Next month’s RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run (Sunday, 2 November) will celebrate motoring’s past and embrace its future, with a revolutionary new sustainable fuel blend widely available for the very first time in the event’s long and storied history.
While some of the 400+ pioneering pre-1905 horseless carriages are powered by steam and electric motors, the majority rely on early combustion engines. For these, event partner SUSTAIN has developed a bespoke fuel – Classic Veteran 80 – specifically designed for use in heritage vehicles.
Containing at least 80 per cent sustainable content, Veteran 80 is formulated from second-generation biomass-derived renewable hydrocarbons and carefully blended with traditional fuel components to enhance performance.
The ethanol-free formulation also offers excellent engine protection and improved reliability during cold starts – particularly useful for those departing from a chilly Hyde Park en route to Brighton at dawn on the first Sunday in November.
Over the past two years, SUSTAIN’s Veteran 80 has been successfully trialled in four veteran cars curated by the Royal Automobile Club (photo above). They needed no technical modifications whatsoever. Having proven its reliability, all four vehicles will once again run on the same sustainable fuel blend in 2025.
“The switch to Veteran 80 couldn’t have been simpler and, if anything, has improved the performance of our cars,” said Duncan Wiltshire, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. “By embracing innovative sustainable fuel blends, we can ensure yesterday’s cars remain on tomorrow’s roads for generations to come. This use of cleaner fuels shows that even the oldest vehicles can play a role in a more sustainable future – without compromising their heritage or functionality.”
Enhancing its involvement further, SUSTAIN will provide a Veteran Car Run mid-jpurney refuelling point at the official halfway stop at the Hawth Theatre in Crawley.
Veteran 80 is the latest addition to SUSTAIN’s expanding range of fuels including sustainable content, developed at Coryton primarily for classic and competition vehicles – including those competing at Goodwood’s celebrated retro-themed race meetings.
The fuel is supplied in convenient five-litre containers and available from a number of distributors nationwide, priced at £5.95 per litre (including VAT). A full list of distributors is available via a dedicated page on the SUSTAIN website here.
David Richardson, Business Development Director at SUSTAIN said: “The Veteran Car Run is a fantastic event for participants and the crowds that come to support them. With so many magnificent vehicles on display, you’re surrounded by the sights and sounds of historic motoring. We really couldn’t wish for a better setting to highlight the role that sustainable fuels play in preserving automotive traditions whilst protecting our future.”
SUSTAIN Classic Veteran 80 uses second-generation biofuel components manufactured from food waste and agricultural waste (such as straw, by-products or crop waste which wouldn’t be used for consumption). This biofuel utilises the carbon that already exists in our atmosphere, which the plants absorb as they grow, recycling it rather than releasing the additional CO2 currently locked underground in fossil fuel.
For those keen to learn even more, SUSTAIN will also have a presence on Pall Mall during the St James’s Motoring Spectacle on Saturday, 1 November.
Full details of the 2025 RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, including entry information and route details, are available at www.veterancarrun.com.
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