownCarGuy!” Then Rowan Atkinson appeared aboard the next car. A shout-out followed by Mr Bean himself: a fairly memorable few seconds behind the camera!
A beautiful black Mercedes-Benz 190 SL also cruised through as the veterans departed. Roof down, chrome gleaming and looking entirely comfortable with the attention.
Tiny Cars, Big Personalities
The urban transport displays explored another side of motoring, with microcars including the Goggomobil, Trojan and modern electric Microlino.
The little Goggomobil attracted an artist who stood among the crowds painting it in watercolours. I stopped to film the picture taking shape, a lovely meeting of automotive character and artistic skill.
Then there was the bright yellow Trojan 200, complete with “Thunderbird 4” detailing and its extraordinary front-opening door. These little cars have a remarkable ability to draw a crowd.
Pedal power had its place as well. A young lady in a yellow period dress riding a bicycle made for two immediately put “Daisy, Daisy” into my head. You may find the same thing happens when you watch.
The wider two-wheeled displays also celebrated 80 years of Vespa, alongside Honda racing motorcycles.
The Art of Motoring and a Remarkable Conversation
My visit included a look around The Art of Motoring exhibition at Iconic Images Gallery on Waterloo Place, another part of the Royal Automobile Club’s London Motor Week programme.
Paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture offered another way to appreciate the shapes, speed and emotion of cars.
I also grabbed a quick interview with curator Andrew Marriott. Our conversation covered recording commentary for Rush, managing James Hunt and a memorable story involving the world champion’s return from Japan with a mechanical toy monkey.
Quite a lot to discover during a quick gallery visit!
Keeping Motoring’s Story Moving
Alongside the historic vehicles, an educational zone explored sustainable technologies and careers, with participants including Imperial College London, Oxford Brookes University and the Association of Heritage Engineers.
Restoration, heritage engineering and battery technology all had a place in the conversation. That breadth ran through the whole event: people preserving extraordinary old machines while others explored what comes next.
For me, the pleasure was in sharing it all with such an enthusiastic crowd. Owners explaining their cars, children pointing, strangers swapping memories and engines bringing history to life.
Watch the videos, enjoy the atmosphere and tell me which car or moment caught your eye. What would you have stopped to film?
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