New Women in Motorsport exhibition opens at Coventry Transport Museum

Coventry Transport Museum has opened a new interactive exhibition celebrating the inspiring diverse roles women play in motorsport, past and present.

Women in Motorsport launched on Saturday January 29 and runs until May 31 amid Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture.

The exhibition provides the opportunity for visitors to fuel up on their knowledge of the fastest women in motorsport and explore their varied roles within the industry through personal stories - as well as capturing an exciting glimpse of the future of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

Women in Motorsport curator Elisabeth Chard-Cooper said: “It’s really great to be able to open this new exhibition focusing on diversity and inclusion in motorsport and the automotive industries during Coventry’s City of Culture.

“We felt it was hugely important to celebrate some of the UK’s fastest women in motorsport and those working in roles behind-the-scenes. One of our aims is to inspire future generations.”

Featuring interactive family-friendly elements, including a pit-stop experience, DIY-tracks and projections which allow visitors to race their designs against each other, it is ideal for a visit in February half term.

Highlights of the exhibition range from a helmet belonging to ‘speedqueen’ Jill Scott-Thomas, a British racing driver of the 1920s and 1930s along with a race car driven by Canadian-born Kay Petre, another early British motor racing star from this era, who was 4ft 10 inches tall.

There is racing gear owned by recent professional racing drivers Susie Wolff - now the CEO of Venturi Racing in Formula E - and 28-year-old British W Series driver Sarah Moore, who became the first woman to win the Britcar Endurance Championship in 2018 and an LGBTQ+ rights ambassador for Racing Pride.

Other interesting things to see include dramatic moments in motorsport, a Jaguar Racing Formula E, a Le Mans suit, Limited Fundz Junior Dragster and a Williams Racing F1 Show Car along with famed trophies, examples of cutting-edge technologies and rare interviews.

There is even Sebastian Vettel’s Same Love Pride t-shirt worn in protest against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021.

Young people considering a future career in the profession can also be inspired by reading interviews with women working in motorsport today and discover a day in their life.

Women in Motorsport is free to Coventry residents with a Go CV card.

For further information and details of February half term family activities visit https://www.transport-museum.com/events/1525/women_in_motorsport