A VERY SPECIAL SET OF WHEELS

Born with spina bifida,

Rachel Smith was unable to walk or stand and spent much of her time in a wheelchair. Her parents were dedicated to finding ways to improve her mobility and bought her a bright yellow electric gokart as a tenth birthday present. Dad Geoffrey had a custom-made metal panel installed to give her legs extra support and replaced the footbrake with a handbrake.

Tragically, at Christmas in 1977, Rachel became ill, and on New Year’s Eve — the very day she turned ten — she died, before she had even had a chance to sit in her go-kart. Heartbroken, her parents packed it away in the loft, along with Rachel’s other unopened presents.

Her younger sister Emma vaguely recalls her dad bringing the kart out of the loft years later, only to find it didn’t work. Geoffrey passed away in

January 2021, and when the family were helping her mum Bertie to pack up the house, she said she’d like to see the go-kart restored for Emma’s own children, ten-year-old Seren and six-year-old Milo.

Electrical expert Mark Stuckey (below) replaced the battery, resprayed the bodywork and switched the converted handbrake back to a footbrake. Her grandmother said the last time she saw it was on the landing the day Rachel died.