After fourteen years of celebrating antique automobiles and local history, the Red Flag Motor Tour is ending its annual run from New London to Brighton, closing the chapter on a popular Southeast Iowa tradition.
Each year during the final week of September, the tour brought visitors and vintage vehicles to the Dover Museum, where volunteers with the Dover Historical Society prepared breakfast for drivers and support staff before the group set out on a reenactment of the historic route to Brighton.
The tour was inspired by the original 1896 London to Brighton road race in England, which celebrated changes to early automobile laws and the removal of the requirement that a person walk ahead of each vehicle carrying a red flag to warn others of approaching “horseless carriages.”
Locally, the event became known for its display of pre-1928 cars and motorcycles parked around New London’s city square, where spectators gathered to admire the restored vehicles and visit with drivers dressed in period clothing. The final day traditionally began at the city park, followed by breakfast at Dover and introductions of the vehicles before they traveled the scenic two-and-a-half-hour route to Brighton, often making stops along the way.
Over the years, the tour also included visits to historic destinations across Southeast Iowa, such as museums, parks, and local landmarks, giving participants a chance to experience the region’s history at a slower pace.
With the decision to end the annual run, the tour’s board has chosen to distribute its remaining funds to several local historical organizations, including the Dover Museum, the Harlan-Lincoln House, the Lewelling Quaker Museum, and the Henry County Heritage Trust.
While the engines will no longer roll each fall, the legacy of the Red Flag Motor Tour will live on through the memories created and the support it provided to preserving local history throughout Southeast Iowa.