This year's Royal Automobile Club Motoring Lectures, on Thursday 30 October, will present a fascinating combination of expert views on the earliest days of motoring and a major panel discussion on the future of motorsport in the UK, all at the iconic clubhouse on Pall Mall.

Focus on history

Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO Mercedes Benz Heritage, will give a presentation on Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Frederick Simms - three visionaries shaping the origins of the automobile - as he looks at the prominent role Mercedes performed in advancing automotive technologies in the early days of motorised transport.  The team from RM Sotheby’s explore the pre-1905 veteran car market with particular reverence to its cultural, historical, and investment significance. And Stephen Laing of the British Motor Museum will give an insight into the seminal 1000 Mile Trial, which took place 125 years ago and played a pivotal role in introducing the joys and practicalities of motoring to the nation.

Looking to the future

For decades, British drivers, constructors, and teams have dominated the global motorsport scene. Today, motorsport in the UK is thriving in many ways – and this vitality, in turn, strengthens a broader motoring culture, whether through competitive events or the simple pleasure of driving on the roads. Despite these successes, there are, of course, challenges. These will be discussed at the Royal Automobile Club's Motoring Lectures by three of the most prominent figures in UK motorsport: Hugh Chambers, Chief Executive of Motorsport UK, the national governing body, Peter Daly, Chairman of the British Racing & Sports Car Club (BRSCC), Clerk of the Course at the British Grand Prix and Race Director of the British GT Championship and Stuart Pringle, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuit, the home of the British Grand Prix.

The timetable for the Lectures is as follows:

• 9.30-11.15am: Hugh Chambers, Peter Daly and Stuart Pringle discuss the critical themes that will shape the next decade of motorsport in the UK and its influence across motoring culture and the community. 
• 11.45am-12.15pm: The team from RM Sotheby’s explore the pre-1905 veteran car market .
• 12.15-12.45pm: Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO Mercedes Benz Heritage on Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Frederick Simms.
• 12.45-1.15pm: Stephen Laing, from the British Motor Museum, presents the 125th anniversary of the 1000 Mile Trial.

Places are predominantly reserved for Club members though a limited number of non-member tickets are available to purchase in advance here. 

Other highlights of London Motor Week (27 October – 2 November) include the Art of Motoring exhibition held at the Iconic Images Gallery in Piccadilly (29 October – 1 November) and a number of notable industry events and awards ceremonies. Adding to the motorsport theme, these include a special dinner introducing the new Cadillac Formula 1 team in the company of Team Principal Graeme Lowden and Pat Symonds, Chief Technical Officer.

The celebrations in the capital conclude with the free-to-attend St James’s Motoring Spectacle (Saturday 1 November) staged on Pall Mall which is closed to through traffic  and the following day’s staging of the inimitable RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run which sees more than 400 pre-1905 veteran vehicles leave Hyde Park at dawn.

A full list of London Motoring Week events can be found here.