Genevieve 1953

Two veteran cars and their crews take part in the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Alan McKim, John Gregson a young barrister, and his wife Wendy, Dinah Sheridan, drive Genevieve, a 1904 Darracq. Their friend Ambrose Claverhouse, Kenneth More a brash advertising salesman, and his latest girlfriend, Kay Kendall Rosalind Peters, a fashion model, ride in a 1905 Spyker.

The journey to Brighton starts well for Claverhouse, but the McKims’ trip is fraught with breakdowns and delays, leaving them arriving very late. After Alan cancels their usual plush hotel during a fit of pique, they end up spending the night in a dingy run-down hotel run by the Hotel Proprietress, Joyce Grenfell. Wendy’s mood sinks further when Rosalind, in high spirits, gets very drunk and insists on playing the trumpet with the house band, delivering a bold hot jazz solo before nodding off to sleep.

Tensions flare as Alan and Wendy quarrel over Ambrose’s supposed attentions to her, and Alan goes to the garage to brood. In the small hours, Ambrose appears, hostile words are exchanged, and Alan wagers him £100 that he can beat Ambrose back to London, even though racing is not allowed by the club. Ambrose accepts the challenge—“First over Westminster Bridge.”

First over Westminster Bridge.

The next morning, Rosalind’s hangover and Wendy’s disapproval do little to dampen their competitive spirit as the two crews race back toward London. Both teams resort to cheating, with Ambrose sabotaging Alan’s engine and Alan causing Ambrose to be stopped by the authorities. On the outskirts of London, the four contestants are publicly warned by the police, and Wendy insists they call off the bet in favor of a party instead. Yet a heated exchange rekindles the wager.

The race resumes with a neck-and-neck sprint through the southern suburbs. Just as the finish line looms, Genevieve suffers a breakdown, and Ambrose’s car is momentarily poised to overtake. Genevieve’s tyres hit tramlines, the track’s remnants from London’s earlier era, and the brakes fail as the car edges toward Westminster Bridge. In a dramatic finish, Genevieve crosses the bridge first, clinching the victory and ending the bet.