Author: Charlotte Vowden
Images: British Motor Museum/StarterMotor/HERO-ERA
Charlotte Vowden asked members of the automotive community to share their thoughts on inspiring the next generation of drivers.
Oliver Winbolt, Director, Panache Classic
“I believe the future of classic motoring depends on two things: keeping traditional skills alive and proving that heritage can be sustainable. Both are essential for sparking a passion in the next generation. That’s why we work closely with the Heritage Skills Academy at Bicester Motion, welcoming apprentices into our workshop and giving them hands-on experience. These young people are learning the specialist trades that are at real risk of being lost. When they see that their skills are not just valued but vital to keeping history on the road, that can be the spark that turns an interest into a career.
We’re just as passionate about showing that classics can be green. Too often, young people dismiss historic cars as ‘dirty,’ but sustainable fuels change that conversation completely. Classics already carry the advantage that their carbon cost was spent decades ago. With fuels like SUSTAIN’s Classic Super 80, they can be driven in an even more eco-friendly way. That moment of realisation that a vintage Jaguar or Aston can run cleanly, can flip a younger person’s perception and spark a new respect for these cars.
For me, it’s personal too. Watching my daughter discover the buzz of the workshop and understand that classic cars don’t have to conflict with the environment, makes me feel proud. It proves why we need to create these spark moments, opportunities and scenarios: because if we don’t, the skills, knowledge and joy of classic motoring risks fading away.
We’re proud to be part of this balance. Passing on timeless skills through apprenticeships, embracing sustainable fuels, and proving that classic motoring has a future as bright as its past.”
Find out more about Panache Classic here.
Clare Stephens, Sporting Bears
“Since 1989 the Sporting Bears Car Club has offered ‘Dream Rides’ in its fabulous selection of classic, sports, super and hyper cars, all for a donation to a children’s charity. To date, the club has given over 85,000 people their dream passenger rides and raised £3.7m. The vehicles available are diverse; ranging from a 1930s Bentley to a 1965 Mustang. Our fastest car is a Koenigsegg, which has a top speed of 242mph – although our passengers don’t get to experience the car going that fast! – while, in contrast, our slowest car is a Model T Ford that does a balmy 42mph!
At present we have around 1200 members and would love to get more people involved so that we can have a presence at more events and as a result, support more charities. The classic and historic vehicles are usually the most popular and if you own one, you not only preserve a bit of history which is great, but if you join the club you can do some good while doing what you love; driving! It’s a win win.
When you’re out on a drive, passengers love to chat to you about your car and as it starts to sink in that they’re in their dream car see a huge smile develop across their face – it’s hugely rewarding, particularly if it’s a young person in the passenger seat.
I joined the club in 2007 with my fabulous Azure Blue V12 E-Type Jaguar, which had the engine roar of a Spitfire. Since then, I have offered Dream Rides in my Austin Healy Sprite and my beautiful Rosso Red Ferrari 360 F1 Spider.
As a club, we also have the privilege of taking the children, who are the beneficiaries of the charities we support, out for Dream Rides. Some of these children have life threatening illnesses, have suffered family bereavement or are severely disabled. I recently took a wheelchair bound young man with Muscular Duchenne out in my Spider, which has a Tubi exhaust. It was a fantastic feeling when he said it was the first time he had felt any sensation like it.
It really doesn’t matter what type of interesting car you own, it will be someone’s Dream Ride. Every single penny we raise goes to charity, every member of the club is a volunteer, and we are very proud of this.”
For more information, click here, or email them at pr@sportingbears.co.uk
Charlotte Couture, Sales & Marketing Manager, Young Driver
“I have been working with Young Driver for six years, and while teaching kids to be safe drivers before they turn 17 is at the core of what we do, the majority of our pupils are there because of their enthusiasm for cars and driving from an early age. We harness their willingness to learn so that they can hit the ground running as soon as they’re old enough to drive on the road, reducing their waiting times for driving tests and vastly improving their chances of passing first time (78% of our pupils pass first time versus a national average of 48%).
The parents of one of our former pupils told us that she became so competent behind the wheel after a series of Young Driver lessons, that they secretly bought her a car, and at one minute past midnight on her 17th birthday they presented it to her, and got her to drive them to an all-night filling station to buy a pint of milk. She took to road driving so quickly that after just a handful of lessons she’d passed her test.
While Young Driver’s main fleet comprises new, manual-transmission Suzuki Swifts, we also encourage kids to drive our classics, which include two pre-war Austin Sevens and a Morris Minor Convertible. It teaches them so much about mechanical sympathy, and even though the Sevens can be tricky to operate, with minimal clutch travel and stuttering engines, we firmly believe that they’re more complete drivers when they get back into the modern Swifts.
Nothing, though, beats the smile on any young person’s face when they experience our far more modern classic: a manual-transmission, 320bhp, Porsche 911(996) Carrera 4. Young Driver has been training 10-17 year-olds in this car for over a year now, and despite its heavy-duty clutch, children make a bee line for it at every session.”
What advice would you give to young classic enthusiasts? Let us know in the comments below.
