A pride of prowling Jaguars will be one of the many highlights at next month’s Illinois Route 66 Regent Street Motor Show in central London on Saturday 3 November, a Royal Automobile Club event which last year drew more than half a million visitors to the capital’s famous thoroughfare, pedestrianised between Piccadilly and Oxford Circuses.
Organised by the ever-enthusiastic Jaguar Drivers’ Club, the special display will showcase some major milestones in Jaguar’s illustrious history with an eye-catching collection of the company’s significant models from bygone eras.
It is exactly 70 years since the seminal XK120 sportscar was first launched at the British Motor Show at Earl’s Court – just a stone’s throw from Regent Street. With an affordable price tag, stunning drop-top styling plus Jaguar’s all-new six-cylinder engine endowing the two-seater roadster with a fantastic turn of speed, the trailblazing XK120 put Jaguar on the world map.
Now firmly established as one of the must-attend highlights on the calendars of both car fans and Londoners, the esteemed Illinois Route 66 Regent Street Motor Show takes place on the eve of the annual Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run supported by Hiscox and provides visitors with the rare opportunity to see the full kaleidoscope of automotive history.
From the dawn of motoring, the show includes more than 100 of the remarkable pre-1905 horseless carriages as they prepare for their pilgrimage from capital to coast. Adding to the pageant, many of the drivers and passengers appear in period dress.
The presence of the Jaguar anniversary collection will be one of the many features on the closed street, bringing the motoring story more up-to-date. Others include state-of-the-art electric cars from Renault, a display of modern day supercars and the latest motorbikes from Triumph.
The Illinois Route 66 Regent Street Motor Show – open from 10:30 to 16:00 – is a key event in the week-long London Motor Week run by the Royal Automobile Club.
