Violette Cordery

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Violette Cordery
Violette Cordery at the wheel of the "Eric-Campbell" 10 h.p. in 1919
Cordery at the wheel of the
"Eric-Campbell" 10 h.p. in 1919
Born(1900-01-10)10 January 1900
London, England
Died30 December 1983(1983-12-30) (aged 83)
Oxshott, England
OccupationRacing driver
SpouseJohn Stuart Hindmarsh (1931-1938; his death)
Children2
RelativesNoel Macklin (brother-in-law)
George Duller (brother-in-law)

Violette Cordery (married name Hindmarsh; 10 January 1900 – 30 December 1983)[1] was a British racing driver and long distance record breaker.[1]

Early life

Cordery was born in London to Henry Cordery and had an elder sister (Lucy)/Leslie and a younger sister Evelyn who also participated in her driving exploits.

Motoring

Cordery was employed as a driver to

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) at Dover. He subsequently invalided out of the Royal Artillery
in 1915 and transferred to the RNVR. Macklin was married to her elder sister Lucy.

In 1920 she competed in the South Harting hill climb driving a Silver Hawk, manufactured by Noel Macklin. Cordery also competed in two British Motor Cycle Racing Club handicap events driving an Eric-Campbell, also manufactured by Noel Macklin. In May 1921 she won the ladies' race at the Junior Car Club meeting, averaging 49.7 miles per hour (80.0 km/h).

In 1925 she publicised the new Invicta car, also manufactured by Noel Macklin, by racing and breaking records. At the West Kent Motor Club meeting at Brooklands she won the half mile sprint in a 2.7 litre Invicta, and went on other victories and records.

In 1926 she set a long distance record at the

Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy, when she co-drove a 19.6hp Invicta for 10,000 miles (16,000 km) at 56.47 miles per hour (90.88 km/h). In July 1926 she averaged 70.7 miles per hour (113.8 km/h) for 5,000 miles (8,000 km) at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, Paris, and became the first woman to be awarded the Dewar Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club.[1]

In 1927 she drove an Invicta around the world in five months, covering 10,266 miles (16,522 km) at an average speed of 24.6 miles per hour (39.6 km/h). She traveled through Europe, Africa, India, Australia, the United States, and Canada accompanied by a nurse, a mechanic, and a Royal Automobile Club observer.[1]

In 1929, with her younger sister Evelyn, she covered 30,000 miles (48,000 km) of the

John O'Groats and London to Edinburgh.[1]

Cordery was a member of the

Nancy Debenham, Marjorie Cottle and Mrs Victor Bruce.[2]

Family life

Cordery married the racing driver and aviator

Stoke D'Abernon parish church. They had two daughters, of whom Susan married the racing driver Roy Salvadori. Widowed in 1938 by Hindmarsh's death while test flying a Hawker Hurricane, she retired from public life until her death on 30 December 1983 in Oxshott, Surrey. She was cremated at Randalls Park crematorium.[1][3]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/101214. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  2. ^ "London Ladies Motorcycle Club (founded in 1927)". IET Archives blog. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  3. ^ Obituary - Roy Salvadori, The Guardian, 6 June 2012, by Alan Henry

External links

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