After an arduous two-year fundraising process, Motorsport UK finally delivered the Pinzgauer 6×6 to the Armed Forces of Ukraine‘s 46th Airmobile Brigade in late September.
“It is thanks to the support and solidarity expressed by our UK motorsport community that we have met our fundraising goal and successfully delivered the Pinzgauer to Ukraine,” commented Motorsport UK CEO Hugh Chambers. “Motorsport UK stands united with Aleksandr Feldman, the President of the FAU, the Ukrainian motorsport community and the Ukrainian people, and the resounding interest we have had in our collective fundraising effort shows our community’s willingness to provide a small gesture of our support to a nation in need.”
The fundraiser began in the spring of 2022 with the goal raising £60,000. David Richards CBE, the head of Prodrive and chairman for Motorsport UK, kicked off the donations with a £25,000 contribution. Various communities including plenty in Northern Ireland like the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs chipped in as well, the latter providing one of the larger donations of £2,000.
However, the donations stagnated over time. The FAU attributed the delay to what they called “literally hellish” bureaucracy and maintenance, though an FAU steward told The Checkered Flag he is not entirely sure what the specific cause was.
The project regained steam when British rallycross driver Fynn Watt, who has donated over 130 vehicles to Ukrainian medical services as part of Driving Ukraine, came aboard. In June 2023, the Pinzgauer was put on display at Flywheel on Bicester Heritage, where in-person donations heavily contributed to helping the fundraiser reach its goal.
“At the start of the war, I couldn’t just stand by and watch,” said Watt. “Within two weeks, I was driving a van of supplies to Ukraine.
“A highlight was coordinating the Motorsport UK armoured ambulance, including procurement, paperwork, and transport to Kyiv. We send five to six vehicles each month, along with generators, solar chargers like EcoFlows, and trauma medical aid.”
The ambulance, which was prepared by Venari Group, arrived in Lviv in early September. From there, it was taken to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to be handed over to the 46th Airmobile Brigade. Since then, it is seeing action on the frontlines in Pokrovsk, one of the current battle hotspots where the 46th is engaged.
While various FIA member clubs have come to Ukraine’s aid in various ways following the start of Russia’s invasion, Motorsport UK is the most prominent and one of three that has continually given aid to the FAU since alongside Austria’s ÖAMTC and the Croatian Automobile & Karting Federation. Motorsport UK openly complied with the FIA’s policy to prohbit Russian and Belarusian drivers from racing in events under their sanction unless they agreed to condemn the war, among other pledges of solidarity.
“The British motorsport community made their position clear: they didn’t want to just stand by and watch as Ukrainians died daily due to Russian aggression, especially as the war left deep scars on our land. Many Ukrainians have been killed or injured, and national motorsport is currently on hold,” reads a statement from the FAU.
“In cooperation with Motorsport UK, the Automobile Federation of Ukraine, and Driving Ukraine, it was agreed upon to assist medics with an armoured ambulance to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield. Motorsport UK raised funds to purchase a six-wheeled armored all-terrain vehicle, the Pinzgauer, and together we resolved issues of bureaucracy, logistics, and vehicle maintenance. Bureaucracy, by the way, was literally hellish: the whole process took nearly a year!
“Nothing is impossible, especially if you put in enough effort and have good friends like British racers, drivers, mechanics, and motorsport enthusiasts. We all came together for this cause. We are all united for life. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this effort.”
The FAU is open to approaching Motorsport UK about another collaboration in the near-future.