Liane Engeman: “no flirting”

Liane Engeman, born 24 March 1944, is a Dutch former racing car driver from Haarlem, Netherlands. Having worked for her father’s taxi company in Zandvoort, she could already drive at 15 years old!

She discovered motor racing by chance, when while waiting for a bus she met Rob Slotemaker, the legendary racing instructor at the Zandvoort track. Slotemaker, convinced by her potential, then trained her to become a race car driver.

At the age of 19, Liane Engeman, started competing in Formule Vee in the Netherlands but then moved to England and drove for the Alan Mann Racing in a Mini Cooper in the British Saloon Series.

Good results led her to try her luck in Formula 3 at Zandvoort in a Brabham BT21, where she finished 19th.

From 1967 on, she participated three times in a row in the 12 Hours of Sebring, with American Janet Guthrie, first in a Matra Jet, then in an Austin-Healey Sprite, with which they finished 23rd and sixth in their class.

Liane Engeman also participated twice in the 24 Hours of Spa: first in 1969 in an Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina with French ace Bob Wollek (13th) and in 1970 with Belgian Christine Beckers (ret).

From 1970 to 1973, Engeman raced extensively in touring cars, mainly in Ford Escorts and Alfa Romeo’s, in the Netherlands but also all over Europe, where she gained respect from the other drivers by showing good fighting spirit.

With her long blond hair, the pretty Liane attracted the attention of all in the paddocks. Once asked if she ever flirted with other racing drivers, she answered: “No, that was not possible. That would not have been smart. It would have prevented me to race these guys as hard as I wanted.”