IN 1919, horse-mad 14-year-old Betty Haig bought an ex-War Dept Douglas motorcycle so she could travel to events from her home in West Sussex. As a result, wheels instantly replaced hooves as her life's abiding passion.
Born Elizabeth Haig in Marylebone, London, in 1905, she was the grandniece of Field Marshall Earl Haig and part of the whisky dynasty. She bought her first car, a well-worn ABC, aged 16 with a £50 gift from a great aunt. More than 100 cars and motorcycles followed, many taking a terminal hammering on trips to see her father at the family estate in Fife.
In 1928, without informing her family, Betty somewhat impetuously married Naval Lieutenant Denis Sprague, divorcing only four years later. She spent most of 1930 with friends in South Africa and, on her return, bought a Morgan in which tragedy struck when she inexplicably ran into a stationary car on the Kingston bypass, west of London, killing her passenger, Molly Watkins.
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Octane.
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Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Octane.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Will China Change Everything? - China is tearing up modern motor manufacture but is yet to make more than a ripple in the classic car world. That could be about to change dramatically
China now dominates the automotive world in a way even Detroit in its heyday would have struggled to comprehend.Helped by Government incentives, the new car world is dominated by China's industries: whether full cars that undercut Western models by huge amounts, ownership of storied European brands such as Lotus and Volvo, or ownership and access to the vast majority of raw materials that go into EV cars, its influence is far-reaching and deep. However, this automotive enlightenment hasn't manifested itself in the classic world in any meaningful way - until now.
Jem Marsh
The hard-bitten Marcos boss was driven like few others and never knew when he was beaten. Thankfully
Vandamm House
A Mid-Century Modernist masterpiece that was immortalised on celluloid - despite never actually existing
Making light
Alfa Romeo's post-war renaissance began with the 1900 saloon - and matured with Zagato's featherweight coupé version, as Jay Harvey discovers
FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE
Is burgeoning classic car interest in the Middle East good for the global classic market? Nathan Chadwick investigates
Before the beginning
This rare Amazon Green pre-production Range Rover is Velar chassis number 4. James Elliott charts its historically revealing factory restoration
Ben Cussons
As the outgoing chairman of the Royal Automobile Club hands on to his successor, Robert Coucher quizzes him about the evolution of this great British institution
BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES
We gather five motoring masterpieces by avant-garde designer William Towns - and drive all of them
Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg
As the Audrain organisation grows, we take a look behind the scenes at the huge car collection that feeds it
Flying the Scottish flag
Young Ecurie Ecosse driver Chloe Grant gets to grips with the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-type at Goodwood. Matthew Hayward is Octane's witness
