Meet the StarterMotor Ambassadors – a growing team of young people inspiring change.

StarterMotor was dreamt up in 2013 to help inspire and engage with young people in the Oxfordshire area that were keen to explore what it meant to experience and work with
vintage vehicles. What started out as recruiting attendees at Bicester Heritage Sunday Scrambles, has now seen the Charity grow to an Ambassador programme of over 30 young people from different backgrounds, united by their common passion for historic vehicles and a genuine interest to explore what the sector has to offer in terms of career or
volunteering-based pastime.

For any young person, navigating how to begin a career in motorsport or the automotive sector can be tough. Aside from the obvious glitz and glamour of the Formula 1 circuit, working out where to begin and who to contact in an already saturated market is overwhelming at best. No more so than for those with an interest in the classic car sector, worth around £18 billion in the UK alone, famed for attracting a ‘mature’ demographic to Sunday morning car meets.

Yet, behind the garage doors and at locations such as Oxfordshire-based Bicester Heritage, a new generation are keen to flex their skills in areas from mechanics to PR and
marketing, insurance and engineering – driven by a love of historic vehicles. Meet the StarterMotor Ambassadors, a growing team of young people who proudly have joined the
ranks of a charity that inspires change. Their mission: to inspire young people to get actively involved in the sector by driving historic cars and attending events that showcase our rich
and diverse automotive heritage, from a home which lives, breathes, and supports the classic car industry.

Supported by donations and the goodwill of a range of companies and private owners who are willing to donate financially or offer use of their much-loved vehicle to join the ranks of the StarterMotor fleet, which has seen everything from an Austin Seven to an Mk1 Audi TT, Ambassadors can engage in a varied events calendar, including careers days, historic car concours, the Prescott Hill Climb and even the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on the agenda.

With current General Manager David Withers stepping down to enjoy retirement, inbound Steve Cootes, whose career spans decades across a variety of disciplines for Ford Motor Company in the UK, US automotive belt, and even China, now sees him poised to steer the Charity to take its next step.

“I feel privileged to have the opportunity to take StarterMotor forward”, reveals Cootes, “building on the great work done by Dave Withers and the extended team who have established the Charity to-date. Having spent nearly 40 years in the automotive sector, my age and experience qualifies me well to relate to all things ‘historic’! Indeed, some of the cars I’ve seen at classic events I was involved in taking to market, so I have a strong motivation to ensure our motoring heritage remains ever present. A key task is to build the young brand that is StarterMotor, taking it from broad awareness to widespread support and advocacy, in turn, enabling fulfilment of our mission to attract a younger
generation into the sector across a range of professions.”

It is the talent and passion of the StarterMotor Ambassadors that keeps the Charity going, demonstrated by the skills and drive of two current Ambassadors: 15-year-old Emily
Caldicott, with a love of all things automotive, and an impressive writing portfolio, and James Mabley, trainee
engineer for Ecurie Bertelli.

“Last year went to the Scramble with my dad”, says Caldicott. “It was the third car event I’d been to, and we came across StarterMotor. After chatting to them, within ten minutes I had the uniform!

“StarterMotor was looking to run a ‘show and tell’ at the next Scramble and that really sparked an idea in my head. My Dad has an MG Midget which had been off the road for four years, and I wanted to get it back on the road while learning. So, we recommissioned it, that took us three months, and I recommissioned the engine, refurbished the brakes and the
grill and I created ‘job cards’ – just like they do at garages.”

Caldicott’s dedication to her craft saw her attend the NEC Practical Classics Show and return home with two cars!

“While taking a walk around the show we saw Barny in the barn finds section, I’ve always had a love of Morris Minors, and I instantly fell in love with him. We saw that the Morris
Minor Owners Club (MMOC) were looking for a new owner, so we spent the weekend talking to them. I came up with a whole campaign of getting people involved, which I then
proposed to them. They loved it! The Club were keen to see the car restored and not just sold for parts, so by the end of the weekend it was mine.”

It was Caldicott’s idea to use Barny as both a practical tool and a campaign tool, which made for a difficult conversation with her Mum when the time came to add another car to the drive. The fundraiser for Barny is ongoing, with over 600 donations towards her idea, including parts and labour, help from the MMOC, and beyond. Barny will be iceblasted as part
of his renovation, with Emily taking part.

“I can’t do everything by myself” she agrees, “but I will always be there to learn to do it.”

A keen interest in journalism and writing has also seen Caldicott create copy for Magneto Magazine as part of her Year Ten work experience.

“I went to the Saville Row Concours, and I just found my element! I had my own recorder and interviewed designer Ian Callum… then car owners… I had such a whirlwind
experience, and then wrote-up 500 words. I also got a letter of recommendation from the editor James Elliott.

“My dream is to be a motoring journalist. I love motorsport too. StarterMotor has already helped me by introducing me to The Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance (HCVA), and I’m
now writing for their monthly newsletter. Through Barny and StarterMotor I am also writing for Practical Classics, I’m writing a ‘reader saga’ about the progress we’ve made on Barny. The editor Matt Thompkins is mentoring me and teaching me too. I’ve also written for Classic Car Weekly… it’s been busy, busy, busy, but StarterMotor has really helped by introducing me to people, and by getting behind the wheel of a car.”

James Mabley has finished his apprenticeship and is now working for Ecurie Bertelli, having begun his career following an apprenticeship at the Heritage Skills Academy, a fellow Bicester Heritage-based business, and subsequently a placement at an Austin Seven specialist.

“One of my customers wanted me to use his car, and I couldn’t get insured on it, so he loaned the Austin Seven to Starter Motor and it’s been used by them for about a year now. I’m
now racing that car on circuits thanks to Motorsport UK and the Vintage Sports-Car Club (VSCC). I raced at Cadwell Park earlier on in the year and I’m racing at Mallory Park
next weekend.”

James also completed a substantial part of work and rebuilt the engine in StarterMotor’s first Austin Seven in their fleet, fondly named ‘Radish’ because of its bright red body colour.

“I’ve always loved classic vehicles, and I began my apprenticeship with the [Heritage] Skills Academy when I was 16, I was working in the Austin Seven garage for three and a half years, so I’ve collected a fairy extensive knowledge. StarterMotor has reinforced my love of them, because without them I wouldn’t have been able to get behind the wheel of one.

“I was at college with a fellow StarterMotor ambassador and then decided to sign up. I now work for Ecurie Bertelli and pick up the job sheets, covering everything from service
work to more extensive work including ignition and valve timing. Or, I could be doing race prep, I’ve prepped around 20 cars now, because of all the racing we’ve done. We recently prepped for a British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) event at Silverstone and 16 of the 20 cars were looked
after by us.

“StarterMotor is a very good place to start if you are looking to get into classic motoring, they have very good contacts and with all the other ambassadors. If you are looking for a job there’s quite a few engineers, and it works quite well.”