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Pall Mall closes for oldest and newest car display

Amy Walker
BBC News
Asad Ahmad/BBC A man and woman, dressed in fashions from the early 20th Century, sit atop a red car from the same period.Asad Ahmad/BBC
Pall Mall was closed to through traffic on Saturday for the St James's Motoring Spectacle

Thousands of spectators congregated in Pall Mall to see a display of some of the world's oldest and newest cars.

The central London street was closed to through traffic for the St James's Motoring Spectacle, organised by the Royal Automobile Club.

Cars on show across five dedicated zones included models dating back to 1896 and the Aston Martin DB5, well known from the 60-year-old James Bond film Goldfinger.

A dedicated zone focused on modern design, providing both an opportunity for the public to see supercars and how manufacturers are embracing technology to make vehicles more sustainable, the automobile club said.

Asad Ahmad/BBC A silver Aston Martin DB5 is parked on pall mall as spectators, old and young, look onAsad Ahmad/BBC
The Aston Martin DB5, best known from the James Bond films, was at the event

Alongside classics such as a 1904 Mercedes Simplex, supercars including an Aston Martin Valkyrie and a Porsche 963 hypercar that raced in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours were on display.

Asad Ahmad/BBC An Aston Martin Valkyrie, a hypercar with curved bodywork and low-profile tyres, in navy and red, parked on Pall MallAsad Ahmad/BBC
Hypercars, including an Aston Martin Valkyrie, were part of the spectacle
Asad Ahmad/BBC A Pagani Huayra Roadster, a black supercar with antenna-like wing mirrors, parked up on Pall Mall.Asad Ahmad/BBC
An extremely rare (and expensive) Pagani Huayra Roadster was part of the display

Chairman Duncan Wiltshire said the club was "delighted" to host 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.

The club was founded in 1897 and its patron is King Charles III.

Asad Ahmad/BBC A silver Mercedes W196, a curved, futuristic-looking race car, parked on Pall MallAsad Ahmad/BBC
Rare cars, including this Mercedes W196, were parked across five dedicated zones
Asad Ahmad/BBC Two young men in orange hi vis jackets sit on a vintage car on Pall Mall as they listen to a man with a flat cap and a tweed blazer on.Asad Ahmad/BBC
Advice on skills initiatives and careers within the automotive industry was on offer at the event

The free event comes ahead of the RM Sotheby's London to Brighton Veteran Car Run - the world's longest-running motoring event, according to organisers - on Sunday.

It will see more than 400 vehicles, built before 1905, head southward from Hyde Park.

Asad Ahmad/BBC A royal blue 1902 Deckert two-seater open-top car. Its wheels and steering wheel are wooden, while the seat is made of a plush-looking red leather.Asad Ahmad/BBC
Cars that are more than a century old, including a 1902 Deckert, were on show
Asad Ahmad/BBC A gold Porsche 963 hypercar, covered in advertising stickers for the likes of Michelin and Hertz, parked on Pall MallAsad Ahmad/BBC
A Porsche 963 hypercar, driven in the Le Mans 24 Hours, was a must-see attraction

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