BOOK REVIEW By Ken Davies. Images courtesy Christabel Carlisle.
Christabel Carlisle ‘Mini Virtuoso’
In truth, this stranger than fiction story is a potential blockbuster film script in the making! It’s the tale of a demure, gentile and determined piano teacher from Kensington who tastes the infectious excitement of motor racing while on a day trip to Brands Hatch with friends and, reckoning she can compete with the best, makes a racing debut in her shining, tartan red road-going Mini 850, a cherished 21st birthday present. The result is that she becomes a successful winning international racing driver.
This was the dawning of the swinging sixties, a cool and hip era when post-war austerity finally gave way to a bright new age of fashion and style. It was also a period that provided seminal milestones in motorsport, one of the most significant being BMC’s giant-killing Mini, itself synonymous with the 1960s. A product of Sir Alec Issigonis’ brilliantly creative thinking.
For Christabel, it was the old adage of being in the right place at the right time and with the right credentials, and she certainly had the looks, panache and persona to beguile the news-hungry press, whilst also becoming the darling of the racing circuit for many motor racing enthusiasts.
Starting with some low key club races and rallies, Christabel was talent-spotted while testing at Silverstone by BMC competitions manager Marcus Chambers, securing her quasi ‘works’ support throughout her short racing career, 1960 to 1963, under the wing of fabled car preparer Don Moore’s unofficial works team. Moore provided fast and reliable Cooper and Cooper ‘S’ derivatives to challenge the best. Incoming BMC competitions manager Stuart Turner was quick to spot and exploit the promotability of one of the only few female drivers during this time, and Christabel responded by cultivating her relationship with the media and the resulting publicity.
Almost as an aside, the book also captures the relaxed nature of ‘60s motor racing and how easy it was to compete at an international level with relatively standard cars, with basic safety equipment. Just seat belts, no roll-over protection. But this aspect also provided fashion-conscious Christabel with another PR opportunity when she designed a chic set of bespoke racing overalls from the newly-introduced fire-proof material Nomex and the media loved the story.
Christabel’s racing Mini caused a stir when it was imaginatively displayed in a trendy Kings Road fashion boutique and, during her career, she also featured in several glossy magazine articles and interviews, including Vogue and popular girls comic Judy, which captured the younger readers.
Written by Pablo Raybould with Christabel, the book is beautifully illustrated with period images and contains a chronology of almost every event, race and rally. She was also a competent international rally co-driver – during a career that was tragically cut short, but you’ll have to read this no-nonsense and thoroughly compelling book to discover exactly why. But Christabel – later to marry and become Lady Watson – went on to achieve much more besides motor racing. The charismatic self-published book is available only from Pablo Raybould
Christabel Carlisle ‘Mini Virtuoso’
Written by Pablo Raybould with Christabel Carlisle
Available direct from Pablo Raybould
pabloraybould@blueyonder.co.uk Price £20.00
