One of Kent's most successful firms: Tillett Racing Seats

Tillett fit karts all over the world, like this World Championship kart (www.tillet.co.uk)

1978. Steve Tillett, founder and owner of Tillett Racing Seats, had just started karting.

The arrival of new sticky tyres challenged him and many other drivers with problems such as bruised and battered ribs - this mainly down to the poorly fitted seats in karts.

Steve's father, Alec, was a vintage and veteran car upholsterer and covered the first ever "Tillett Seat" by sticking a fabric used in motor vehicle floor mats as a lining. 

This seemed to work well and it held the driver secure making the aggressive cornering speeds in karting less damaging to the body.

Towards the end of the 1986 season, the seats were introduced in racing in Japan and had success in that part of the world. 

Since then, Tillett racing seats has had major success in karting, providing newly designed seats for years. They have helped the likes of the current motor elite like Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button.

Based in Sittingbourne, Kent, the firm even had there seats used in blockbuster films James Bond, on his Ice Racer and the attack sub in GI Joe.

Steve Tillett shares more in an exclusive interview with Karting in Kent: