Legends of Speed: 5 Women Who Ruled 1950s Motorcycle Racing

Women motorcycle racers lined up at the starting line, 1949 California by Loomis Dean

Many tracks didn’t allow women to race in the 1950s, which makes these five women icons and pioneers in motorcycle racing.

During the time these women dominated motorcycle racing, gear was a very rudimentary protective system made of leather and cloth. Foam and plastic armor didn’t exist yet, and helmets were basically brain buckets (when people wore them). The first protective helmet was designed in 1914 and made only of leather. It wasn’t until 1954 that AGV designed the first fiber helmet, which would be lightweight and protective.

In the 40s and 50s, women were still known to be demure and delicate and were often referred to as the fairer sex. Keep in mind women weren’t allowed to hold a bank account in their own name until 1974. Hell, the 19th Amendment wasn’t ratified until 1920– “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Unfortunately, it was still up to each state to define which women were allowed to vote– leaving many women of color without the right for years to come.

All this to paint a picture in your mind– what each of these five women lived through. This shows you what may have happened in their lives that could inspire them to hop on a motorcycle, let alone sign up to compete (often against men). Accomplishments of female riders, like that of Augusta & Adeline Van Buren traveling over 5,000 miles crossing the United States in 60 days, were dismissed with comments like, “ladies vacation.” Mind you, these opinions were the majority but not the rule. While people in power and the press often waived off the efforts of strong women brave enough to step outside the status quo, everyday citizens regularly celebrated these ladies and came to their aid when necessary.

#1: Olga Kevelos (1923 – 2009)

Birmingham-born British racer who took home two gold medals from the challenging International Six Days Trial (1949 and 1953). Olga studied Metallurgy in college and worked at William Mills in the laboratories where they manufactured hand grenades for a time. The country was in the middle of WWII, and Olga saw an advertisement for challenging work in the canals. After answering the ad, she was hired to work in one of the all-female crews on narrowboats, moving vital supplies for the war effort. These determined dames were known as “Idle Women.”

#2: Willy Koppen (1924 – 2002)

Also known as Will Elisabeth Koppen. A Dutch racer, long-distance rider, and the first woman to win the 1,600 km Coupe de Dame of the FIM Trophée de Monaco (a 32-hour rally). She worked as a nurse during winter to focus on riding and racing during summer… and she was her own mechanic. Information on the rest of Willy’s life is challenging to source.

#3: Inge Stoll (1930 – 1958)

Her full name is Ingeborg Stoll, followed by Ingeborg Stoll-Laforge, and her final married name was Ingeborg Grunwald. Inge’s life was very full… and very short. She was born into a family of enthusiastic sidecar racers in Breinig, Germany. Her father, Kurt Stoll, was a well-known German racer. For several years, Inge and her dad competed in the Continental Circus, where she was one of the only women. In 1949, she was married for the first time and divorced shortly after. She and sidecar driver Jacques Drion started racing together in 1952 and were later engaged. They had many successes during their racing career, winning the 1952 and ’54 French Sidecar Championships. They finished third in the World Sidecar Championship in 1953 and fourth in 1955. In May of 1958, Ingeborg married Manfred Grunwald, another champion sidecar racer. She announced that she would be retiring from the track at the end of the season. In August, Stoll (now Grunwald) and Drion climbed aboard their sidecar rig in the 1958 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix, not knowing it would be the last time. In the second to last lap, holding second place, they went off track in a corner and the bike overturned. Inge, 28, was killed instantly, and Drion died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

#4: Cecilia Adams (birth & death unknown… please contact me if you have any information)

Winning trials racer from southern California– captured in just a couple of news articles and photo collections by Loomis Dean. Loomis was one of the leading photographers in LIFE Magazine for decades before its publication ended. He captured Cecilia riding on multiple occasions– with other women riding through Griffith Park, at an unknown dirt racing event, and others. In another news clipping I found, Cecilia is shown taking first place in an all-women’s trials race that also lists Theresa Wallach as a competitor. I was shocked to see this name, as Theresa is from Britain and is best known for crossing the Sahara Desert on a motorcycle. It turns out that Theresa Wallach traveled around the USA from 1948 to 1950 and likely raced alongside Cecilia. What a crazy and cool connection, right?! Information about Miss Adams is very scarce, and her birth date is still unknown.

#5 : Anke-Eve Goldmann (1930 – )

Anke-Eve is a German motorcycle racer and journalist who wrote for Cycle World Germany and Moto Revue in France. Her photos are iconic and well-circulated around the internet, often without any credit to the woman herself. Anke frequently dominated in local races but was denied access to professional circuits due to being a woman, even being refused a racing license in Europe. She faced lots of negativity and even abuse from strangers and family alike, as a woman racing in post-war Germany was more than rare. A formidable presence, Anke is said to have been 6’6″ and was often pictured wearing a skin-tight full-body leather suit. Despite blowback, she didn’t back down and continued to be an active presence in the motorcycle industry. It’s said she was the inspiration for the 1963 novel, “La Motociclette,” which was later adapted into a European film in 1968 called “Girl on a Motorcycle” by Jack Cardiff. The last whisperings online show she’s still kicking in Germany but is very private and refuses to be interviewed.

Check out my book featuring over 70 stories about amazing history-making women– The MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride.