1996 - The Peak Year

Sunday 26th May

• First Paris start - longest route 500 miles
• First Eastleigh start from NU's Healthcare office
• Classic Morgan in NU Colours flagged off by Dean of Norwich Cathedral
• 1780 starters - a record number
• Only 1.8% non-finishers
• 112 makes of car

1996 saw the peak year of the Norwich Union RAC Classic runs.

There were 1,780 starters from 14 separate starts. Two of the starts were foreign, Dublin - meeting up with the Shrewsbury start and Paris meeting up with the Eastleigh start.

With the exception of the two foreign starts the routes covered between 140 and 150 miles. The Edwardian route was shorter at 75 miles taking into account the age of the vehicles.
Each entrant was issued with a full road book containing maps and detailed 'tulip' type instructions. As long as the navigator follows the tulips, and the driver does as he/she is told by the navigator then anyone can complete the run.

The 14 starts and routes were:

Bath - Route 1

• Royal Victoria Park - Bath
• Corsham
• Castle Combe Circuit
• Northleach
• Prescott Hillclimb
• Moreton in Marsh
• Broughton Castle
• Silverstone Circuit

Bath - Route 2

• Royal Victoria Park - Bath
• Marshfield
• Castle Combe Circuit
• Tetbury
• Prescott Hillclimb
• Halford
• Heritage Motor Centre - Gaydon
• Silverstone Circuit

Brooklands Route

• Brooklands Museum
• Camberley
• Transport & Road Research Test Track - Crowthorne
• Basildon Hall
• Whitchurch
• Woburn Sands
• Aston Martin - Newport Pagnall
• Silverstone Circuit

Cheltenham Route

• Pittville Pump Room - Cheltenham
• Winchcombe
• Prescott Hillclimb
• Welford on Avon
• Baddesley Clinton, near Solihull
• Museum of Road Transport - Coventry
• Silverstone Circuit

Dublin Route - Friday

• St Stephen's Green - centre of Dublin
• Malahide Castle
• Dunboyne
• Mondello Circuit
• Irish National Stud - Kildare
• Wicklow Mountains
• Powerscourt- Enniskerry
• Dublin Castle

Dublin Route - Saturday

• Dublin to Holyhead Ferry
• Llechwedd Slate Caverns - Ffestiniog
• Bala
• Chirk Castle - Llangollen
• The Quarry - Shrewsbury to join Shrewsbury start for Sunday

Eastleigh Route

• Hampshire Corporate Park - Eastleigh
• Romsey
• Museum of Army Flying - Middle Wallop
• Highclere Castle
• Stadhampton
• Waterperry Gardens
• Aston Martin - Newport Pagnall
• Silverstone Circuit

Edwardian & Twenties Route

• Silverstone Circuit
• Brackley
• Heritage Motor Centre - Gaydon
• Edge Hill
• Broughton Castle
• Kings Sutton
• Silverstone Circuit

Norwich Route 1

• Norwich City Centre
• Watton
• Oxburgh Hall - Downham Market
• Ely
• Wimpole Hall near Royston
• Shuttleworth Collection - Old Warden
• Silverstone Circuit

Norwich Route 2

• Norwich City Centre
• Diss
• Bressingham Steam Museum
• Chieveley
• Imperial War Museum - Duxford
• Ampthill
• Silverstone Circuit

Paris Route - Saturday

• Trocadero Gardens near Eiffel Tower
• Parc St Cloud
• Chateau de Vascoeuil
• Montville near Rouen
• Rouen-les-Essarts Circuit
• Chateau de Betteville
• Ferry - Le Havre to Portsmouth to join Eastleigh route on Sunday

Sheffield Route

• Heritage Park - Sheffield City Centre
• Hathersage
• Kedleston Hall - Duffield near Derby
• Hilton
• Bass Museum - Burton on Trent
• Coombe Abbey near Coventry
• Silverstone Circuit

Shrewsbury Route

• The Quarry - Centre of Shrewsbury
• Rugeley
• Bass Museum - Burton on Trent
• Witherle
• Arbury Hall, Nuneaton
• Hilmorton, Barby
• Silverstone Circuit

Silverstone Route

• Silverstone Circuit
• Princethorpe
• Coombe Abbey, Brinklow near Coventry
• Hinckley
• Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Lutterworth
• Stanford Hall, Lutterworth
• West Haddon
• Silverstone Circuit

Vauxhall Route

• Vauxhall Heritage Centre - Luton
• Barley
• Imperial War Museum, Duxford
• Wimpole Hall
• Ampthill, Woburn
• Silverstone Circuit