Creator, actress and automotive trailblazer Emelia Hartford has amassed 2.2m Instagram followers and 1.9m on YouTube – an audience built on equal parts engineering grit and cinematic flair.
She built the world’s fastest Nissan Z in her own garage in just 57 days, qualified in pole position at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and has shared the screen in a Hollywood blockbuster with Orlando Bloom and David Harbour.
For Hartford, the common thread is momentum. Whether she is chasing tenths of a second on a mountain road or chasing a role on a film set, the mindset remains the same: build it, test it, push it further.
Her latest venture pushes that philosophy into new territory. Together with producer Michael George and Top Gear USA host Tanner Foust, Hartford is launching automotive streaming platform Driven – a home for serious car culture in an era dominated by short-form algorithms.
We caught up with Hartford to discuss Hollywood scepticism, racing at altitude and what car culture means to her.
Square Mile: Hollywood can be sceptical of creators, while the automotive world can be sceptical of actors. Which industry has been harder to convince – and why?
Emelia Hartford: Oh man, they are both challenging in their own way, but also have endless opportunities. I like to think the proof is in the work, and that talent and good work will get the respect it deserves.
With that said, it has not been easy breaking through on either front. If I were to have to pick one, I would say that Hollywood has been harder for me. It took me nine years to get my first acting job. As an actor, you may hear the word ‘no’ thousands of times before you get one ‘yes’. With cars, I feel like the work I put into it is more correlated to the results I see.
SM: When you walk onto a film set versus into a garage, does your body language change – or is it the same gear, different surface?
EH: That depends on the role or character I am playing, but I like to think I am the same going into any challenge.
When I am acting, I like to live in that character. If that character is similar to who I am in the garage, then the answer would be the same. However, if that character is vastly different, then maybe not as much. I’m still respectful to anyone and everyone on set, but my inner monologue and body language may be different.
I personally love to play a more challenging role and find a totally different character within myself. I always say I am most at peace when I am acting or racing, so any time I get a chance to completely commit myself to something and have nothing else to focus my thoughts on, I am happy.
SM: Gran Turismo placed you inside a very male-coded cinematic space. Did you feel pressure to ‘represent’ while on set?
EH: 100%. I feel like that on and off screen. When I first read the script, spoiler alert, I loved that my character was one of the finalists. So credit to the writers for also representing women who can compete at this level – and be a real threat. I am hoping the next racing movie we do is female-led, and shows even more of what women are capable of in this male-dominated space.
SM: Do you think film and TV are finally catching up with the reality of women in car culture – or is it still lagging badly behind?
EH: It’s definitely getting there, but I do believe there are so many great untold stories of women in motorsports that I hope to help tell one day. I loved Gran Turismo, Ford v Ferrari, and F1. Ultimately, those are more or less accurate to reality for those worlds. But there are so many incredible stories to tell with women in car culture and motorsports.
SM: You’ve spoken about the satisfaction of physically building cars. How does that compare emotionally to acting, where the final product is largely out of your control?
EH: I think they are more similar than it may seem. Building cars is ultimately a collaborative process as well, that can sometimes be a bit out of my control. I have a team that is amazingly talented and beyond that, OEMs, aftermarket parts manufacturers, and suppliers add a bit of a touch to the build process. I think it’s, in a way, similar to movies where there is an initial vision, and then people come together each giving a bit of their skills to help bring that vision to life.
But maybe this is my producer brain coming out. As to your point, the final product is in fact usually out of the actor’s hands. In the end, it’s never exactly what you had imagined initially, not that that is a bad thing, it just ends up being the result of a group of people working together to make something special.
When I am acting, I am ultimately working off notes from the director, other talent, the words written by the writer and trying to bring my own art into that performance. With cars, I’m starting with a vision, building out the chassis, working with parts manufacturers, aftermarket support, and other talent to build a machine to race. A unique artform of its own.
SM: When something goes well – a build, a race, an audition – which means the most?
EH: Oh man that is like asking which kid is your favourite. The real truth is whichever thing I am working on at the time, as I always fully commit to whatever I am working on. If they were all happening at once, I would say an audition or role, as acting is what I am most focused on right now.
SM: What’s been the single greatest race victory in your career and why?
EH: Pikes Peak. Which may seem crazy as I have several world records in the drag racing space, but that race was something very special and proof I am a legitimate racer.
I moved to Colorado temporarily to prepare, physically and mentally, as well as basically spent as much time on the mountain as possible. Waking up at 2-3am every day to be on the mountain, and racing before the sun came up every day was something special and required so much discipline.
Many drivers won’t drive that mountain as it is sheer cliffs for 12.42 miles, crazy weather, all kinds of obstacles in the road and at a final elevation of 14,115 feet. An altitude that most require oxygen to prevent hypoxia. I placed second in my class my rookie year and was fastest in qualifying against many who have raced the mountain for many years.
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SM: You’ve said your audience feels like family. Has that closeness ever become a burden when you want to evolve creatively or take risks?
EH: No. I think your true fans support you when you take risks or evolve. I also have built an audience that is very much familiar with my constant goal of trying new things, pushing the boundaries, and evolving my brand and content.
At the end of the day, I create what I think is most interesting and hope they enjoy my work. Most of the time that works, sometimes it doesn’t but we all grow together.
SM: You run what is effectively a media company, a performance outfit, and a product brand. Which part of the business keeps you awake at night?
EH: Thanks for your recognition. Honestly, all of it. There is always 25 hours worth of work eight days a week for me – but it is all self-induced.
SM: Tell us about Driven.
EH: Driven will be a free, ad-based platform for all users. We felt there was a gap in the market for premium automotive content. If you’re obsessed with cars, where do you go to watch things? Mainstream media is building for a general audience. YouTube has great content, yes, but the algorithm forces a prescriptive format.
Our thesis is that there really isn’t a lot of premium content in the automotive space being produced anymore and there isn’t a single place for the community to go to consume this content, let alone one with a built-in social platform to support its audience. We want to solve both gaps with Driven.
The platform works great, we have more than 1,000 hours of premium original and curated licensed content in the pipeline with more to come. That combined with a massive, highly engaged community we think we have a great product for a great audience.
SM: Is this about reclaiming depth in a space that’s become dominated by short-form content and algorithms?
EH: In a way, yes. We aren’t trying to compete with short-form content and social. I, as a creator, have no plans to stop creating on social – but I think we all crave quality premium content on top of what there is to consume on short-form platforms.
SM: You’ve had an exciting start to the year participating in Formula E’s Evo Session in Saudi Arabia and building and racing in the F.A.T. Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana. Can you tell us about both of those experiences?
EH: This year started off pretty wild in the best way. Getting invited to race in the Formula E Evo Sessions in Saudi Arabia for Porsche Motorsports was such a surreal experience. I’ve always wanted to race Jeddah and driving a Formula E car is such a unique experience because of its instant torque, making it the fastest accelerating single-seater in motorsports. It really pushes you as a driver because everything happens so fast and the margins are tiny. Being around that level of technology and talent was incredibly inspiring and honestly just made me want to keep leveling up my driving.
Going straight from that into building a car and racing for Nissan at the F.A.T. Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana was the perfect contrast. That event was pure chaos in the best way.
You’re racing on ice, traction is basically optional, but with some nasty studded tires you can really have some fun. We built the car in a record 29 days specifically for the conditions we were facing, and getting to throw it around on a frozen track with that amazing backdrop was unreal.
I love doing both ends of the spectrum like that. One week it’s cutting-edge formula race cars on a world stage, the next it’s building a classic group A rally car with my team and sliding it around on ice.
For me, that’s what car culture is all about: pushing yourself as a driver, and just having fun with it.
SM: You’ve spoken about five-year plans. What’s the one thing you hope people underestimate about where you’ll be in five years’ time?
EH: My presence as a creator in film and TV. I have been working very hard behind the scenes to produce and act in a few projects that combine my passions for automotive action and storytelling. We are starting to see creators take their content to a more mainstream level and I want to show everyone what can be done as a storyteller on a large scale.
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SM: Top three car films of all time – and what do you love about each one?
EH: Grand Prix, that opening sequence and all the film work is so so good. The way they pioneered filming racing back then was something else. Even today it gets me fired up. Definitely set the bar high for film makers covering automotive action and racing.
Baby Driver – Edgar Wright at his best. Pairing music with cars with heists and heart. The stunt work is on point and every actor put up a great performance.
Fast and Furious – Might be cliché, but I could watch it over and over. It was generational and inspired so many gear heads.
Also, not a car film per se, but I’d love to throw in Guy Ritchie’s BMW commercials back in the day, and his very unique way of storytelling.
SM: You’ve long lusted over a Ferrari F40 – what is it about the F40 that makes it so special to you personally?
EH: It’s perfect. Raw mechanical V8 twin turbo, gated manual. One of the best-looking cars ever created and was one of the first times a manufacturer made a no-limits race car for the street.
SM: And what contemporary car tops your wishlist and why?
EH: The Bugatti Bolide. The car is an absolute monster. I love the design and look of the car, and I know the folks at Bugatti can build a stout track weapon.
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