Steve Tillett started in karting in 1978. The arrival of new sticky tyres gave him and others many problems with bruised ribs, caused mainly by badly shaped seats.

A vintage and veteran car upholsterer by trade, Steve's father Alec, covered the first ever "Tillett Seat" by sticking a fabric used in motor vehicle floor mats as a lining on to the seat. It seemed to work perfectly, not only holding the driver secure, but it stopped the continual sliding around. By taking the hard edge off the hard fibreglass shell, it made the karts aggressive cornering speeds less damaging to the body.

Tillett Racing Seats has grown from a one man operation in a garage, to a brand new purpose built 22,000 square foot factory, with a current workforce of 35. There is now a Tillett dealer in most countries throughout the world and the brand has established itself as a mark of quality in the motorsport industry.