Race Like Her

It’s a sunny Friday afternoon as we sit down to chat with Julia Gut, who has just wrapped up a school performance with her class of seven-year-olds. “I asked them to choose their favourite song, so I’ve now had two hours nonstop of ‘Seven Nation Army’ by The White Stripes,” she says with a slightly weary smile.

As a first-grade primary-school teacher in Zurich, twenty-something Julia Gut isn’t just at the front of her classroom – she’s also behind the wheel and out in front of a new wave of female car enthusiasts who are redefining the traditional image of car lovers, car meets, and online auto influencers.

In the spring of 2024, Julia founded her own classic car club for women together with five friends, all driven by their shared love for vintage cars and the fun, dynamic lifestyle that surrounds them. Julia and her friends regularly post pictures and videos on their Instagram and TikTok accounts chronicling their adventures, inviting other women to come along for the ride.

To back up a little, Julia grew up in Zurich, where her father, an avid car enthusiast, was always in his garage fixing cars and motorbikes, and he taught her how to repair the parts of vintage cars that would leak, wear down, blow, and eventually burst. “I was the firstborn daughter, so my dad would always take me along to the various car events and meets he’d go to… It was our special father-and-daughter time. As a teenager, I got into horses and horse riding, but as I got older, I would spend hours on Auto Scout trying to find a cool vintage car. At that time, my dad’s friends were selling an MGB, so he bought it and spent the next six months doing it up, and eventually he gave it to me.”

And that’s exactly what she drives now: an off-white 1967 MGB GT (“My MG Baby!”). Armed with a classic car, all Julia wanted to do was hit the pedal, have fun, and share her love affair with other people. “A friend introduced me to some young guys who had their own car club, and I was blown away because I thought, ‘Oh, my God, there are other young people who love cars as much as I do!’ These young men inspired me and made me think about just how few women there were in the car world, which is pretty obvious when you think about it. So, I created Race Like Her – because I wanted to build a platform just for women in the automotive scene.”

At first, the club began with a handful of Julia’s friends chronicling their journeys and covetable four-wheeled wonders. Next, an article in 20 Minuten brought her to the attention of all the commuters frequenting Switzerland’s 150 train stations. The pivotal moment came when one of Julia's videos capturing her automotive high jinks received 2.2 million views on social media. With more posts documenting the club’s exploits posted on Instagram and TikTok, Julia was invited to partner up with luxury watch brand IWC to take part in 2024’s British Classic Car meeting in St. Moritz’s Suvretta House.

“It was the first big cool event that I’d ever been invited to. I didn't really know what to expect. I asked my dad, who had once been part of it with his old Aston Martin, but that was many, many years ago.” Gut Senior filled Julia’s head with tales of glamour, beautiful scenery, luxury hotels – and, most of all, fun. So, what was her first year like?

“I went with a friend of mine, and we had a different outfit for every single day, so we were really prepared, and we always slayed the Safari theme. I had a safari outfit, but a short one with some really cool boots. And then in the evening, I once had a short cocktail dress – with leopard print on it, of course. I just had so much fun! You just felt like you were in a different world, with the vintage cars and the camels everywhere – it was just so cool.”

This year’s theme is, quite fittingly, “Billionaires” – but with a nostalgic nod to the late ’80s/’90s vibe rather than that of the Silicon Valley tech elite of today. How will Julia channel the theme this time? “We were talking the other day, and of course we’re going to dress up in our extremely chic and glamorous dresses, maybe even some vintage Louis Vuitton outfits. Then we might put gold chains around the MG’s mirrors, hang a couple of disco balls around the car, and top it off with some really oversized sunglasses.”

Of course, partying and dressing up isn’t the sole focus of the BCCM – there’s still a lot of driving to do, too! Last year’s event didn’t quite go as planned for Julia. Instead of a spectacular entrance, she got a reminder of the reality of owning a vintage vehicle. While she was driving in the rally on the Saturday, navigating the picturesque bends and roads in Italy, her MG Baby decided to break down. “There had been sounds coming from the engine that were a bit weird, which sounded like my clutch breaking. That had happened before, so I knew what it sounded like. Eventually we stopped to check, and some guys pulled up. One of them was mansplaining to me that it was the clutch, but I’m used to that. We drove on a little further, but then the car just stopped, and cooling water started to flood out of the engine.”

Julia’s problems went from bad to worse. She had broken down on a Saturday afternoon on the Italian side of the border, and Swiss breakdown vehicles are unable to cross at the weekend. The nearest garage in Italy was closed on a Saturday, so an emotional Julia had to abandon her cherished MG where it was. After a long 90-minute wait for a taxi, she faced a five-hour journey back to St. Moritz – but at least she made it just in time for the Gala Dinner at Suvretta House.

Still resplendent in her safari-themed outfit Julia sat down at her table, eyes swollen from crying. She was met with an outpouring of cheers, words of support, and comforting embraces. Later, during the evening’s awards, there was a surprise announcement: a special prize for ‘The Most Broken-Down Car’. “I almost burst into tears again, because I really didn’t want that award – but I got up to accept it, and everyone was being so sweet and kind. There was a table full of British people who were so elegant and cool, and they were being so funny, saying (affects posh British accent) ‘Oh, darling, don’t worry – it’s just the MG, you know!’” After the event, Julia was reunited with her beloved MG – though it would spend a further six months in the garage before it was back on the road.

Julia’s car might have been off the road, but Race Like Her certainly didn’t step on the brakes! Julia still hit the road with her friends in their vintage Jags, Ford Capris, and Ferraris, attending the rallies and car meets they love so much. We contacted her earlier this year to see if she was taking part, and by May she had the news she’d be waiting for: IWC would be sponsoring her again, and BCCM 2025 is officially on her calendar!

What is she looking forward to this time about the event? “I can’t wait to see as many familiar faces as possible, and talk to all the founders and organisers because I don’t generally have as much time to talk to them elsewhere. There’s also the chance to see all the great British cars that are so beautiful. All these Jaguars and Aston Martins… they’re just so classic! My favourite British car ever, though, is the Austin Healey, or maybe the Aston Martin. They’re cute, fast, and fun.”

As Julia gets ready to head back to her class of seven-year-old Jack Whites, we ask her what it is about the club – beyond the fun and the five-star hotels – that makes it so meaningful for her. “I think it’s because of the positive response I’ve had since starting the club, as well as the opportunity to give women a platform. I just love being with people, I love to drive cars, and I’m passionate about supporting women. I’m just so happy doing this!”