Ethel and Hugh Locke King leading the opening parade in their Itala, 17th June 1907.


Dame Ethel Locke King, DBE (1864–1956) was a British motor-racing promoter and hospital patron.

Her wealthy husband, Hugh Fortescue Locke King, created and solely financed Brooklands House, Weybridge, Surrey.

(Possibly the first permanent race track in the world. Depends on what you define race track, and permanent. A topic for another post)

She took over the supervisory role of the tracks development after the stress of building it made her husband too ill to continue in the role. On 16 June 1907, she led the inaugural procession of cars on to the track in her open Itala minutes after the track had been opened by her husband.

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