As a rally car driver herself, the Melbourne woman first raced the iconic sportscar at Winton in the mid-1970s.
“I first started racing within a year of getting the car, I was the only woman racing in Australia,” Richards-Miller said.
But in a sad turn of events, Richards-Miller lost a great love of her life after the car was stolen from her driveway in 1992.
Always hoping the car would find its way home to her, Richards-Miller’s prayers were unanswered as days turned into months, and finally years.
“When I lost Lexy, I kept hoping and hoping it would turn up somewhere,” Richards-Miller said.
“But after 18 years, I decided, ‘okay, get your head straight, it’s gone, get used to it and get over it’.
“But then sooner than I expected, it appeared again.”
In 2014 — 22 years after Sexy Lexy was stolen — the car was finally found through a police investigation into a stolen car reselling ring.
The Holden Torana had been in the possession of an unsuspecting buyer, but it took a further six years of court proceedings before Richards-Miller was able to finally reunite with her prized possession.
Leading Detective Senior Constable Brett Florence, who was crucial in the investigation, said finding a stolen car after such a long period was “incredibly rare”.
He said it was through VicRoads records and documents that police were able to identify the car as belonging to Richards-Miller.
And as a car enthusiast himself, Sen Const Florence said it was a “very fulfilling” day to finally return the car to Richards-Miller after a lengthy court case.
“She truly loves her car, she’s a true enthusiast,” he said.
When the time came to see Sexy Lexy again, Richards-Miller said she became emotional.
“We first saw it again in a police garage in Preston,” she said.
“I have half ran, half walked and planted a big kiss on the bonnet.
“I feel so lucky, I have to hit myself over the head it’s back, it’s really Lexy.”
And in another full-circle moment, Richards-Miller was back on track at Winton Motor Raceway last week to take Sexy Lexy for her first spin in almost three decades.
Winton Motor Raceway general manager Jeff Grech said it was an easy offer to make to have Richards-Miller and her family come to Winton for a few laps in the beloved car.
“Certainly, getting her car back, it’s one of those stories you never hear of,” Grech said.
“When we saw the news story down in Melbourne when it first broke, and she mentioned Winton and how she was busting to have a drive around the track, we thought ‘why don’t we approach her through the police and offer to have her come up here for a few laps'.
“To come back, cliché as it is, to do another lap at Winton in the original car, we thought it was quite befitting to make it available.”
And just after 1.30 pm on the Monday, Richards-Miller finally eased Sexy Lexy out of its garage and into pit lane before taking off around the track.
As for her plans for Sexy Lexy going forward, Richards-Miller said she and her son Conner, who first learnt to drive in the car, would work to get it back up and racing again.
But even with slight alterations in mind, Richards-Miller said she wanted to keep the car in as good a condition as possible to then be able to pass it down to her son.
“It’s going to stay in the family, after Conner’s had it, his oldest son, Cobin will take it, and presumably Cobin will then pass it on to his younger brother, Scott. It’s a family car,” she said.
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