The Duke of Rutland, driven by chief mechanic Tom Devine and family member Lol Crafer, decided to make the journey 100 years after his grandfather the 9th Duke of Rutland John Manners bought the car in 1908.

The trio will drive 250 miles, taking in north Kent, the Channel Tunnel and Calais, before arriving in Dieppe on Friday.

Here, the 1908 Renault will take part in the Dieppe Retro rally celebrating the centenary of the Grand Prix de Dieppe which was held in the same year the car was manufactured.

They originally planned to visit the Renault factory in Bilancourt, north of Paris, where the car was made but found it was no longer there.

Before setting off, the Duke said: "I'm feeling quite nervous about the journey but looking forward to it.

"It is a wonderful car and has only ever belonged to my family. I believe my grandfather bought it from the Renault dealership in Grantham all that time ago."

Mechanic Tom said: "This will be the longest journey the car has ever made even though it has hundreds of miles on the clock.

"We're confident it will make it."

The trio were blessed by Belvoir's chaplain The Rev Stuart Foster before they set off and were wished "bon voyage" by family, friends and staff as they proceeded down the castle's drive.


A video to accompany this story will be posted later this afternoon. Keep checking back here for updates!



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