Nancy Mitchell

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We are saddened to learn of the death of Nancy Mitchell, after a short illness, aged 81. Having married early, Mrs Mitchell had time and the wealth with which to indulge in her hobby of competition motoring. She had an HRG, which she ran in the 1948 Rallye des Aloes and in many other events. Tall, rather serious and perhaps a little aloof, Nancy moved unintentionally from amateur to professional status when she began to perform well in works cars. Women rally drivers were well represented by then, but Nancy could well hold her own. Partnered by Joan Johns she took a Ford Zephyr through the 1953 Monte Carlo Rally and went on to drive in the BMC works Minis, to such successes that by 1956/57 she was the Womens’ European Rally Championship. In spite of such of achievements Nancy Mitchell was quite happy taking part in small club events, and long after she had more or less given up professional drives she would turn out to help with such happenings. Her husband Douglas was to a lesser extent also a rally enthusiast. Of many outstanding successes by this calm, very accomplished lady driver one remembers her Coupe des Dames in the very tough Liege-Rome-Liege rally of 1957. She was equally adept in works MG Magnettes, MG-As, 1.5 Rileys and the big Austin Healeys.

On the fun side, it is recorded that when the Mitchell’s eldest daughter took part in a Hants & Berks MC trial, her mother being a Vice-President of that club, she beat both her parents, with the Ford Ten they used for shopping. . . Nancy Mitchell left four grand-children and eight great-grandchildren, to whom our sincere condolences. W B