There’s a moment each spring, on the last Sunday in April, when something quietly extraordinary happens on the roads of the UK.
You’ll see it if you’re out and about on the roads of the UK when, seemingly everywhere you turn, you are greeted by the sound of an engine you don’t hear every day or a nostalgic old car that reminds you of childhood. Then another follows. And another.
What you are seeing is Drive It Day 2026, or if on two wheels, Ride It Day!
Drive It Day 2026 / Ride It Day
Across the UK, historic vehicles take to the roads in numbers that even surprise those of us within the community. Pre-war tourers, 60s sports cars, classic bikes, everyday saloons that once filled British streets are all out together, all moving, all being seen.
It’s the national awareness day for the historic vehicle community to garner support from the public for the freedom to use transport heritage on the UK’s roads, with the added aim of contributing to wider society through fundraising for charity. But why choose the end of April? Well, there’s more to it than simply the start of warmer weather. Read on…
A moving piece of history
Drive It Day, organised by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, commemorates the Thousand Mile Trial of 1900. When the motor car still had something to prove.
Horses were trusted. Trains were established. Cars? Noisy, unreliable and unfamiliar. Most people had never even seen one.
So the newly formed Royal Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland set out to change that with a bold idea: a 1,000-mile reliability trial. It was not a race, but a test of endurance.
On 23rd April 1900, around 80 vehicles gathered in London. Many were little more than motorised carriages. Drivers wore heavy coats and goggles, often with a mechanic beside them carrying tools and spare parts. Then they set off.
The route stretched from London to Edinburgh and back, over rough tracks that barely qualified as roads. Drivers faced mud, steep hills, primitive surfaces and wary horse traffic, not to mention curious (and sometimes hostile) crowds.
Breakdowns were constant. Repairs were improvised. Progress was slow, and there were many dramas for the crews along the way, including one car that turned over on the tramlines in Bristol. Of the 65 starters, just 35 made it back to London.
For thousands of people lining the route, it was their first encounter with the motor car. And what they saw changed perceptions. These machines could travel long distances. They could endure. They had potential.
The event became one of the most significant early moments in British motoring — helping spark an industry, grow public acceptance and lay the foundations for everything that followed.
Drive It Day traces its roots back to that journey. Because in many ways, it’s still doing the same job today. Back then, it was about proving the motor car had a future. Today, it’s about showing that it still has a place.
According to the FBHVC’s latest research, there are around 1.9 million historic vehicles in the UK, contributing over £7 billion to the economy. That’s not a niche hobby. That’s a national movement.
Drive It Day is when the public sees it for themselves.
National Awareness
Drive It Day is about showing the world what this community really looks like as the roads fill with transport heritage of all shapes and sizes. Not a handful of cars at a show, but thousands of vehicles, of every type and era, out on the road together, all engaging positively with the public.
We can show them how many of these vehicles are still out there, how diverse the community is and how much passion sits behind every one of them
You’ll see people stop and look. Point things out. Share memories. “My dad had one of those.” “I learned to drive in one of those.”
It connects generations in a way very little else can. It matters because visibility helps protect the future of historic vehicles on our roads.
Drive It Day 2026 and Ride It Day 2026
This year, Drive It Day takes place on Sunday, 26 April 2026.
There’s no single way to take part. Some will join organised club runs. Others will head out with friends to venues running Drive it Day events. Many will simply take their car out for a drive, knowing they won’t be alone.
A nod from another driver. A wave in passing. That shared understanding that, just for today, we’re all part of something bigger.
Drive It Day has also become a way for the community to give something back.
Each year, it raises funds for NSPCC’s Childline — a service that provides vital, confidential support to children and young people across the UK.
Most of that support comes through the Drive It Day / Ride It Day rally plate. You’ll see them displayed proudly on cars across the country — a small detail that carries real meaning.
At Peter James Insurance, we’ve spent decades working alongside clubs and enthusiasts, understanding what these cars mean and the effort it takes to keep them on the road. The clubs, the events, the shared knowledge, they are the backbone of the historic vehicle world, and we are proud to play our part in enabling these vehicles to remain gracing the UK’s roads.
How to support
- Visit the Drive It Day website www.driveitday.co.uk
- Order your rally plate
- Display it proudly on Sunday, 26 April 2026
Because for one day each year, Britain’s roads don’t just carry traffic. They tell our story.
