“I became fascinated with her, the daughter of Julia Raphael who was an ancestor on my mother’s side, and began delving the archives to find out more,” Mr Allan said.
“She had a large Wikipedia listing — which was wrong in some instances — and I wanted to know why she wasn’t more widely known.
Dorothy Levitt was a role model for women drivers
“The more I researched, the more I became a torch for her being recognised as a pioneer in women’s sports and achievements.
“She came from humble beginnings and entered a world where only the wealthy could afford to compete. Yet she took them on and beat them to become the premier car racing driver during the early years of motor sports. I am very proud to have found her and shall continue to share her life.”
To mark the centenary of her death, motor enthusiast and writer Michael Barton authored a biography, Fast Lady.
He records that in 1900, the then 18-year-old Dorothy Levitt started work as a temporary typist in the New Burlington Street showroom and offices of Selywn Edge — a leading light in the motorsport world. At a time when few women drove, Edge was impressed by her aptitude for cars.
Not only mastering speed but mechanics, she penned the authoritative handbook of the day, The Woman and the Car.
Advising of the importance of checking on traffic behind, she effectively introduced the rear-view mirror. However, her safety recommendation of keeping a Colt 45 pistol in the glove compartment hasn’t stood the test of time.
On the water at Cowes, her yachting ability caught the attention of Queen Alexandra. And her airborne adventures were a matter of trial and error as there was no one yet with sufficient experience to be an instructor.
Mr Barton recalled purchasing an oil painting in 2018 “depicting a young woman driving an early car, only to find out that the woman in the painting was in fact Dorothy Levitt.
“While researching her life and family I met Tony, who was instrumental in unravelling the full story. Her family were Sephardi and arrived in England in the 1760s, some 100 years before Dorothy was born. The Levis and Raphaels were living in close proximity and were members of the Great Synagogue in Duke’s Place.
“What Dorothy achieved would be extraordinary today, let alone at the time.”
Tony Allan (R) and Michael Barton at Dorothy Levitt's grave
Brighton-based Louise Peskett included a chapter on Dorothy Levitt in her book The Fearless and the Fabulous — A Journey through Brighton and Hove’s Women’s History.
Ms Peskett said her significance was that “not only did she break various speed records, earning the nickname ‘the fastest girl on earth’, and proving that women could drive just as well as men.
“She understood the freedoms that driving could open up for women. She always strove to demystify driving and cars for women in her regular motoring column in the weekly The Graphic newspaper and her 1909 book, The Woman and the Car.
“This clearly illustrated book was full of good advice, from the idea of carrying a compact mirror when driving to see what was happening behind you to how to choose a car and how to change a spark plug.
“At a time when cars were very much in the male domain, Dorothy Levitt was an inspiring figure who encouraged women to jump into the driving seat and see where their journeys took them.”
Mr Allan said a combination of health issues led to her death at 40 (her gravestone erroneously says 39).
Although based in London, she expressed a wish to be buried overlooking the sea, and her sister, who was living in Brighton, arranged for her burial in the Jewish cemetery in Meadowview, where her grave still stands and is visited by Mr Allan and others.
He would now like to see greater recognition within the Jewish community for her trail-blazing achievements.
There is currently a temporary display about her at the Jewish Museum in London and it is understood the museum is considering a permanent exhibit.
