THE first round of cars have begun to arrive on Brighton seafront as they travel down from London for the Veteran Car Run.

Cars have been setting off from Hyde Park in London since sunrise this morning and have been arriving on Madeira Drive from around 10am.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the event and crowds have come out all over Sussex to support the motorists.

More than 320 pioneering cars from the dawn of motoring have made the same 60-mile journey from the capital city to Brighton.

The Argus: First round of cars arrive from London at Madeira Drive

After the symbolic pre-dawn tearing up of the red flag at Hyde Park, the veterans drove through Admiralty Arch, down Constitution Hill, past Buckingham Palace and onto the Mall, before heading down Whitehall to Parliament Square.

Then, to alleviate congestion, the route split into two with half the field crossing Westminster Bridge and taking the traditional A23 route via Kennington, Brixton and Streatham.

The other half crossed the Thames via the neighbouring Lambeth Bridge and then follow the A3, A24, A217 and A236 over Clapham Common and then through Tooting and Mitcham.

The two routes then merged once again on the A236 north of Croydon with all cars reunited as they head south through Surrey.

After Burgess Hill, the run tackles the scenic roads through the villages of the South Downs, passing through Hassocks and Clayton.

The Argus: Veteran cars travelling past The Friar's Oak Pub, Hassocks.Veteran cars travelling past The Friar's Oak Pub, Hassocks.

Pubs in the villages have been raising funds for Ben, the charity dedicated to supporting the people of the automotive industry.

Among these pubs is the Friars Oak in Hassocks, where people gathered to watch the cars fly through.

In the crowd were several members of the South Downs TR Group who have been arriving in the car park all morning in their Triumph TR sports cars.

Hugh Atkins, leader of the South Downs TR group said: "It's a wonderful day. This has been our regular meet point for the last five or six years and it's nice to be back after Covid.

"We love coming to watch the veteran vehicles coming past, giving them a wave. It's even better with the weather as beautiful as it is."

The Argus: Hugh Atkins' Triumph TR sportscar (black) with other members of the group.Hugh Atkins' Triumph TR sportscar (black) with other members of the group.

Also in the crowd are three car run regulars who have been travelling down from Norfolk for 35 years for the weekend.

The trio, Andrew, John and Gary, come every year to the pub in their 1931 Rolls Royce Safari Wagon, complete in safari fancy dress.

The Argus: Andrew, John and Gary with their Rolls Royce Safari Wagon.Andrew, John and Gary with their Rolls Royce Safari Wagon.

"We love to make a weekend of it, we stay in Brighton and have a great time. There's usually half a dozen of us so we all fit in and luggage goes on top," said Andrew.

Making a quick pit stop at the pub was Ben Collins in a 1898 Benz, one of the oldest cars in the run, with his father.

He said: "We're so lucky with the weather and it's so lovely to see so many people out here to watch."

The Argus: Ben and his father in their 1898 Benz, making a pit stop in Hassocks.Ben and his father in their 1898 Benz, making a pit stop in Hassocks.

His father added: "It's so nice to see everyone, all their smiling faces."

Stay tuned to see our coverage later today as we speak with motorists as they arrive on the seafront.