- SMMT partners with British Motor Museum to give four automotive apprentices once-in-a-lifetime experience driving 1904 Thornycroft Tourer in world’s longest-running motoring event.
- Competition launched to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2025 and the importance of more than 4,500 automotive apprentices in roles such as R&D, engineering, manufacturing and repair.
- Drive reflects how far vehicle technology – and automotive skills – have travelled in past century from early petrol engines to the very latest zero emission and automated cars.
The 1904 20hp Thornycroft Tourer on display at SMMT Annual Dinner 2024. Credit: SMMT
Four top UK automotive apprentices will get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive in the world-famous London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in 2025, thanks to a new competition launched today by the British Motor Museum in partnership with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The competition celebrates National Apprenticeship Week which promotes the critical role of apprenticeships in driving new skills and careers in the UK automotive industry.
There are currently more than 4,500 apprentices learning their trade in the sector and contributing to its success – more than 550 having begun this academic year.1 Now, a lucky four of them will win the chance to take part in the world’s longest-running motoring event, the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, behind the wheel of an iconic 1904 Thornycroft Tourer, alongside hundreds of classic cars on the 60-mile route from St James’s Park to the Brighton seafront. Places on the Run are extremely hard to come by but sharing automotive history with young people – future automotive leaders from diverse backgrounds – is essential in shedding light on just how far innovation has come and where industry is heading.2
The 1904 Thornycroft Tourer crosses the finish line in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run 2022. Credit: British Motor Museum
The Thornycroft Tourer was a cutting-edge petrol-engined car in the early 20th century, having won the Run on several occasions prior to the Second World War.3 Immense industry change since then, however, means that vehicles look, feel and are powered very differently, with more than 130 different zero emission cars now on offer to UK motorists. Such a giant leap demands entirely new skills and makes apprenticeship training ever more important. With billions of pounds being invested in new technology and jobs – including in-demand apprenticeships such as design and development engineering, EV technicians and specialists in batteries and power electronics – 2025 will be one of the most exciting years in which to become an automotive apprentice.
Self-driving vehicles are also on the horizon, with the Automated Driving Act having passed into law last year. This year’s Run is poignant as it marks 130 years since the passing of the Red Flag Act 1865, which required a person to waive a red flag 60 yards ahead of any mechanically propelled road vehicle to warn of its approach. Fast forward to today and cutting-edge technology has advanced dramatically, allowing the safe and successful roll out of connected and increasingly automated cars. Industry progress means immense opportunities are available to apprentices, therefore, to build long-term and rewarding careers that will drive change for years to come.
Some of the more than 130 different zero emission cars available in the UK, on display at SMMT Test Day 2024, Millbrook Proving Ground. Credit: SMMT
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “Apprentices have helped drive automotive change for more than a century, bringing new skills, perspectives and ideas. We are proud to partner with the British Motor Museum in this world famous event to highlight the incredible opportunities available to young people in an industry that has been around for over a century yet which still has the brightest of futures. Just as innovation revolutionised mobility and society at the turn of the last century, so will today’s transformation bring a better future – with apprenticeships our driving force.”
Stephen Laing, Head of Collections and Engagement, British Motor Museum, said, “This partnership between our two organisations creates a unique opportunity for apprentices to participate in one of the world’s most prestigious and exhilarating motoring events, where places are keenly sought. The British Motor Museum tells the stories from the dawn of motoring and of its pioneers, illustrated by early cars like the Thornycroft. That heritage can inform today’s apprentices, who will be the pioneers in the 21st century’s rapidly changing motor industry, developing the transport of the future.”
Apprentices currently employed in the UK automotive industry who meet the competition’s eligibility criteria must submit their application by 30 April 2025. Applicants are required to answer one question about their interest in the initiative or wider industry. Winners will be announced in due course. Further information and the eligibility criteria can be found here.
Notes to editors
1 SMMT, EV transition drives apprentice recruitment as industry skills up for ‘growth decade’.
2 Further details including how to apply can be found by visiting: https://www.smmt.co.uk/2025/02/apprentice-applications-london-to-brighton-veteran-car-run-2025/