Written by StarterMotor Ambassador, Hannah Challis

Most 14-year-old girls want a horse, but I always wanted 98 of them, under the bonnet of an MGB GT of course, and it had to be chrome bumper! At 17 years old, I was fortunate to learn to drive in my recently-acquired ’74 ‘BGT. Its venerable clutch was slightly less fortunate however, so when lockdown hit, dad and I relieved the boredom by taking the engine out and completely rebuilding it. This took time and left me without transport, so I simply had to acquire a banana yellow RWA MG Midget to stay mobile. After all, owning one elderly British sports car simply wasn’t enough work!

At 20, I happened across StarterMotor at the NEC and for the last four years I have been honoured to be a StarterMotor Ambassador. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities this has given me and the doors it’s opened into the world of historic motorsport. StarterMotor has introduced me to like-minded young people who share my passion, and its allowed me to rub shoulders with many of the characters and big names in the world of classic car racing.

Earlier this summer, StarterMotor introduced me to Alex Brundle. Listening to someone with such knowledge and experience in motorsport was a fantastic opportunity and a great encouragement to get involved in classic racing. Watching from the sidelines is great, but there’s only so long you can look at cars heading onto a circuit before thinking, “I rather fancy having a go at that!”

Most recently, I had the pleasure of attending the Bentley Drivers’ Club Meet at Silverstone. There was a sizeable crowd, all gathered to enjoy an uproarious display from an impressive collection of racing machinery, including Bentleys, pre-war Aston Martins, Morgans, and even a Bristol!

One of the most encouraging sights was the number of cars proudly displaying “novice” stickers. Seeing people at the beginning of their racing journey was a great reminder that historic motorsport isn’t just about preserving old cars, it’s about getting new generations behind the wheel too.

One family I talked to deserves a special mention for a wonderful story. Their beautiful British racing green, pre-war Aston Martin, affectionately known as “Green Pea,” is an astonishing 104 years old and has been passed down through three generations of the family. This year, the current owner’s son raced the car for the first time. Understandably, there was a very proud dad in the grandstand, surrounded by various family members cheering him on. It was one of those moments that perfectly captures what makes historic motorsport so special: a car that has spent more than a century collecting stories, now creating another one with the next generation.

Another gentleman had the rather enviable position of owning a beautiful Bentley that he had purchased for just £520. Admittedly, it was in the 1950’s, so over lunch the StarterMotor team sat calculating what that equated to in today’s money. After a bit of mental arithmetic, which got us nowhere, Google told us the answer – roughly £16,000. So, even allowing for inflation, his purchase was something of a bargain!

Events like the Bentley Drivers’ Club meet are a brilliant reminder of why I love historic motoring. From 104-year-old Aston Martins and beautifully preserved Bentleys to novice racers taking their first steps on track, there is something wonderfully infectious about seeing old cars still being used for what they were built to do.

For me, it has also made the next step feel increasingly obvious. I’ve gone from learning to drive an MGB at 17, rebuilding its engine at 18, getting involved with StarterMotor at 20, and meeting people like Alex Brundle, to now seriously considering applying for my racing licence.

So, I want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to StarterMotor for fuelling this obsession in the first place and, more importantly, for continuing to support me throughout it. The opportunities, introductions and experiences they’ve given me have been so valuable, and I’m so excited to see where this off-beat fascination with old cars takes me next.

Watch this space - perhaps I’ll see you on the grid?!