On Friday 4th May over thirty 21st century supercars, including strong Italian representation from Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini, as well as a Bugatti Veyron the world’s fastest production road car, travelled from Pall Mall in London to Silverstone in Northamptonshire, escorting The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy which will be awarded to the winners of the British round of the FIA GT Sportscar Championship today (Sunday 6th May).

The second running of the London to Silverstone Supercar Tour started from outside The Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall at 10am. The organised parade of 21st Century supercars, which in total ere worth nearly £5million, travelled with a Metropolitan Police motorcycle escort to the outskirts of the Capital. The participants will then continued the 80-mile journey to Northamptonshire via a non-motorway route. On arrival all of the participants were invited to complete a number of laps of the famous Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. Manufacturers such as Jaguar, Porsche, Aston Martin, Maserati, Bugatti, Koenigsegg, Ferrari and Spyker were represented on the 2007 London to Silverstone Supercar Tour, with Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee Chairman Dr Stephen Hammerton delivering the Tourist Trophy to Silverstone in a Jaguar XKR.

“With members of the public providing and driving many of the cars, the London to Silverstone Supercar Tour is an exciting and innovative way of delivering the Tourist Trophy to the circuit,” said Dr Stephen Hammerton before the start. “Many of the manufacturers that will be seen on Friday will be represented on the race track in the 2-hour FIA GT race this Sunday, with the drivers of an Aston Martin winning the Tourist Trophy in 2005 and a Maserati in 2006.
 

"The Tourist Trophy is one of the oldest and most significant prizes in motorsport and since 1905 has been lifted by some of the most famous names in racing including Sir Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Derek Bell. I’m travelling up to Silverstone with the trophy in a Jaguar XKR, a great British manufacturer that has been the recipient of the Tourist Trophy on three occasions.”

The first Tourist Trophy meeting was held on the Isle of Man on September 14th 1905 with cars setting off from Alexander Drive, Douglas on a 52 mile course. John Napier, in an Arrol-Johnston won in the 6 hour race comprising 4 laps, 208 miles, with an average speed of 33.9 mph. Whilst there were breaks in the Tourist Trophy being contested in the early 20th century and during both world wars, it remained one of the most coveted competitions on the motor sports calendar. Over the years it moved around the country and has been run at circuits on the Isle of Man, in England and Northern Ireland.

The Royal Automobile Club re-introduced the Tourist Trophy during its centenary year in 2005 for the FIA GT race at Silverstone, with Dutchman Peter Kox and Portugal’s Pedro Lamy victorious in the three hour race. A year later the names of Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels were added to the roll of honour. The Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy will be awarded to the winning pair of drivers in Round 2 of the 2007 FIA GT Championship on Sunday 6th May.