FOR FRENCH                                FOR GERMAN                                FOR SPANISH 

Organised by the International Affiliation of Cadillac & LaSalle Clubs
in aid of (The Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund)

Thanks must go to Camelot, Fiennes Restorations,  Haverhill (Suffolk), Quest Software, Crystal Palace Park & Queens Hotel, and the many other organisations and individuals who so generously and freely gave this event their support.
(Launched at the Fine Art & Antiques Fair, London Olympia, June 5-15th 2003)

'Donation'

How it all began with Frederic Bennett in 1903
(as reported during the 1953 golden jubilee re-run of the 1903 1,000-mile Trial)

A Memorable Challenge

At the 1953 start

Speedier Than In 1903
(as quoted at the time)
"Mr F. S. Bennett completed the 1,000-mile Reliability Trial yesterday in spite of heavy rain and a gale. He covered 1,094 miles in eight days at an average speed of 21.25mph. This is much faster than when he did the trial fifty years ago as then there was a 12mph speed limit in the towns and 20mph elsewhere."

Prior to the '53 run, a young Stirling
Moss helps an elderly Fred Bennett
test an already 'aged' Cadillac!

Excitement Reigned
(nationally & internationally)
Newspapers, radio and television, both here and
abroad, had one question of man & machine: 
"Would they or would they not make it to the end?"
(Click here for short clip of 1953 BBC interview)

* Fred Bennett also organised the double winning of the Dewar Trophy for Cadillac in 1908 & 1912

How it continued with Julian Bennett in 2003
- as a special fund-raiser for BEN, 'the motor trades charity' - 

At eight o'clock in the morning on the 18th September 2003, 100 years to the hour of the start of the original Royal Automobile Club Reliability Trial, and fifty and ninety years respectively since his grandfather's previous re-runs, Julian Bennett attempted the near impossible. Overseen by the Veteran Car Club, he set out in his 100-year-old car to complete the same 8-day 1000-mile journey on the same daily runs to and from Crystal Palace to the towns shown on the map below.

Julian 'Frederic' Bennett raring to have a go at the 1,000 miles in his recently MoT'd 100-year-old Cadillac.
 
While excited children crowd round and try out the newly taxed & insured car on its first official test drive.

With fond memories of his ride with Fred Bennett fifty years earlier, an older Sir Stirling Moss kindly tries the Cadillac again, this time with the youthful Julian.

The motoring maestro subsequently declared that all bode well for a successful 'centenary' RAC 1000-mile Reliability Trial in late september 2003.

The Original Map for the 1903 RAC 1000-mile Reliability Trial
(As kindly supplied by the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu)
The daily routes from the 18th to 26th September are shown with the main towns passed through and the number of times the same route has to be travelled - this is particularly repetitive close to London and Crystal Palace. 
(On Saturday 20th September, the rest day, the first Cadillac 'Grand International' was held in Crystal Palace Park)

For daily reports, click on destination towns above

This hand inscribed certificate, which Julian Bennett has hanging in his house, was presented by the Veteran Car Club of Great Britain to Frederic Bennett after his successful run in 1953.

 Having succeed in his attempt at the centennial run, Julian received a similar certificate from the VCC in 2003.