The Flying Scotsman Rally is an endurance race of pre-war cars from London to Edinburgh, the route that used to be covered by the famous LNER Class A3 4472 steam locomotive the event was named after.
That coal hungry beast was built in 1923 in Doncaster and set the world speed record of 100 mph eleven years later. The same year, this round's winning Talbot 105 rolled out of the factory in North Kensington. The fastest four-seater of its time was designed by Georges Roesch, a Swiss engineer who's six-cylinder pushrod engine could produce as much as 125 horsepower when bored to 2,969 cc thanks to its high-compression.
After three days and more than 1,000 joyful miles, the lime green Talbot crossed the finish line a mere seven seconds ahead of a big Bentley driven by an all girl team. The top ten finishers featured four Bentleys and three Talbot 105 Alpines. Next to them was an Alfa Romeo 6C, a 1500cc Riley 12/4 and a Lagonda M45R.
The oldest of the 100 vintage cars taking part was a 1912 Chalmers 10, which boasted the second-largest engine in the event at 7500cc, just 500cc short of the 8000cc engine in a 1931 Bentley Speed Six. Don't ask about fuel consumption.
Britain's car culture is simply amazing.