StarterMotor Ambassador Harvey Fox Shares More About His Charity Role
If you read my first blog for the HCVA, you’ll know I’m a keen ambassador for StarterMotor. So today, I’m excited to be given the opportunity to speak a little more about the charity and tell you what it does.
For those who don’t know already, StarterMotor has one main aim, and that’s to put young people in old cars - whether through school and family events at Bicester Heritage or loaning cars to under 25s for personal entertainment or events and shows.
That’s right, just pick a car and take it for a spin - no strings attached! The charity has a fleet of amazing classic cars ranging from a 1917 Woods Dual Power, (more on that later), to a now retro mk1 Audi TT 220hp, all donated or loaned by generous individuals, so they get to see their cars being enjoyed by young people!
Why does StarterMotor do this?
As an ambassador, the team and I work with young people in the hope to introduce them to old cars and show off that they can be just as much fun, if not more, than brand new ones. We also hope to inspire the younger generation to possibly choose a career in the classic car industry and demonstrate that there are opportunities out there for them to get involved and make a difference.
My introduction to StarterMotor began with the Woods Dual Power, a 1917 hybrid car... that’s right hybrid technology isn’t new it’s been around for over 100 years! The car in question belonged to a gentleman on the estate I work on, so it was on-site at the same time as me when Dave Withers, the man behind StarterMotor, collected the car after it have been generously donated. Having never come across StarterMotor before, I sat with Dave and he shared his ambition with me.
And before I knew it, I found myself on the list of drivers on the 1902 Oldsmobile Curved Dash for the 2022 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. This was an opportunity I’d never thought I’d get! Despite the treacherous rain fall, it’s safe to say that experiencing that vast amount of pre-1905 cars on the streets of London all at one time is a memory I won’t forget!
All images courtesy of StarterMotor. Discover more about their work here.
From then on I’ve worked as closely as possible with StarterMotor, making it my personal mission to aid the charity in every way I can. Be it helping to maintain the fleet of cars, to attending as many Bicester Scrambles as possible - I’ve met some fantastic people and made new friends! I’ve also helped out with a couple of the careers / school days where StarterMotor works with Bicester Heritage to bring in students and show them the vast amount of automotive careers in action at the site. The day then usually finishes with some track action where the students, and teachers, are able to experience some of the StartMotor cars out on track, from the safety of the passenger seat. Usually everyone’s favourite part of the day.
One of the latest events I’ve taken part in thanks to StarterMotor is ‘Rally For The Ages’ run by HERO ERA across the Oxfordshire countryside, it is a rally with 4 autosolo sections where teams can enter for free, making it accessible to anyone new to the sport.
This was followed only a matter of weeks later by Flywheel at Bicester Heritage, where a total of 19 StarterMotor ambassadors were present over the weekend, to help display the fleet and talk to members of the public about our cause.
I have nothing but thanks and appreciation for StarterMotor and everyone involved and I hope to continue supporting the charity’s work for many years to come.