London to Brighton should be easier than California to Florida hopes Oldsmobile driver
![London to Brighton should be easier than California to Florida hopes Oldsmobile driver](/images/art/73268lbvcr-leadimagejoy-rainey-2-1.jpg)
Her faithful Curved Dash Runabout might only have a comfortable top speed of 25mph, but the 60-mile trip from London's Hyde Park to Madeira Drive in Brighton should be a great deal easier than the car's last outing... more than 2,650 miles from coast to coast across America.
Joy took 31 days in April and May this year to complete the mammoth trip from California to Florida, undertaken to raise money for charity.
And the Olds, a 7hp single cylinder model, never missed a beat throughout the epic journey despite some treacherous weather, poor roads and modern traffic - including some seriously ‘big rigs' - whistling past at three times the speed of the American-built veteran.
In fact the only problem of note concerned the mudguard brackets which needed a spot of welding after vibrating loose over some washboard road surfaces, while Joy found the tiller steering hard work, especially when battling through side winds.
Highlights were many, however. They included the reassuring chuff-chuff-chuff of the engine, the scenery - with speeds reduced to a walking pace going up hills, there was plenty of time to enjoy the surroundings - and the people the team met en route.
"Everyone was so supportive. We even ‘gate-crashed' a drag racing meeting along the way and were allowed to drive up and down the strip to huge cheers from the crowd," said Joy.
"After surviving that trip, getting to Brighton ought to be easy," she admitted, "but it never pays to be complacent. I failed to make it all the way in 2001, the first time I did the Veteran Car Run. But that was in a car I borrowed from a museum and it hadn't been used for a while."
Despite a high octane motor racing and hillclimbing background, that first London to Brighton Run gave Joy a taste for this slightly slower branch of the sport. She bought the Oldsmobile in 2006, completing the Run successfully in 2006 and 2007.
"Then my partner, Trevor Hulks, and I decided to re-enact a coast-to-coast US crossing made in 1903 in a similar Oldsmobile by pioneering drivers Lester Whitman and Eugene Hammond," said Joy.
Trevor set about rebuilding the car for the journey but tragically succumbed to cancer before the pair could undertake the trip. "It took me a while to summon up the courage to do it without him," said Joy, "but I'm so glad I did. It was a fitting tribute to Trevor and helped raise much needed funds for Cancer Research UK."
The trip has given her a taste for long distance driving in the Olds. After this year's Veteran Car Run, she is planning a slightly longer expedition... from Adelaide to Darwin in her native Australia.
"Back in 2004, I did the London to Sydney Marathon in a ‘modern' (a 1970 Morris Minor) and loved the Outback so much that I vowed I would return one day."
Photo caption: Joy Rainey's well travelled Oldsmobile in action on the 2012 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run prior to its coast-to-coast trip across the US.
Diskusia k článku
Najnovšie galérie
![ŠKODA FABIA RS RALLY2 ŠKODA FABIA RS RALLY2](/images/gallery/skoda-fabia-rs-rally2/tiny/13-fabia-rs-rally2.jpg)
![Nová Honda HR-V Nová Honda HR-V](/images/gallery/nova-honda-hr-v/tiny/329175-honda-hr-v-e-hev-2021.jpg)
![ŠKODA ENYAQ SPORTLINE iV ŠKODA ENYAQ SPORTLINE iV](/images/gallery/skoda-enyaq-sportline-iv/tiny/enyaq-sportline-iv-2.jpg)
![ŠKODA SLAVIA ŠKODA SLAVIA](/images/gallery/skoda-slavia-prosla-zatezkavaci-zkouskou/tiny/2-img-1925-update.jpg)
![Harley on Tour 2020 Motoshop Žubor II Harley on Tour 2020 Motoshop Žubor II](/images/gallery/harley-on-tour-2020-motoshop-zubor-ii/tiny/asfr1978.jpg)
![Harley on Tour 2020 Motoshop Žubor Harley on Tour 2020 Motoshop Žubor](/images/gallery/harley-on-tour-2020-motoshop-zubor/tiny/asfr1786.jpg)
![Triumph Rocket III Launch Event Triumph Rocket III Launch Event](/images/gallery/triumph-rocket-iii-launch-event/tiny/asfr8302.jpg)
![Zraz nadšencov motorizmu II Zraz nadšencov motorizmu II](/images/gallery/zraz-nadsencov-motorizmu-ii/tiny/img-0201-10.jpg)
![Zraz nadšencov motorizmu Zraz nadšencov motorizmu](/images/gallery/zraz-nadsencov-motorizmu/tiny/img-7803-8.jpg)
![Zraz Hyundai i30 N Slovakia Ring Zraz Hyundai i30 N Slovakia Ring](/images/gallery/zraz-hyundai-i30-n-slovakia-ring/tiny/20190915-154024.jpg)
![Otvorenie Triumph Motoshop Žubor Otvorenie Triumph Motoshop Žubor](/images/gallery/otvorenie-triumph-motoshop-zubor-1/tiny/c30i6088-15.jpg)
![Zraz nadšencov motorizmu Galanta II Zraz nadšencov motorizmu Galanta II](/images/gallery/zraz-nadsencov-motorizmu-galanta-ii/tiny/asf-2701-1.jpg)
![Zraz nadšencov motorizmu Galanta Zraz nadšencov motorizmu Galanta](/images/gallery/zraz-nadsencov-motorizmu-galanta/tiny/asf-2473-7.jpg)
![IAA Frankfurt 2017 IAA Frankfurt 2017](/images/gallery/iaa-frankfurt-2017/tiny/img-20170916-142427663-hdr.jpg)
![Pretekári krstili CD She&Me - Pohoda Pretekári krstili CD She&Me - Pohoda](/images/gallery/pretekari-krstili-cd-shee-me/tiny/c30i8585-1.jpg)
![XL1200CX SNOW DRAG first test run XL1200CX SNOW DRAG first test run](/images/gallery/xl1200cx-snow-drag-first-run/tiny/c30i4210-3.jpg)
![XL1200CX Sportster Roadster Snow Drag XL1200CX Sportster Roadster Snow Drag](/images/gallery/xl1200cx-sportster-roadster-snow-drag/tiny/0k4a0644.jpg)
![Založenie HOG H-D Banská Bystrica Založenie HOG H-D Banská Bystrica](/images/gallery/hog-harley-davidson-banska-bystrica/tiny/gh7p0284-4.jpg)
![World Champions opec LCCS World Champions opec LCCS](/images/gallery/world-champions-opec-lccs/tiny/gordon-murray-and-ari-vatanen-open-the-show.jpg)
![Autoshow Nitra Autoshow Nitra](/images/gallery/autoshow-nitra/tiny/autosalon-3-5529.jpg)
![Panamera Travel Tour Panamera Travel Tour](/images/gallery/panamera-travel-tour/tiny/06-budapest-04.jpg)
![VW presents new digital supercar VW presents new digital supercar](/images/gallery/volkswagen-presents-new-digital-supercar/tiny/gti-supersport-09.jpg)
![AMTS Budapest AMTS Budapest](/images/gallery/auto-motor-tuning-show-budapest/tiny/amts-133.jpg)
![Infiniti’S “Synaptiq” Infiniti’S “Synaptiq”](/images/gallery/infiniti-s-synaptiq/tiny/rr-7-rr.jpg)
![Večer majstrov volantu 2014 Večer majstrov volantu 2014](/images/gallery/vecer-majstrov-1/tiny/vecer-majstrov-0483.jpg)
![Autoshow Nitra 2014 Autoshow Nitra 2014](/images/gallery/autoshow-nitra-2014/tiny/2-autosalon-1596.jpg)
![Renault Sport R.S. 01 Renault Sport R.S. 01](/images/gallery/renault-sport-r-s-01/tiny/renault-60884-global-en.jpg)
![Maťo Homola vs L-39 Albatros Maťo Homola vs L-39 Albatros](/images/gallery/mato-homola-vs-l-39-albatros/tiny/o8c7468.jpg)
![FF around the world FF around the world](/images/gallery/ff-around-the-world/tiny/ferrari-ff-030-2.jpg)
![Goodwood Festival of Speed Goodwood Festival of Speed](/images/gallery/goodwood-festival-of-speed-1/tiny/864072-dsc0047.jpg)
![Auto China 2014 Auto China 2014](/images/gallery/auto-china-2014/tiny/830382-img-1435.jpg)