Thousands of onlookers gathered along Pall Mall to witness a showcase of some of the world’s oldest and most cutting-edge vehicles.
The iconic London street was closed to traffic for the St James’s Motoring Spectacle, an event organized by the Royal Automobile Club.
Displayed across five themed zones were cars spanning over a century of automotive history, from models dating back to 1896 to the Aston Martin DB5, famously recognized from the 60-year-old James Bond film Goldfinger.
One of the zones focused exclusively on modern design, giving the public a chance to view high-performance supercars and look through how manufacturers are adopting technology to enhance vehicle sustainability, according to the automobile club.
Alongside classic models like a 1904 Mercedes Simplex, spectators also admired supercars, such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie and the Porsche 963 hypercar, which competed in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours race.
Duncan Wiltshire, chairman of the Royal Automobile Club, expressed the club’s enthusiasm about hosting Saturday’s event.
“This wonderful new show will not only celebrate the freedoms motorised transport has provided but also forecast the car’s future role within a fast-changing world,” he said.
Founded in 1897, the Royal Automobile Club counts King Charles III as its patron. The free event took place in advance of the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which, according to organizers, is the world’s longest-running motoring event.
Scheduled for Sunday, this event will see over 400 vehicles, each built before 1905, travel south from Hyde Park.