Over thirteen years the Bexhill 100 event has attracted over one million visitors to Bexhill Seafront, the vast majority during the festival itself. As an event, the Bexhill 100 has done an enormous amount to raise the profile of Bexhill as a visitor destination and confirm Bexhill on Sea's place in Motor Racing history. The event has been sustained by the dedication of a few Directors, organisers and local sponsors, supported by up to 100 enthusiastic event marshals each year.

In parallel with the Festivals of Motoring the Bexhill Motor Racing Heritage Group, working again with local sponsors and local schools, have produced a working replica of the 1902 world record breaking Serpollet car. This steam powered car won the 1902 premier race at Bexhill. Our working replica Serpollet car has been featured on national TV and created an enormous amount of interest when on exhibition at Bexhill, Brooklands, Goodwood, Brands Hatch and Manchester. A further series of Serpollet exhibitions and demonstrations around the country is planned for 2003 & 2004.

After the Centenary, it was timely to review the format of Motor Racing Festivals in Bexhill. We now intend to change the format to a Bexhill Classic Car Event to be held in June 2003. This type of event was last held in Bexhill in 1954. Whilst the detail is yet to be finalised, the new event will be geared to attract quality classic cars with valuable sponsored prizes for the best cars in class. If this new event proves to be successful in 2003, we would repeat it and have two events in 2004, and thereafter annually. We have every hope that these proposed new events will draw visitors to Bexhill, and be supported by our friends with Classic Cars, our local sponsors and our enthusiastic marshals.

The main reason for the change is that it has become too expensive to carry on with the present Bexhill 100 Festival format. In a nutshell, the festival now costs around £90,000 to put on. This year we have had £30,000 support from our main sponsor Hastings Direct, the remainder of the money comes from selling stand space, advertising, programme sales, sponsorship and fund raising dinners, which left us with a shortfall at the end of each year. The organising committee have been unable to increase income or reduce the costs using the present format, as has been the problem with so many other events where one is unable to charge the public for entrance. This year the subsidy required from the Directors of the Bexhill 100 has increased sharply and has thus become unsustainable.