London’s largest and most spectacular free-to-attend car show returns to Pall Mall on Saturday 31 October, promising an unmissable celebration of motoring past, present and future in the heart of the capital.

From pioneering veteran vehicles and legendary racing machines to iconic family cars, seminal supercars, cutting-edge electric vehicles and some of the world’s most desirable hypercars, the third St James’s Motoring Spectacle promises to be the most ambitious and diverse yet.

Organised by the Royal Automobile Club with the support of Westminster City Council, the unique event will see the prestigious Westminster thoroughfare closed to through traffic from 10am to 3pm, creating a spectacular open-air showcase that is completely free for everyone to enjoy. No tickets are required.

This year’s Spectacle really will span the full history of motoring, with exhibits showcasing 140 years of automotive evolution and innovation – from the world’s first production car, the revolutionary Benz-Patent Motorwagen of 1886, through to the latest generation of high-performance hypercars.

A host of significant motoring and motorsport anniversaries will also be celebrated along Pall Mall, which will once again host the St James’s Concours – a spectacular beauty parade featuring more than 80 pioneering veteran vehicles preparing to take part in the following day’s RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

Visitors can also see two of the standout winners from this year’s Royal Automobile Club Concours at Woodcote Park, discover how urban transport has evolved through the ages, and explore opportunities to pursue a career in the automotive and engineering industries.

Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, said: “The St James’s Motoring Spectacle has become a wonderful celebration of everything that makes motoring so fascinating, and we are delighted to be bringing it back to Pall Mall for a third time.

“This year’s event promises to be our most spectacular yet, with an incredible variety of vehicles spanning more than 140 years of automotive history, from the earliest horseless carriages to the very latest high-tech supercars.

Whether you are a lifelong motoring enthusiast, a family looking for an enjoyable day out, or simply curious to see some extraordinary vehicles in one of London’s most famous streets, there really will be something for everyone. Best of all, admission is completely free, so we warmly invite everyone to come along and enjoy this unique celebration.”

The St James’s Motoring Spectacle will be divided into six dedicated zones stretching the length of Pall Mall, each offering a different perspective on the remarkable story of motoring.

VETERAN CAR CONCOURS

The St James’s Motoring Spectacle provides a unique opportunity to be closer than ever to the extraordinary machines that represent the very beginnings of motoring.

More than 80 veteran cars, all dating from before 1905, will line Pall Mall as they prepare to take part in the following day’s RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run – the world’s longest-running motoring event and the world’s vastest gathering of veteran cars.

Together, they form the largest concours for pre-1905 automobiles, giving visitors the chance to admire an astonishing variety of pioneering designs, engineering solutions and early examples of the motor car.

A panel of expert judges will select the concours winners, with television personalities Alan Titchmarsh and Edd China among those helping to evaluate the remarkable collection. There will also be a prize for the best-dressed participants, adding an extra touch of colour and theatre as many drivers and passengers embrace the spirit of the era in authentic period clothing.

MOTORSPORT MILESTONES

For those with a passion for speed, competition and racing history, the Motorsport Milestones zone brings together an extraordinary selection of machines and memorabilia celebrating some of the biggest moments in British motorsport.

The centenary of Britain’s first Grand Prix, staged at Brooklands in 1926 and organised by the Royal Automobile Club, will be marked with a pioneering Delage of the type that won that historic race displayed alongside a state-of-the-art Williams FW48 kindly loaned by the Atlassian Williams F1 Team demonstrating just how far Grand Prix technology has evolved in a century.

The display will also feature the Royal Automobile Club’s famous British Grand Prix trophy, presented to the winner of the annual Formula 1 race at Silverstone, offering visitors the chance to see one of the most prestigious prizes in world motorsport at close quarters.

Another of the Club’s historic trophies, the celebrated Tourist Trophy, will also be on display. It is set to return to competitive use in 2027 when the World Endurance Championship makes its welcome return to Silverstone, where the trophy will be awarded to the winners of the UK round. Aston Martin and Cadillac hypercars will provide a taste of what is to come in April.

Rallying will also take centre stage as the World Rally Championship prepares to return to Britain in 2027. There could hardly be a better time to celebrate the UK’s rallying success, with Welshman Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin having secured the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship title. Cars representing Evans, as well as Britain’s two other WRC World Champions Colin McRae and Richard Burns, will feature in the display.

Turning to touring cars, Ash Sutton has just won an historic fifth British Touring Car Championship title and his record-breaking NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus will also be proudly displayed on Pall Mall.

Completing this high-octane celebration will be a dazzling selection of MotoGP and Isle of Man TT racing machines, ensuring there is something for fans of virtually every form of two- and four-wheeled motorsport.

ANNIVERSARIES DISPLAY

The Anniversaries Display brings together some of the most influential cars of the past six decades, marking three landmark anniversaries and demonstrating how dramatically the car has evolved.

Fifty years after the Ford Fiesta first appeared on British roads, all seven generations of the hugely successful supermini will be reunited in one place. The Fiesta became Britain’s best-selling car of all time, selling millions during its long production run, and its evolution provides a fascinating snapshot of changing tastes, technology and everyday motoring.

Also celebrating its 50th anniversary is the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the car that helped establish the modern hot hatch as a phenomenon. Visitors will be able to see the world’s earliest surviving Golf GTI alongside the latest hybrid generation, illustrating how a formula born in the 1970s continues to evolve for a new era.

Meanwhile, 60 years after the arrival of the Lamborghini Miura, the display will celebrate the revolution created by the mid-engined supercar. Widely regarded as the car that established the template for the modern high-performance supercar, the Miura will be joined by other pioneering mid-engined machines from 1966 onwards, including the Lotus Europa.

URBAN TRANSPORTATION

Reflecting its location in the heart of London, the St James’s Motoring Spectacle features a special zone dedicated to urban transport through the ages from early Victorian pedal bikes right up to futuristic electric city cars.

Moreover, the iconic Vespa scooter turns 80 this year and a six pack of evolving generations will form part of a dedicated Urban Transport showcase that will also include an array of microcars including a Goggomobil, Trojan and the latest retro-styled, battery-electric Microlino bubble car.

MODERN DESIGN ZONE

At the opposite end of the automotive timeline, the Modern Design Zone brings the story right up to the present day with a mouth-watering collection of contemporary supercars and hypercars.

Visitors will encounter some of the most spectacular and technically advanced performance cars of the modern era, including the Aston Martin Valhalla, Ferrari SF90 XX, Maserati MCPura Cielo, Porsche Carrera GT and a Koenigsegg.

With their dramatic styling, cutting-edge engineering and extraordinary performance, these are the cars that are redefining what is possible on the road – and are certain to prove one of the biggest attractions for the next generation of motoring enthusiasts.

They continue the ground-breaking leaps in automobile technology begun in the veteran era, and also on display nearby on Pall Mall; together, the two ends of motoring history link up to commemorate 140 years of progress in car design, performance and desirability.

EDUCATIONAL DISPLAY

The St James’s Motoring Spectacle is not simply about celebrating the past – it is also about inspiring the people who will shape the future of motoring.

The Educational Display brings together a wide range of organisations dedicated to education, engineering, heritage and careers, providing visitors with the opportunity to discover the many different pathways into the automotive and transport industries.

From the specialist skills required to preserve historic vehicles and machinery to the latest engineering and technological innovations driving the future of mobility, the zone will showcase the breadth of opportunities available to those inspired by what they see on Pall Mall.

Participants include Imperial College London, Oxford Brookes University, the Association of Heritage Engineers, the National Transport Trust and the Worshipful Company of Coachmakers.

For younger visitors in particular, it offers the chance to move beyond simply admiring the extraordinary vehicles on display and discover how a passion for cars, engineering and transport could become the starting point for a future career.

For more information visit: www.motoringspectacle.co.uk

About the St James’s Motoring Spectacle

First introduced in 2024, the St James’s Motoring Spectacle is organised by the Royal Automobile Club and can trace its roots back to the former Regent Street Motor show. Taking place on the eve of the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, it is staged on Pall Mall which closed is closed to through traffic for the day. The Spectacle puts the spotlight on motoring past, present and future and includes both educational and sustainability showcases as well as supercars, classic cars and veteran cars assembled for the prestigious St James’s Concours.

For more information visit: www.motoringspectacle.co.uk

About RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run 

With its unique atmosphere and camaraderie, the RM Sotheby’s Veteran Car Run from London to Brighton (staged specifically as a non-profit making event) commemorates the Emancipation Run of 14 November 1896, which celebrated the Locomotives on the Highway Act. The Act raised the speed limit for ‘light locomotives’ from 4 to 14 mph and abolished the need for these vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot waving a red flag.

The first commemoration of the Emancipation Run was held in 1897 with a drive to Sheen House in Richmond Park. Then, in 1927, the inaugural re-enactment followed the original Brighton route and has taken place every November since, apart from the war years and 1947 when petrol was rationed and 2020 during the global Covid-19 pandemic. The Royal Automobile Club has managed the Run, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2021, with the support of the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain since 1930.

For more information visit: www.veterancarrun.com

About the Royal Automobile Club

The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 and its distinguished history mirrors that of motoring itself. In 1907, the Club was awarded its Royal title by King Edward VII, sealing the Club’s status as Britain’s oldest and most influential motoring organisation.

The Club’s early years were focused on promoting the motor car and its place in society, which developed into motoring events such as the 1000 Mile Trial, first held in 1900. In 1905, the Club held the first Tourist Trophy, which remains one of the world’s oldest motor sport events. The Club promoted the first pre-war and post-war Grands Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and Silverstone in 1948 respectively, whilst continuing to campaign for the rights of the motorist, including introducing the first driving licences.

Today, the Club continues to develop and support automobilism through representation on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the RAC Foundation as well as working closely with Motorsport UK. It also promotes its own portfolio of motoring events including the award-winning Royal Automobile Club Concours at Woodcote Park and London Motor Week which concludes with the St James’s Motoring Spectacle on Pall Mall and the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. The Club also awards a series of internationally recognised trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements – notable among these are the Segrave Trophy, the Torrens Trophy, the Simms Medal and the Dewar Trophy.

About RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s is the world’s largest collector car auction house by total sales. With over 45 years of proven results in the collector car industry, RM’s vertically integrated range of services, from auctions (live and online) and private sales to estate planning and financial services, coupled with an expert team of Car Specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM Sotheby’s is currently responsible for six of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction.

For more information visit: rmsothebys.com