Betty Haig

Betty Haig was born in 1906, the great-niece of Field Marshal Haig. She learnt to drive at an early age, and by sixteen, owned her own car. When she was old enough to drive legally, she moved through a series of increasingly sporty cars, including a Salmson and a Singer Le Mans.

Despite this interest, it was not until she was 29 that she entered her first motorsport event: the Paris-St. Raphaël Rally in 1935. She drove a Singer, partly backed by the factory, in exchange for reporting back on its performance. The Paris-St. Raphaël was chosen after Betty had seen it advertised, whilst travelling in France.

She was the winner of the 1936 Olympic Rally, driving a Singer, once more supported by the works team. This rally was centred on Berlin, tying in with that year’s Olympics. The car ran perfectly throughout the event, although it broke down on the way home from Germany. It is recorded in some places as the only car to have won an Olympic medal.

She is reported by some sources as having won the Paris-St Raphaël rally in 1937, on her third attempt, in an MG Midget. However, this is contradicted by some reliable sources. Betty’s win may have come in 1936, as there is a gap in the records there. If this is so, she would have been driving a Singer rather than an MG. Her other 1936 events as a Singer works driver included speed trials at Brooklands, and long-distance trials elsewhere.

In 1938, she drove in the Paris-St Raphaël again, for the last time before the war, in the MG. She was second, reportedly after being held up on a stage by another competitor.

Post-war, Betty took up motorsport once more, with even more vigour than before. Now, she was taking on major, mixed entry rallies, as well as trials and hillclimbs. In 1946, she won the 2000cc class on the Rallye des Alpes Françaises, as well as winning the Coupe des Dames, in a nine-year-old AC. Later, in 1949, she drove a Morris Minor in the Monte Carlo Rally, co-driving with Elsie Wisdom and Barbara Marshall. The same year, she entered the Rallye des Alpes Françaises again, winning the 1500cc class and the Coupe des Dames, with Barbara Marshall, in an MG TC. At this time, she was competing regularly in European hillclimbs, in her own BMW.

In 1950, she joined forces with Barbara Marshall once more for the Monte Carlo Rally, driving an MG. In 1951, she was back in the Paris-St Raphaël rally, finishing third, with a class win, in an MG TD. At some point, she is also described as having rallied a Healey 100 in this event.

Betty also raced on circuits, and partnered Yvonne Simon to fifteenth place in the 1951 Le Mans race, in Yvonne's Ferrari 166 MM. They were third in the 2000cc class, having challenged for the lead throughout.

Despite her seeming talent on the circuits, she rarely competed in major meetings, although she was a regular on the club motorsport scene in the UK. As well as circuit racing, she enjoyed a considerable hillclimb career, and held the Ladies’ record at Prescott for six years. Among the cars she owned and drove were an HRG, a pre-war Frazer Nash and models by MG and AC. In 1953, she raced an MG Magnette at Goodwood, coming third in a handicap race. In 1955 she drove in a Goodwood ladies’ Whitsun race in an AC Ace, and she raced a Climax-engined Elva in similar events the following year. It was her custom to favour British vehicles.

She continued to race and rally numerous cars until 1967. As time progressed, she stuck with the machinery of her heyday and was a regular on the burgeoning historic circuit. Her last competitive outings were in the Griffiths Formula, for 1940s and 1950s international sports racers. Towards the end of her career, she was a major force for the establishment of the Historic Sports Car Club.

She died in 1987.

(Photo from www.jmrw.com)

Female Rally Drivers Before 1950: Part I

Mildred Mary Bruce

As rallying became popular and widespread in the late 1920s, female drivers began to enter these events as drivers, rather than merely as car owners. In the UK, large rallies such as the RAC Rally attracted hundreds of drivers, with a good many more ladies among them than is seen nowadays. Some, such as Kitty Brunell, even won rallies. It was similar on the continental scene.

Below are short profiles of some of the early female rally drivers, mostly from the UK. Louise Lamberjack, Claire Descollas and Mrs AC Lace now have their own profiles.

Andrée Alexander (Jellinek-Mercedes) – drove a Steyr in the 1927 Monte Carlo Rally. She was 42^nd overall, and third in the Coupe des Dames standings. Her start point was Vienna. She entered again in 1928, but did not finish. Her car is not recorded. Andrée, who went by the name Maja, was involved in the motor industry through her family; her father was Emil Jellinek, whose daughter Mercedes, Andrée’s half-sister, was the namesake of the German marque.

Jackie Astbury - rallied from 1933, when she drove a Wolseley Hornet in the RAC Rally and an MG Magna in the Scottish Rally. In 1934, she finished the RAC Rally in a Singer. Using the same car, she won the Thistle Cup for best Scottish driver in the 1935 Monte Carlo Rally. She also won her class in the RAC Rally. In 1936, she repeated her Monte Carlo achievements, still in the Singer. She is normally credited as "Miss J. Astbury".

Lotte Bahr - driver and co-driver in rallies in the 1930s. She was eleventh in the 1930 Monte Carlo Rally, driving a Steyr. Earlier, in 1928, she had entered a Steyr in the Alpine Rally, and she would use one again in the 1932 event. In 1933, she began driving for the Adler team, and was third in class in the Alpine Rally, as well as finishing the Monte. She continued to rally for Adler for the next couple of seasons. Her best result was probably a joint win in the 1934 Liège-Rome-Liège Rally, driving an Imperia with von Guillaume. The Liege was a favoured events for her, and she was third in the 1935 rally, as a co-driver to von Guillaume, and second in 1937.

Dorothy Bean – competed mostly in rallies and trials in the 1930s. She was an active member of the Women’s Automobile and Sports Association, driving an Aston-Martin and a Singer in their trials in 1933 and 1934. The same years, she drove the same cars respectively in the RAC Rally, finishing 101^st in 1933, in the Aston. After 1934, she appears to have stopped competing.

Gaby le Bigot - French driver who was a member of the French Ladies' Automobile Club. She started rallying in a Rosengart in 1929, including an unsuccessful run in the inaugural Paris-St. Raphael event. She did better in the Paris-Vichy ladies' rally, finishing sixth. In 24th place, she was also the leading female finisher in hte Rallye des Capitales, a mixed event. Her 1930 highlights included a penalty-free run in the Rosengart in the Tour de France. Her final event seems to have been that year's Paris-Vichy Rally, run that year as a mixed rally. She was tenth overall, driving a Bugatti T40 instead of the Rosengart.

Ludmila Boguslawska – winner of the inaugural Rajd Pań (Women’s Rally) in Poland, in 1926. Her car was a Lancia Lambda. It is unclear whether or not she competed in later editions of this event, of which there were many. Earlier, in 1924, she was the only female driver in the Wyscig Plaski races in Warsaw, driving the Lancia. She was second in the 3000cc class.

Shelagh Brunner - competed in rallies in the late 1920s and early 1930s. After her marriage to the Prince of Liechtenstein, her nom de course was sometimes "Princess Liechtenstein". She was eleventh in the 1930 Alföld-Alpenfahrt, driving an Austro-Daimler, and won the Coupe des Dames. In 1931, she and her husband both drove Austro-Daimlers in the Coupe des Alpes. They divorced in 1934 and Shelagh retired.

“Dona M la Caze de Noronha” - Portuguese driver who rallied in Europe in the 1930s. She drove an Amilcar in the 1932 Monte Carlo Rally and a Mathis in the 1934 event. Her start points were Lisbon and Valencia respectively. Her given name is never used in starting lists, but it was Maria. She was also active in the women's rallies and races held around Paris at the time, including the Paris-St. Raphael.

Lady Iris Capell - rallied in the British Isles in the early 1930s. She is listed as a finisher in the 1932 RAC Rally and the 1933 Ulster Rally. She drove a Talbot on both occasions and started at London. As well as stage rallies, she was a regular entrant in trials in the 1930s, particularly those organised by the Women's Automobile and Sports Association (WASA), of which she was a leading member. She competed in several of their Cotswold-based trials, as well as donating a trophy to the club. She was also a member of the JCC, both before and after the war. She is more famous for her voluntary work during WWII, and her nursing during WWI.

Jeanne Conche - rallied in France in the 1930s. Her usual car was a Mathis, which she drove between 1931 and 1933. She also drove a Salmson later on, in 1934 and 1935. She was a regular in the rallies put on by the Automobile Club Feminin and took part in four editions of the Paris-Raphael Rally. Her best finish was eighth, in 1935, although she did win her class in 1931. Other favoured rallies included the Juan-les-Pins, which ran from either Paris or Antibes and had Jeanne on the entry list four times. 

“Mrs MJ Cotton” - relatively successful rally driver of the 1930s. Her first big rally seems to have been the Monte Carlo Rally in 1935, driving an MG from John O’Groats. She repeated this in 1936, in an Aston Martin this time. In 1938, she entered the Monte again, in a Lancia, and was sixth in the Ladies’ standings, 59th overall, and 19th in the Light Car class. Her identity has been hard to pin down; there is a small possibility that she was related to the bandleader and racer, Billy Cotton. One source describes a “Joan Cotton” in the 1938 Monte, but it is not absolutely clear that it is her.

"Mrs G Daniell" - British rally driver of the early to mid-1930s. She drove AC Aces from 1931 onwards, sometimes as part of the factory team. In 1933, she was seventh in the RAC Rally and eighteenth in the Scottish Rally. Her car won the RAC Rally's Concours d'Elegance. In 1935, she drove in the RAC Rally again. Her given name is never used in entry lists.

Irma Darre Brandt – the first female rally driver from Norway. She was born in 1909. Her first international rally was the 1934 Monte Carlo Rally, in which she drove a Plymouth. Her start point was Stavanger. A second attempt at the Monte in 1935 brought her close to the Coupe des Dames, but she could not quite make it. Her car was a Plymouth belonging to Lina Christiansen, another of the four-woman crew. Irma also took part in some gymkhana events in Norway, but she retired from motorsport quite early. After that, she concentrated on running her family’s farm. She died in 2003.

Valentine Deroubaix - French driver who was active in the 1930s. She normally drove a Renault and was active in both the women’s rallies of the time and in mixed competition. 1935 was her best year; she was second in both the Rallye de Touquet Paris-Plage and the Flanders Rally. Her biggest rival of the time for both Coupes des Dames and overall honours was Olga Thibaut. After 1935, her name disappears from the entry list. She was from Roubaix and her family may have been involved in the perfume industry.

“Mrs. J Elizabeth Dinsdale” – British driver who rallied in Europe in the early 1930s. She began competing in trials in a Singer in 1929, with the WASA (Women’s Automobile and Sports Association). Her first major rally seems to have been the Monte Carlo Rally in 1930, in which she drove a 3-litre Vauxhall. In 1932, she drove a Singer, and took part in the Scottish Rally and the Alpine Rally. She was 23^rd in class in Scotland, after breaking her thumb and having to swap seats with her navigator. She finished the Alpine Trial, but only after incurring penalties. During the rally, the car’s tyres and ignition developed problems, and she also crashed into a ditch. The same year, she drove the Singer at Shelsley Walsh, and was second in her class. She does not appear on the entry lists after 1932.

Kathleen, Countess of Drogheda - wealthy adventuress of the 1920s and 1930s, who counted rallying among her adventures. She was 97th in the RAC Rally in an SSI, in 1932. Her other results have proved elusive, but she is believed to have started the Monte Carlo Rally in 1935. She is better known as an aviatrix and colourful society figure, and she died in 1966.

“Madame Dubuc Taine” - competed in rallies in Europe in the 1930s, usually in France. She won the Paris-St. Raphael Rally on points in 1934, driving a Hotchkiss. The same year, she was sixth in the Dieppe Rally, a favourite event which she contested at least three times, in 1932, 1934 and 1935. Between 1932 and 1936, she also entered the Alpine Rally and the Criterium Paris-Nice, driving the Hotchkiss, a Ford and a Licorne. She was third in the 1936 Paris-St. Raphael in the latter car. Her given name is not often mentioned, but may have been Eliane.

Phyllis Goodban – active in British motorsport in the 1930s, usually in rallies and trials. She was a member of WASA, and a regular entrant into their trials. In 1932 and 1933, she won a number of medals and trophies in trials in a Wolseley Hornet, including awards on the London-Gloucester and Colmore events. After that, she drove a Singer, in rallies and trials initially. She took part in the 1935 JCC Members’ Day at Brooklands, and was third in a one-lap handicap, in the Singer. She was then second in a Singer one-make handicap. More trials followed in a Frazer Nash, and she won the Northwest London Cup in the 1936 London-Gloucester trial.

Eveline (Eva) Gordon-Simpson - finished 24th at Le Mans in 1935, driving a works MG Midget with Joan Richmond. She raced at Brooklands sometimes and won a Novices’ Handicap there in 1934, driving a Triumph Southern Cross. Her main motorsport interest was rallying. She entered the Monte Carlo and RAC Rallies in a Singer in 1932, and was 27th on the Monte.

Agnes (Mrs A.G.) Gripper - competed in rallies, mainly in the 1930s. She was married to Archie Gripper and they both drove in the Alpine Rally in 1932. She did not finish in her March Hornet, although she seems to have finished that year’s RAC Rally in a Riley. In 1933, she drove in the RAC Rally in a Wolseley Hornet. She also raced a Frazer Nash at Brooklands at about the same time. Her given name is not usually used.

Kay (Kathleen) Hague - rallied in Europe in the late 1930s. She won the Open Car Ladies’ Cup in the 1938 RAC Rally, driving a Riley. The following year, she was ninth overall in the Criterium Paris-Nice, also driving a Riley. She repeated her Open Car cup win on the RAC Rally later in the year, still driving a Riley. She is always in the entry lists as "Mrs Kay Hague".

Lady Eda Jardine – Scottish winner of the Coupe des Dames in the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally, driving a Lancia Lambda. She was thirteenth overall, in the main class. This was her second attempt at the Monte; she had entered the year previously, in the Lancia, and appears to have finished, having started from John O’Groats. She may have entered other rallies of the time, but the results are not forthcoming. 

Amy Johnson - the fêted English aircraft pilot was also a rally driver. She competed in the UK and Europe, including at least one run in the Paris-St. Raphael women’s rally. She is listed as an entry in the 1938 RAC Rally, and drove a Ford in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1939.

Tilly Kotte - German driver who was competing by at least 1928. She drove in the Coupe Internationale des Alpes in 1928 and 1929, although her finishing places are unknown. Her car was a Simson-Supra. She may have entered other events.

Cynthia Labouchere – rallied in Europe in the 1930s. She was born in 1911, and began rallying when she was quite young, in 1932. Her first major event was that year’s Scottish Rally, in which she drove a Wolseley Hornet. Among her other cars was a Singer Nine. She returned to the Scottish Rally in 1933, and in 1934, drove the Singer in the Monte Carlo Rally. She was 79^th. In 1935, she survived a crash during the Morocco Rally, when her car went over a cliff. Her motorsport career seems to end here.

Alexandra Lindh – winner of the Coupe des Dames in the 1932 Monte Carlo Rally. Her car was a Hudson, and she was eighth overall, after starting at Umeå. Unusually, her co-driver was her son, Bo. At the time, Alexandra was fifty years old; she first competed in a motorsport event in 1904, a race between Stockholm and Uppsala, and back. She was then known as Alexandra Gjestvang. Between then and 1932, she raced in Sweden, although results are proving hard to track down. She died in 1939, after taking over her family’s car importing firm.

(Image copyright Getty Images)

Kay Petre

Kay at Brooklands

Born in Canada but living in England, Kay was an early motor racing star at the legendary Brooklands track. The exploits of this 4'10" speedqueen were big news at the time, although she is a relatively obscure figure in racing history now.

Born Kathleen Coad Defries in 1903, she moved to England in 1930, following her marriage to Englishman Henry Petre in 1928. Henry was a keen flier, who regularly took off from the Brooklands airfield, and it was here that Kay first became interested in motor racing. She had always been a skilled and competitive sportswoman back at home, especially in ice-skating. Henry bought Kay her first car for her birthday, a Wolseley Hornet Daytona Special in red. She had already learned to drive in an old Ford in about 1919, but Henry did not like the way she crashed up and down the gears in his Invicta, so he gave her a car of her own.

After some tuition from a family friend, her racing career began, with a third and a second in her first two races. One of these may well have been the Inter-Club Novices’ Handicap at Brooklands, in which she was indeed third in a Wolseley, in 1932. The same year, she drove in the Light Car Club’s International Relay, as part of a three-car Hornet team with C. Palmer and T.W. Storey. They were just classified, although down quite a few laps on the leaders.

She continued with the little Wolseley as her main car for the rest of the season, although she always took the opportunity to borrow other cars and experience the track in them, too. As Kay was pretty and lively and "had a way with men", she had no shortage of offers of drives, or expert coaching. Among these cars were an Austin, borrowed from another competitor, a Miss Paterson, who did not qualify for a Ladies' race, and an Invicta, in which she won her class at the Brighton Speed Trials.

In 1933, Kay purchased her first "proper" racing car, a 2-litre Bugatti. Her first outing in it seems to have been the Lewes Speed Trials in May, where she was third in class. She used it to good effect in the regular handicap races at Brooklands, quickly adjusting to the handling and the increased speed. It was in this car that she first tackled the Brooklands Mountain circuit, a newer track layout which was much trickier than the original banked oval. The first Ladies' Mountain race was tipped as a certain win for Kay, but Rita Don won on the day, driving a Riley. She had a slightly unfair advantage in that her partner, racer Freddie Dixon, was clandestinely controlling the car's throttle from the riding mechanic's seat, unknown to even Rita herself to begin with. Earlier, the Whitsun meeting had been a disappointment, with two non-finishes.

That year, Kay appears to have finished her first international rally. She navigated for Joan Richmond on the RAC Rally, in a Riley. They were thirteenth in Class Two.

In 1934, she achieved her first Brooklands win, in the Bugatti. She finished first in the Fourth Walton Scratch Sprint. Only a couple of months later, she won again in the Merrow Senior Short Handicap. In October, she bypassed the Ladies' Mountain Race at the BARC Autumn Meeting, and was second in the Second Kingston Senior Long Handicap. As well as circuit racing at Brooklands, she took part in speed trials and hillclimbs, winning the Ladies' class at Brighton.

Trickery and mild controversy never seemed to be far away when Kay was around, and the media loved her even more for it. It caught up with her again at the 1934 Light Car Club Relay at Brooklands, where the works Singer team she was driving for was involved in the sort of gamesmanship more associated with modern Formula One teams. The Singer squad's arch-rivals were the also all-female MG team of Irene Schwedler, Margaret Allan and Doreen Evans. Both were competing for the Ladies' Prize, which normally meant an invitation to the Le Mans 24 Hours. Preparations for the race were underway when one of the Singer crew came across a copy of the MG team's race strategy and pit notes. During the race, a spy kept an eye on the MG pits and successfully intercepted all of their pit signals, allowing the Singer team of Kay, Sheila Tolhurst and Eileen Ellison to keep right on their tail. When a couple of accidents dropped the team down the order, team boss Sammy Davis decided to exploit a loophole in the rules which meant that the Ladies' Prize could not be awarded to a team finishing in the top three. The Singer ladies backed off and finished fifth, securing the Ladies' Prize.

Kay did go to Le Mans that year, but in a Riley Ulster rather than a Singer. Her co-driver was Dorothy Champney, another British-based driver who specialised in rallies. The race was run at much higher speeds than before and a number of the larger cars ran into trouble, both mechanical and the accident-related type. Kay and Dorothy had an uneventful race, maintaining a steady 60mph, and ended the 24 hours in thirteenth, with a team prize for Riley for having all of their cars make it to the finish.

Later in the year, at the BARC Autumn meeting at Brooklands, Kay was second in the Second Kingston Senior Long Handicap. She was driving the Bugatti and finished ahead of John Cobb, in an Alfa Romeo.

Among her other activities that year were a set of record attempts. She managed to set some new class records at Brooklands in a Bugatti belonging to Dick Shuttleworth, and began her battle for the Ladies' Outer Circuit record with Gwenda Stewart. One of the most recognisable images of Kay is her seated in the big 1924 Delage, a 10.5 litre V12-engined former Grand Prix car she had been using. She threw down the gauntlet to her France-domiciled rival on 26th October 1934, clocking 129.58 mph on a flying lap. The record stood until the August of 1935, when Gwenda challenged again, setting a new benchmark marginally faster. Not to be outdone, Kay jumped straight in the Delage and beat the record the same day, lapping at an average of 134.75 mph. this was the first time that a female driver had earned the Brooklands badge for a lap at 130 mph or over. Gwenda, driving her Derby-Miller special, joined that exclusive club three days later, hitting 135.95 mph. Kay admitted defeat graciously and went back to her own racing. Gwenda pocketed the 50 sovereign stake and returned to France. The outright record at Brooklands was not that much higher; the famous Napier-Railton car was capable of around 143 mph, and holds that record in perpetuity.



Although her grudge match with Gwenda was over, Kay continued to break records in 1935. She set a new ladies' record at the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb, driving her newly-acquired White Riley. This car was not the largest but was nevertheless a good buy. She drove it to third place in a Ladies' Mountain race in October, finishing ahead of Gwenda and her good friend, Elsie Wisdom.

The Riley 9 Le Mans Replica that Kay and Elsie "Bill" Wisdom took to Le Mans that year was not as reliable. The duo only lasted for 38 laps before its engine blew. Kay had similar bad luck with former "Bentley Boy" Dudley Benjafield in the 500 Mile race at Brooklands. Their Alfa Romeo 8C went out with after a gasket failed.

Happily, she had better luck in other cars. Another outing in the Delage gave her a third place at the Whitsun Meeting at Brooklands, and she won the Easter Junior Long Handicap, in a Bugatti. The trusty Bugatti, although much smaller in engine capacity than the Delage, was a better racing car; the Delage was more suited to record breaking.

The 1936 season was also up-and-down. Kay could not finish the International Trophy at Brooklands after spinning and then stalling her ERA, a car she did not like and never got to grips with. Teaming up with Bill Wisdom again, for the 500 Mile race, led to another non-finish; their usually-reliable Riley suffered valve gear trouble and eventually sheared a rocker shaft. To add insult to injury, when Kay raced the car again at Donington, a broken oil pipe showered her with heated oil. Thankfully she was unhurt.

Less dramatic, but still disappointing was her visit to Ireland for the Tourist Trophy at Ards. She was scheduled to share a BMW with B. Bira, the Thai prince who had made a name for himself as a driver. In the end, her services were not needed and she sat the race out.

Always up for trying out new cars, she did some events in a Frazer Nash in 1936. As part of Miss Hedges' Frazer Nash team for the LCC's Relay, she did not finish, assisted by Geraldine Hedges and a Lady Makin. She had better luck at the Brighton Speed Trials, where she won her class.

Saving the best until last, she waited until the final meeting of the season before completing her Mountain win in the White Riley. Earlier in the season, she had finished ninth in the Mountain Grand Prix, driving the same car.

1937 was an exciting year. It began with a trip to South Africa for the Grand Prix season there. A 1.5 litre Riley was shipped over with her but the new engine she intended to have fitted did not make it, meaning she was down on power. She could not finish the South African or Rand Grands Prix but was sixth in the Grosvenor event. Her disappointment was tempered by excitement though, as here she befriended Bernd Rosemeyer, the legendary Auto Union driver from Switzerland. Their friendship led to Kay testing an Auto Union C, a monstrous, ahead of its time Grand Prix car with a 6-litre V16 engine. Of course, this being Kay, rumours of an affair started. These have been denied by Rosemeyer's wife, the aviatrix Elly Beinhorn. Elly always spoke kindly of Kay and would not entertain the idea of her husband and her friend deceiving her.

Back in England, Kay was now a member of the Austin works team. She normally drove the 500cc side-valve car, showing her normal fearlessness when up against larger machinery. Her first race as an Austin driver was the British Empire Trophy at Donington, which she did not finish, due to a broken carburettor jet.

Austin had entered her for all the major races, including Le Mans, where she shared an Austin Seven Grasshopper with G Mangan. They failed to finish, but elsewhere Kay had more luck. At the Coronation 100 Miles at Donington she was sixth overall and later in the season she was fifth again at the same track. Her biggest achievement was probably her outright win in the JCC Relay, with her Austin team-mates, Hadley and Goodacre. They started on scratch, and were four minutes ahead of their nearest rivals. The three locked out the 750cc class at Shelsley Walsh that year, with Kay breaking her own Ladies' record.

Driving with a young racer named P Stephenson, she was sixteenth at the Donington 12 Hours, although they were against much bigger and more powerful cars, and were actually fifth in the up to one litre class. Back at Brooklands, she was running as high as second in the Nuffield Trophy when an oil pipe broke and she suffered a repeat of the incident with the Riley the previous year. Again, she was not seriously hurt. In August, she travelled the short distance to the new Crystal Palace circuit, and was fourth in the Crystal Palace Cup.

Sadly, September 1937 is where Kay's circuit racing career ends. During practice for the Brooklands 500 Miles, she was involved in a dreadful accident. Reg Parnell stalled above her on the banking, slid down and hit her Austin Seven, rolling it down the banking and crushing Kay underneath it. She suffered severe head injuries and was lucky to survive. After being in a coma for a few days and undergoing surgery to her head and face, she eventually made a good recovery, the only permanent damage being some paralysis of one side of her face.

After her recovery, Kay made one final appearance at Crystal Palace in 1938, driving the White Riley. She was second in the Ladies' Race held at the London Grand Prix meeting. Although she was cheered enthusiastically by the crowds, she had lost her nerve, and did not race wheel to wheel again. At this time, she was campaigning for Reg Parnell to have his racing licence returned. The authorities blamed him for the accident and revoked it, although Kay herself never held him responsible, and eventually he was allowed back behind the wheel. Her views were "if you race fast cars, one of the risks you take is that one day you might cop it!"

After retiring from circuit racing, she could not get the motorsport bug out of her system. Even before her Crystal Palace farewell appearance, she had got herself back up to speed with some competition in France, contesting the Paris-Nice Trial and the famous La Turbie hillclimb, in an Austin. She was not among the front-runners, but did better at the more familiar Shelsley Walsh climb, winning the 1938 Ladies' Challenge Trophy.

A little later, she returned to rallying, first as a navigator. Only a year after her accident, she is listed as an entrant for the RAC Rally, apparently in an MG SA. It is possible she was navigating for Joan Chetwynd. She competed at home and in Europe, with the Alpine Rally being her favourite. One of her co-drivers was the French racer Anne-Cécile Rose-Itier, who partnered her for the Monte Carlo Rally one year.

Her competition career received another huge blow in 1938. She had been spectating at Brooklands when a car slid down the Byfleet banking and crushed her and some other colleagues. She suffered more head and facial injuries, although she did manage to recover later.

It was at this time she began her second career as a motoring journalist, which she continued after the war. This part of her career started under a dark cloud in 1939, when she was sent to cover the Monte for the Daily Sketch. She was driving Major Reggie Empson, a former racer and another journalist, to Monte Carlo, when they crashed into a lorry. Kay received even more facial injuries, but recovered again. Empson was killed instantly. A lengthy court battle between Kay and Empson's family followed; she was initially charged with manslaughter, but was not convicted. The driver of the lorry was also charged. The case was eventually settled, and Kay was ordered to pay over £4000 in damages to Stella Empson, Reggie's widow.

Despite this considerable setback, she carried on as a journalist, and was a staff writer for the Sketch. During the war, she shifted the emphasis of her writing from motoring to cookery. She worked for the Ministry of Food as her contribution to the war effort.

Much later, she was employed by Austin as part of its design team, selecting colours for the interior of the Mini, amongst other models. She retired in her mid-fifties, due to headaches and memory problems. These were the result of her earlier head injuries.

Henry Petre died in 1962. Kay never remarried, and made her home in London, after a brief sojourn back in Canada. Although very private, she remained interested in motorsport and still attended race meetings for a long time. Towards the end of her life, she became more reticent in talking about her sporting past. She died, at the age of ninety-one, in 1994.

(Delage photo by Mike Jackson.)