As we celebrated International Women’s Day on 8 March, this month’s Collections Corner blog is about one of the trailblazing women represented in AMHT’s Collection.
May I introduce, Elsie Wisdom.
Known by those close to her as ‘Bill’, a nickname she acquired in childhood, Elsie was mad about anything on wheels from an early age.
In 1932, she was one of the first women to win a mixed race at Brooklands. Partnered with Joan Richmond for the 1000 Miles Race, they were the only women to take part.
The following year, Elsie was selected by Aston Martin as one of their six Works drivers for the 1933 24 Hours of Le Mans. According to S.C.H. ‘Sammy’ Davis (who also raced at Le Mans in 1933), Aston Martin were the first factory team to have a female driver.
Elsie was paired with ‘Mort’ Morris-Goodall (a founding member of the Aston Martin Owners Club), and they drove in LM7, race number 26. LM7 was treated as a Works entry even though it was Mort’s own car.
The pair can be seen here sitting behind LM7, and with other drivers, in the pits before the start of the race.
Sadly, at 3.30am, after 13 hours of racing and 84 laps, the car’s engine packed up due to bearing problems and they had to retire.
Elsie returned to Le Mans in later years, in other cars, as well as participating in events across the world. This includes driving an Aston Martin on the French Alpine and winning the Coupe des Alps.
Elsie’s husband, Tommy Wisdom, was also a keen racing driver. It was Tommy who entered Elsie into her first race, without her knowledge, a week or so after their wedding. After this, as we’ve seen, there was no looking back. Tommy and Elsie regularly raced together and passed this love on to their daughter Ann.
Ann, who married rally driver Peter Riley, also acted as navigator to Pat Moss (Stirling Moss’s sister), who she rallied with for seven years.
