Almost 103 years after its debut, one of the three Napier cars which took part in the very first competition event at Brooklands – the 24-hour record run led by pioneer motorist S F Edge on 28^th June 1907 – returns to competition this weekend in the Brooklands Double Twelve Motoring Festival. And with over 150 drivers taking part in the Driving Test and Concours competition (including three prominent motoring writers from the Haymarket Magazines stable) and the traditional fine Brooklands weather forecast, a superb weekend of vintage and classic motorsport and family entertainment is promised.

The 1907 Napier T21 60HP entered by Peter Rae is believed to be the red car driven by Frank Newton and F Draper in the 24-hour record attempt, which saw all three cars finish, and Edge’s car (driven single-handedly for the whole 24 hours) take the record with a distance of 1,581 miles 1,310 yards – a record which stood for 18 years. Peter Rae’s Napier has just undergone a complete restoration to its 1907 specification, having existed as a bare chassis for many years – it was on display at Brooklands Museum in that form from 2000-2007. The Double Twelve competition will be its first major outing.

Motorsport action at Brooklands over the weekend is centred on two parallel competitions, promoted by Brooklands Museum in partnership with the Vintage Sports Car Club as competition organisers. The Brooklands Speed Trials – a speed sprint against the clock - will take place on Saturday 5 June on the Mercedes-Benz World circuit, with some 80 pre-war cars competing in 15 separate classes.  David Baldock’s 1938 2 litre, a car that raced at Brooklands in period, returns to high speed competition in the hands of Paul Jaye.  David Leigh will pilot ‘Spider’ the legendary 1923 GN Shelsley Walsh, built and driven by the legendary Basil Davenport. 

The Double Twelve Competition on Saturday and Sunday involves a combination of driving tests and concours judging, and readers of classic car magazines will be intrigued to see the Haymarket trio of Steve Cropley, Simon Taylor and Mick Walsh in action in three different classes.  Steve Cropley will be driving the Prototype Jaguar D-Type from 1954 owned by the Jaguar Heritage Collection in Class A, whilst Simon Taylor will be competing in the Gurney Nutting bodied Derby Bentley that won the Montague of Beaulieu trophy at Pebble Beach in 2009.  Mick Walsh is in the Lea Francis 14hp Sports often written about in Classic & Sports Car.

In addition to the two motoring competition events, there will be displays and special demonstrations on the Mercedes-Benz circuit on the Saturday, and on the famous Brooklands Test Hill on the Sunday. With line-ups by classic-car clubs, live music, children’s entertainment and all the usual Museum exhibits and displays open (including the Brooklands Concorde Experience), there will be something for everyone at this superb weekend at the Birthplace of British Motorsport and Aviation.

Tickets are £15 for adults, £6 for children and £37 for a family (2 adults and up to 3 children) and parking is in The Heights off Wellington Way.