MEN may dominate car club memberships but the number of women participants and owners is rising.

The MG TC Owners Club in Western Australia has had a strong women membership, usually in association with their partners, but more recently has seen the ranks swell as interest in the marque accelerates.

Four women — Rowena, Cara, Noelene and Judy — attended the MG TC Owner’s Club of WA slalom event held at the Driver Risk Management training centre at the Perth Airport, a morning session that saw seven TCs and a Y take on challenges to their drivers’ memories and skill behind the wheel around some less-than-obliging witches’ hats.

The event had four rounds with drivers allowed two attempts at each with the best of each used for scoring. The rounds were straight slalom, open slalom, corridor and star with a ‘double hat’ thrown in that was for fun, not part of the scoring.

Rowena joined the MG car club after buying her first MG early in 2022. Within a year the finance professional from Perth became the club’s secretary.

The MGB became her second car to her daily drive but it wasn’t enough — she became the owner of a second MG after buying an immaculate TF 1500 in November last year and to suit, joined the second club, the TC Owners club.

“I’ve always liked these cars,” she said. “I grew up a regular visitor to a relative’s farm and learnt at an early age to drive a tractor, so I always liked driving. One day I saw an MG and had to have one. Now I have two.”

Cara always wanted an MG. The adventure tour operator, who has a 2016 Mini as her regular drive, now has a TC and like Rowena, is active in the club and competes in events when her work schedule permits.

She has owned the TC for about a year and purchased because she ‘always loved vintage things. A neighbour had a TC and I always admired it. He took me for a drive and I was hooked.”

Noelene is a long-time TC owner and club member and a consistently high-placed competitive driver. She has been an MG owner for 28 years and a member of the club for 23 years. Her TC has been with her for the entire journey as “I’ve never had another MG.” Noelene came second on the day.

Judy joined her husband, long-standing TC club member Alan, for her first driver’s event. “We’ve had MGs for more than 20 years but this is the first time I have entered an event by myself,” she said. “I thought it was time to give it a go.”

Judy won the ‘Ladies Plate’ for her driving skills. The day’s event was won in the TC class by Colin (121.0 seconds) followed by Noelene (127 seconds) with Cara at 193 seconds. In the TD/TF/Y class, Rowena was placed third.

MGs and Australian women are no strangers to competition. In 1937, Australian Joan Riddell and her English team mate Dorothy Stanley-Turner shared an MG PB at Le Mans, finishing 16th overall and fourth in the class.

All-female teams were first seen at Le Mans in 1930 with a French trio sharing an MG C-Type Midget (they failed to finish) and such teams were consistent campaigners.

In 1957 the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (AOC, which organised automobile events) banned women drivers after an accident at the 1956 12 Hours of Reims killed competitor Annie Bousquet.

This followed the horrific accident at the 1955 Le Mans that claimed the lives of 83 spectators and one driver, and left 180 with injuries. The AOC didn’t revoke its decision until 1971.

Ends