Why radio presenter Stephanie Hirst restored her first car

New in 1985, It was her dad’s company car when he worked for electrical retailer Wigfalls, which she inherited when she was 17 during the 90s.

“It was a bog-standard Nova,” she said. “It had only one wing mirror and the inside was beige, but the car meant such a lot to me. It cost a fortune to have restored, but it was worth it. My dad Derek saw it and loved it.”

Stephanie, born and raised in Barnsley, works nationally on Hits Radio and began her career on Radio Aire, later working on Capital, BBC radio and Pulse.

She said: “When I was 17 I passed my test and jumped straight in the Nova and drove to the former Radio Aire studios in Leeds and I’d never driven on a motorway before!”

She later decided to restore the Nova and bought a donor car to meticulous turn it into a sportier GTE version in a project which ran from 2006 to 2014. Vauxhall themselves recently used it for the Nova’s 40th anniversary and it will even appear on a forthcoming Bangers and Cash television programme.

“I’d love to take it on a run from Lands’ End to John O’Groats but I might need to take a mechanic with me, as she’s always been troublesome at times!”

Of all the car’s Stephanie has owned, the Nova remains her favourite.

“I’m so touched that the car gets a lot of attention when people see it,” she said. “especially people in their 30s and 40s remember Nova’s fondly, but I’m so lucky to still own it, as you never forget your first car!”

She says personal highlights of her career include working with all of her radio heroes which weren’t any ‘big names’ but all the DJs, producers and bosses making the shows she was brought up listening to.

Stephanie is now enjoying a new period of her life as she is touring the world as a motivational speaker in between working on her weekend Hits Radio show’s and appearing on TV.

“Everytime I have had a hurdle or I have a mountain to climb, I just believe I can achieve it.”