Star And Their Car: Vicki Butler-Henderson
TV host tells me her driving history
THIS week's Star And Their Car features Vicki Butler-Henderson, after I had the chance to share gorgeous cars and a test track with her while filming for Shell.
I half-expected Vicki to be in go-slow mode, as she is almost six months pregnant with her second child. Not a bit of it!
Vicki Butler-Henderson... Star And Their Car
She was a little more circumspect than usual but her natural control of the car and encyclopaedic knowledge of what we were driving made me feel like I'd stumbled onto the set of one of her shows.
And while hustling a gorgeous Maserati Quattroporte along the Tarmac, we chatted about her driving past.
Number one... Vicki had a Honda CRX
Coming from a long line of racing drivers, by the time Vicki bought her first car she was already racing in Formula First.
She said: "My first car was a silver MG Metro. As I was racing on tracks at weekends, I probably also drove too fast on the roads, but at the time I felt I had the skills to cope with it."
After that, Vicki bought the car she claims is her favourite to this day — her £3,000 Honda CRX. It made her feel "like I was queen bee" but she was also well aware of the dangers of driving.
She explained: "My mum had a major crash on a motorway when I was 12. She was in intensive care for three months."
And it's the memory of that time, combined with having built a career from driving, that means one of Vicki's passions now is to help educate and improve the driving we see today. But that doesn't mean she has lost any of her passion for speed.
"One day I'd love to own a Lamborghini Diablo GT. Only 18 were ever made and I think they're incredible".
By the way, we both loved the Maserati Quattroporte — it's an executive car with grunt and sounds incredible. I checked out sunmotors.co.uk and you can pick up a 2005-plate for less than £17k.