The Banbury Run, the Vintage Motor Cycle Club's premier event , celebrates its diamond jubilee this month with a record number of entries of pre-1931 machines.

The oldest machine in the run will be an 1896 Lon Bolle Voiturette, ridden by Scott Brown, of Southam.

Other competitors will travel hundreds of miles to take part in the event at Drayton School, Banbury, on Sunday, June 18.

About 500 vintage and veteran motorcycles will face the starter, and pre-1915 machines will tackle a 30-mile route through Oxfordshire countryside, while the 1916-1930 bikes will attempt a 50-mile route that includes the famous Sunrising Hill on the Banbury to Stratford Road.

Three classes of entry are: class A mainly veterans prior to 1915, class B mainly early vintage 1915-1924, and class C late vintage 1925-1930.

Among the riders will be 84-year-old Huw Williams from Ruthin in Wales, riding his La Tortue, and the same aged Martyn Baker, from Telford, who will be setting off on his 1924 500c Quadrant Combination.

Some of the more unusual machines include: Chater-Lea, Rex, Calcott, Bradbury, Adler, Quadrant, Lincoln, Le Grimpeur, Husqvarna, Cedos, and Panther.

There will also be many models of the old favourites such as BSA, Triumph, Royal Enfield, Sunbeam, Raleigh, Rudge, Douglas, and 37 Scott two-stroke twins.

The event starts at 10am and the oldest machines will be the first to be flagged away on their two-hour routes. The early runners will be returning just after midday as the last machines entered begin to set out on their journeys.

A packed paddock of autojumble stalls will offer a selection of spares and parts for vintage and classic motorcycles of all ages.

The Vintage Motor Cycle Club has more than 15,000 members and stages over 1,000 events annually.