GENERATIONS old and new were present at a special event yesterday to promote this year's Rally of the Tests, a unique driving challenge from Bournemouth to Chester.

The event, at Weston-on-the-Green, was attended by Paddy Hopkirk, inaugural member of the Rally Hall of Fame, who is pictured with 2016 hopefuls Elise and Seren Whyte from Swansea.

Mr Hopkirk won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964 in a Mini Cooper S.

Now based in Oxfordshire, he stood with a number of his racing cars, including the Austin-Healey 3000 he drove in the 1964 Rally of the Tests.

He said: “I had no idea there would be such a turnout today.

“It’s wonderful to see enthusiasm about the cars, especially among the younger people.”

The Whyte sisters were excited by the prospect of their first ever Rally of the Tests.

Seren said: “We’re certainly the youngest team.

“When we were really little, our dad was a driver, and we always begged him to take us with him.

“When he started marshalling again six or seven years ago, our interest peaked again.”

The two will drive a 1957 Standard 10 in the event, the same type Mr Hopkirk himself drove in his earlier years.

The sisters hope to pave the way for more women to take part in the sport.

Seren explained how they first got into racing.

She said: “It started because someone once asked us 'why are there no women drivers?’

“We were in a pub, and someone said there were none because it was too difficult for us.

“It was meant as a joke, but we took it as a challenge.”

Mr Hopkirk said: “We really need more girl engineers. It’s very nice to see young ladies take it up.”

The 2016 Rally of the Tests will take place in November.

Enthusiast and event organiser Kev Haworth said: “The rally, which began in 1939, was the pinnacle motorsport event of its time.

“It was the beginning of rallying, and what really brought motorsport to the people.”