In Brighton turn right for Lisbon

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London to Brighton is a mere 63 mile run which was not enough for some of us! Upon arriving at the seafront in Brighton most people turn left into Madeira drive. In the company of a friend who drove his 1904 Simplex Mercedes on the run we elected to turn right and set our sights for the night sailing to Bilbao from Portsmouth. I jumped out of my 1903 De Dion which completed the run with aplomb and climbed into a waiting 1912 Silver Ghost, along with my riding mechanic, the very able John Taylor and off we went in convoy to the ferry. 

After a leisurely two nights the ferry duly disgorged us out onto the hard standing at Bilbao much to the amusement of the local customs officers. We quickly donned waterproofs as the weather appeared threatening to say the least and set off in convoy into the hills. The Mercedes ran at about 45 MPH hour after hour taking the hills in its stride and never faltering during some serious rain storms which we passed through which is more than may be said of its driver and passenger; the car lacking any windscreen whatsoever. The Ghost ran seemingly at barely more than ticker keeping easy pace with the Mercedes. 

Coming down a long dead straight stretch at full pelt, we had the misfortune to encounter the Guardia Civil who do not condone speeding no matter the age of the car. They also complained regarding the lack of lighting not the Mercedes, but were somewhat bemused when we asked to borrow a cigarette lighter to fire them up. After some huffing and puffing, we were released ticketless upon our way, the paperwork involved in fining foreign veteran car being apparently more than a Guardia civils' salary is worth. 

480 or so KMS later we pulled into Ciudad Rodrigo on the Spanish Portuguese border for a well-earned Lomo de Cerdo washed down with far too much Ribera Del Duero. The following morning left us a mere 380kms to run to Lisbon. More torrential rain was endured; so hard indeed that I elected to raise the roof on the Ghost as did Albert on the Mercedes, albeit with no windscreen. By sunset we scythed through Lisbon rush hour traffic like homing pigeons. An epic journey for the two cars.

(Photos & text Richard Biddulph)

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