Competitors from all around the world took part in the this year's London to Brighton veteran car run and enjoyed much better weather than the downpours which marred last year's event.

American Tom Meade, 63, flew all the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to drive the route in his 1903 Richard-Brasier.

He said: "The car lives in England so I have to come over and visit her otherwise she misses me. She got me here no bother and gave me no trouble at all."

Thousands of people lined the streets to welcome the cars across the line.

About 450 veteran cars of all shapes and sizes took part. Some, like the 1902 Oldsmobile driven by El Tanner, don't even have the luxury of a steering wheel.

Ms Tanner, 31, who lives near Bath in Wiltshire, said: "It's very strange trying to steer with a tiller instead of a wheel but you get used to it.

"Taking part in the run is almost like a drug and the atmosphere is amazing. You don't get this kind of camaraderie between people by driving an Astra from London to Brighton."

The name Hill is synonymous with the world of motorsport, but it wasn't Damon, the former Formula One world champion, burning the rubber on the trip down to Brighton.

Instead it was his mother Betty and sister Brigitte Hill.

Betty completed the event in a 1904 Cadillac driven by Lawrence Riches. Brigitte, 45, and her husband Anthony Hass, 47, made the journey in the same 1903 Wolseley driven in the 1972 run by her father Graham, who also won the F1 title before his tragic death in 1975.

Roger Etcell, managing director of Motion Works, the company which organised the run on behalf of the Royal Automobile Club, was delighted with how smoothly the big day went.

He said: "The weather was 100 per cent better than last year which made a big difference. Apart from the odd breakdown there have been no reports of any major accidents and everyone seems to have had a wonderful time."