The Gay Classic Car Group has set up a new economy run to see how driving affects fuel range.
Darren Mitcham said: ‘Everyone filled their cars to the brim, drove to the start point, which served breakfast, then went for a three-hour drive in the beautiful roads around Newbury, Avebury, Marlborough and Hungerford.
‘Most drivers drove sensibly and economically, with no one driving too slowly. The knack seemed to be to anticipate junctions, hills and other hazards. Only one car drove as usual (the Mercedes-Benz SL).
'We had three V8s that all had gains of around 35 per cent'
‘Before the event we submitted our vehicle’s details and the organiser had researched the original combined fuel consumption figures. At the end of the three-hour drive, we returned to the same filling station and brimmed our tanks. We submitted the receipts and awaited the results.
‘Most of the cars on the run improved on their original fuel consumption between 25 and 50 per cent. Only one car saw a decrease – the Mercedes SL, but the driver hadn’t really entered into the spirit of the day. We had three V8s (Stag, Rover and Daimler 250) that all had gains of around 35 per cent. The Austin Metro auto saw a whopping 50 per cent increase but the winner was the Mini Cooper Classic at 80 per cent increase with 77mpg.’