Inside the collector’s cave: Fiona Rogers

A visit to Prescott Speed Hill Climb was all that was needed to ignite Fiona Rogers’ passion for cars. With a collection she shares with her husband Chris, they have every area of motorsport covered.

Fiona is humble, but excited about her cars and motorbikes. “My first proper hillclimb car was my then brand-new Mazda MX-5 that I used to commute in,” she says. “We [Fiona and Chris Rogers] put a roll cage in and I competed in hillclimbs in it. The rest is history.”

Since then, the Mazda NB MX-5 has been sold, and the couple are working as the General Manager & Club Secretary and the Regalia and Events Co-ordinator at Prescott Hill Climb for the Bugatti Owners’ Club, and their garage has grown exponentially.

“I now have a Subaru Impreza STi to replace the MX-5. It’s one of 555 editions made to celebrate Colin McRae’s 1995 World Rally Championship in an Impreza. Mine’s the version II that was imported from Japan and is the most exciting car I’ve ever driven.”

Now a regular at Prescott Speed Hill Climb both working and competing there, Fiona either uses her trusty Subaru or the shared Lotus Elise. A relative of Formula One legend Jim Clark, Fiona says competing in the Lotus is a fitting tribute to the much loved and lost Scottish racer. “My Mum was fast. That’s where the ‘Clark’ comes from,” she explains. “Although she didn’t race, I remember her being quick everywhere.”

Fiona and her husband have other jewels parked up in their collector’s cave, all with a purpose or a memory attached to them. Each car they share has a reason to be there – either hillclimbing, practicality or for its investment potential.

“Chris [Fiona’s husband] bought a Triumph TR6 – it’s his classic investment. I’ve asked if I can use it on the track at Prescott, but he politely declined. It’s tucked up and used when the weather’s good and there isn’t salt on the road.”

Alongside the Subaru, the Lotus and the Triumph is a smattering of important and eclectic SUVs and utility vehicles, headlined by an ex-military Land Rover that the pair purchased from Withams and registered on the road. Opting for the more practical Nissan truck for daily duties, the couple only use the Land Rover on special occasions.

This isn’t the only ex-military machine in their collector’s cave. Fiona took her bike test at 50-years-old after she bought a Harley Davidson MT350 as a bet. Complete with front boxes and a gun carrier on the back, the ex-army Harley is definitely a head-turner and talking point when Fiona fills up with fuel. The two other bikes in the stable are used further afield. The couple’s BMW F 800 GT and Harley Davidson 1600 Dyna Glide have done three European trips with plans for more in the future.

Fiona’s passion for motorsport also came later in life than most, but she explains how it’s never too late to try hillclimbing out for size. “Thanks to Motorsport UK (formerly known as MSA) my cars compete in the Prescott membership class,” she says. “Any member can join and enter and thanks to the handicaps, I compete against muscle cars or 911 GT3s. I’m obviously a regular and know Prescott pretty well but drivers with faster cars and lesser knowledge will be in the same class.”

If you, like Fiona, have a classic vehicle collection and would like to find out more about insurance options, you can visit our Collectors and High-Value Insurance page. At Footman James our Private Clients team can negotiate bespoke insurance packages based on the individual’s requirements, with the team currently insuring over £1.1 billion worth of vehicle collections.