Girls just want to have... Classics?

It is no secret that the world of classics is dominated by men. But beneath the surface is a bubbling community of enthusiastic women who have a passion for all things automotive too.

In celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day, we felt it important to elevate their voices, tell their stories and celebrate their passion front and centre, so we surveyed 5,000 ladies of all age brackets, and here is what they had to say.

Where did your interest in classic vehicles start?

 “When I was a little girl, my grandmother used to say how she would love to go for a ride in a sports car with the roof down. I was interested in sports cars ever since then and I now have an MX5 Mark 1 Eunos, special edition 1998, which I have had for over 16 years. I love going to classic car shows and wandering around all day admiring the wonderful cars on show. I think my grandma in heaven has been guiding me on this journey.” – Age 25-34

“I have loved “older” cars ever since I knew what a car was. My real passion is Morris Minors though. There was one in the town where I grew up and I just loved everything about it, to the point where I decided I would only learn to drive if I could have a Morris Minor! In 1989, I managed to buy a 1959 2 door saloon for £150 and learnt to drive in it. The rest is history, I have owned 2 door saloons, pickups, vans, a traveller and now I have a 1958 4 door saloon and a 1969 Metropolitan Police Panda car, which can be seen in “The Lady in the Van”. – Age 55-64

“From when I was a child, my father, not thinking that having an only child that was a girl in the 60's should be an issue to working on his mini. After all, girls had small nimble hands and could get nuts out the engine when they fell in! He was certainly a man who was forward in his thinking as girls did not usually work on cars.” Age 55-64

What do you love most about owning a classic?

“The fact that not many people have one, people often spot my bike (Yamaha FZX 750) and remember them either being a bike they wanted, or owning one when new, it’s great to see their face talking about how much they enjoyed riding it and when they see my bike it brings back those memories for them.” Aged 45-54

“Oscar the Mini has become more than just a car, he's like a well-loved pet! He gets noticed, waved at, is known by the bus drivers and they let me get through! I like being asked about him.” Aged 55-64

“They have so much more character than modern cars nowadays. The small little features that were taken into consideration for both the driver and the mechanic. The fact that my car (1981 Porsche 924) can hold a full-sized tyre in the boot AND space for so much more, whilst most modern cars now can only fit a space saver tyre! The list goes on…. Oh, and of course the smile it puts on people’s faces when she’s out on the road! My car is nostalgic to so many people, and with her being 41 years old and myself 22, she’s taught me a lot about life and learning to be patient when things don’t always go to plan.” Aged 17-24

“The butterflies in my tummy that first sunny Spring day, when I get her (1970 Morris Minor saloon) out of the garage for the first run out after long boring car Winter! The amazing smell of her interior, concentrated from a few months of doors shut!! Mmmmm! The sound of her turning over (knowing she will after months of rest) and that first drive of many in the new year! Can’t beat it!!” Age 55-64

Do you have any funny classic related stories to share?

“I once owned a Sunbeam Alpine, very heavy car, it broke down regularly but once I was taking my children to Sunday school and it broke down on a high street. Two policemen arrived and said, ‘you can’t leave that there!’ I replied I didn’t design it to do it! They then told me to put it out of gear and take the handbrake off and they would push it round the corner. I duly did this and waited ready to steer it round the corner… Nothing, nothing happened until a head appeared in the window, ‘Are you sure that’s out of gear and handbrake off?’ Yes, I replied. They tried to push it again… Nothing moved even an inch! The head appeared again, ‘Can I just check it’s out of gear and handbrakes off?’ With a wry smile I said of course! He disappeared once more to his partner and said, ‘It’s all off, we’ll never push this thing!!’, I asked if I should try turning the engine on one more time and he replied ‘Oh go on!’, I turned the key, it started first time and I left them in a cloud of dust with hands on hips!!" - Aged 65+

“One time my partner was out in the MK2 Spitfire with our blonde Afghan hound in the front seat. Bloke says to John, 'Saw your wife in the car with you'. The dog and I had same colour and length of hair!” – Aged 65+

“Everyone shares their moggy stories when they see you driving one! An eccentric elderly lady told me of her honeymoon drive through France in a Moggy. She had forgotten to pack underwear and rinsed out her knickers every day and hung them on the quarter light to dry as they drove through France each day! She thought the French thought it was some strange flag!” – Aged 55-64

We’ve come to the end of part one, but in part two we’ll be discussing gender stereotypes, advice for women wanting to get into classics and how our ladies see the industry today.

Do you have a women in your life who loves classics? We’d love to hear from you at news.views@footmanjames.co.uk, and they could be featured in a blog that will also go in our newsletter!