About Us

Our History

Spadeadam Motor Club was formed in 1959, at the Spadeadam Rocket Establishment, near Carlisle. Early members were Rolls Royce and De Havilland employees at the base, and at the time all activities were restricted to Spadeadam employees. These were the days of the Blue Streak rocket programme, the rocket became the club’s logo, and still remains part of it to this day.

“There were other motor clubs in the area, of course, but the SMC soon showed that it could do things more frequently and in some ways better than all the rest. Organisation is helped when members all work together and have similar outlooks.”
R. Hancock,
“The Blue Streak Project” 1997.

The base closed down in 1973 and club activity declined, but a few members carried on and at this time it was deemed necessary to accept members from the local area. Spadeadam Motor Club has grown from then on. The club has organised many different motor sport activities such as Road and Stage Rallying, Autocross, Gymkhana’s, Treasure Hunts. We also ran the famous Soap Box Derby (which was reported in the National papers – a centre spread over two pages, in 1960!!).

*Spadeadam Motor Club Members celebrating the clubs 50th anniversary with a BBQ and autotest.*

*Members, past and present enjoying the 60th Anniversary evening.*

Spadeadam Motor Club Today

Membership is currently around 100 Members, though 150 Members was known during the heydays. In 1987 the Club became affiliated to the RAC Motor Sports Association (now Motorsport UK), adopting their rules and requirements. We have since continued to grow and expand the range of activities we are involved in, and hope to be able to offer something for everyone, whether they want to compete, spectate or marshal.

Spadeadam Motor Club Stand at the Hethersgill Vintage Rally — *Members both compete and marshal on events.*

We have run our Stage Rally Championship for many years and it’s still hotly contested today. With members competing for the DSD Construction Shield for the Overall Driver, The Monitor Systems Salver for Overall Co-driver and the Castrol Rallymaster Trophy for outstanding performance of the season.

Geoffrey & Nigel HarknessChristmas StagesWaithwaite — *A young Spadeadam MC member meeting Tapio Laukkanen who was also a Spadeadam MC member in 2013*

We are affiliated to Motorsport UK and are a member of ANECCC (Association of North East & Cumbria Car Clubs, ANCCC (Association of Northern Car Clubs), ANWCC (Association of North Western Car Clubs) & CMSG (Cumbria Motor Sport Group).

To see more photos from the Club’s history click HERE.

To meet your Club’s 2024 Committee Members, click HERE