On Nov. 14, the City of Beverly Hills, in partnership with the Petersen Automotive Museum, will host BritWeek 2021, a car rally featuring 75 of the world’s most iconic British vehicles. The rally will begin at the Petersen Automotive Museum at 10 a.m., winding through city streets routed to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and end with a public car show in front of Beverly Hills City Hall and on the forecourt of the Wallis. The one-day event is a fundraiser for the non-profit organization, BritWeek, founded in 2007 by Nigel Lythgoe and then British Consul General, Bob Peirce, to promote British creativity, innovation and excellence in film, television, music, art, fashion, design, retail, sport, philanthropy, business and more. Magnus Walker, celebrity car collector and artist, is co-hosting the event. The last BritWeek, in 2019, drew crowds of over 700 people to Beverly Hills.
Event organizers chose 50 guests who will be participating by driving select British high-end luxury cars in the rally on a pre-designated route. Once complete, the group will return their cars for display along North Crescent Drive for the public. Cars that are scheduled to appear include Steve McQueen’s distinguished 1956 Jaguar XKSS, one of only two 1947 Rolls Royce Inskips ever to be made by hand, 1948 Bentley MK VI Mallalieu Mercia Roadster, an original 1962 Lotus 7 and a 2005 TVR Sagaris, which is the only one in the United States.
“We’re all about supporting the community and hosting engaging car events, and this is definitely one we’re really excited about,” Michael Bodell, Chief Operating Officer of the Petersen Automotive Museum, told the Courier. “Peterson is taking its Steve McQueen Jaguar XKSS on the rally, which is one of the most significant vehicles in the collection. It’s also one of the most valuable vehicles in the collection, and that is going to be the big one for us. We’ve got a couple of Blower Bentley’s from the late 1920s, and just a host of amazing cars. It’s a very diverse mix of vehicles that will be with us. In total, we should have somewhere around 300 vehicles, but only 75 of those 300 will be on the rally.”
The free and family-friendly event begins at 8 a.m. with a British-themed breakfast on the Petersen Museum’s rooftop, where guests can view the cars up close as they compete for the “Petersen Perfection,” “Best in Show,” “Hammertime Excellence” and “Outlaw” awards. The rally will begin afterward, at 10 a.m., and the cars will be on display for the public from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Crescent Drive, at Beverly Hills City Hall, and the Wallis Annenberg Motor court.
“The fun thing is we just opened a brand-new Bond exhibit called Bond in Motion, which is the first official Bond vehicle exhibit mounted in the United States in partnership with Eon Productions and the Ian Fleming Foundation,” Bodell told the Courier. “So, for the people who do come to the museum, they have the opportunity to come inside the museum and see the exhibit. So that kind of ties the British theme together with James Bond.”
The rally is sponsored by Richard Mille, HSBC Bank, The Maybourne Beverly Hills Hotel, Britbox, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and O’Gara Coach Beverly Hills.
To learn more about BritWeek, visit https://britweek.org.
