author
Dorothy Levitt
1882–1922
A fearless early motoring star, she raced cars and powerboats at a time when women were rarely expected to take the wheel. Her bold career and lively writing helped turn speed, travel, and mechanical skill into symbols of independence.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born Elizabeth Levi in London on 5 January 1882, Dorothy Levitt became one of the best-known motoring figures of the early 1900s. She worked with the Napier motor company, learned to drive and handle motorboats, and quickly built a public reputation for speed, nerve, and showmanship.
She is widely remembered as the first British woman racing driver. Levitt won attention for success in trials and speed events, set important records on land and water, and was often presented in the press as a modern woman who moved confidently through spaces usually dominated by men.
Levitt also wrote about motoring in a practical, approachable way. Her book The Woman and the Car encouraged women to drive for themselves and treated the car not just as a machine, but as a tool for freedom. She died in 1922, but her story still stands out as an early example of sport, technology, and women's independence coming together.