A longstanding chief executive of a charity based at Bicester Motion has stepped down.

Automotive industry specialist Steve Cootes has taken over the helm of StarterMotor following the retirement of David Withers.

Mr Withers built the charity from the ground up, with a solitary car and no volunteers in 2019 to a rotating fleet of more than 10 cars and 25 committed ambassadors who attend events all over the country each weekend.

Startermotor's passion is to see the next generation of young people driving, maintaining and enjoying historic cars.

He said: “It’s been a joy, an amazing five years. There have been plenty of highlights and of course the odd low light, but to have played a small part in helping kickstart the careers of so many brilliant young people is something that gives me immense pride.

“I must thank each of them, and everybody who has made the charity what it is. I look forward to watching it continue to thrive under Steve’s stewardship.”

Mr Cootes has enjoyed stints at heavyweights Ford, Mazda and Jaguar Land Rover, spending a decade with the UK arm of the Blue Oval from 1985.

After moving to the Dearborn HQ of Ford, he was seconded to Lincoln Mercury and Ford China before joining Mazda Motors Europe, based in Germany.

Returning to Britain with JLR as head of Land Rover’s European operations, he later stepped away from manufacturer roles and for the past 12 years has enjoyed time working within the broader automotive sector.

Mr Cootes said: “I join StarterMotor having enjoyed nearly 40 years in the automotive industry.

“In more recent years I’ve undertaken a diverse and interesting range of roles in start-ups and small-medium enterprises, jobs which provided valuable experience in Tier 1 automotive supply, and a spell in the marine powertrain sector.

“I’m excited to be part of StarterMotor’s future, building on the great work done by Dave Withers and the wider team, to deliver against the charity’s mission to bring a younger generation into the historic vehicle sector, both to enjoy the rich motoring experience it offers, but also to establish careers in the sector to contribute to its longevity.”

Daniel Geoghegan, chief executive of Bicester Motion, said: “As likely to be seen in StarterMotor coveralls as he is leading a cohort of StarterMotor youth Ambassadors, Dave, as he is universally known, has been the driving force behind the flourishing charity.

“Filling those boots is an unenviable task, but Steve has all the attributes to do exactly that.”

Founded in 2013, Bicester Heritage has gone from a standing start to more than 50 specialist businesses.