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Death of a legend


His achievements earned him the nickname "King of the Mountain".

He was also dubbed "Peter Perfect" after holding more pole positions and winning more races than anyone since the start of the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1960.

Brock’s pedigree in racing also ran in the family, his great-great-uncle Henry James the founder of the RACV and organiser of Australia’s first ever motorsport event.

Brock debuted in a homemade sports sedan in 1967.

The converted Austin A30 - built in a henhouse - put him on the map with more than 100 wins, including the Australian Sports Sedan Championship.

The racing driver, who later became synonymous with Holden’s racing prowess, won his big break in 1969, when the new Holden Dealer Team’s manager Harry Firth offered him a seat in a Holden Monaro GTS 350.

He was third in that race and three years later driving a Torana XU1, won his first Bathurst title.

In 1980, Brock established the Special Vehicles unit, which went on to build 4000 highly sought-after "Brock Special" vehicles.

Brock retired from full-time V8 Supercar racing in 1997, firmly establishing himself as one of Australia's sporting greats.

The UK Motor Sport magazine rated Peter Brock as among the top 20 most exciting drivers of all time.

Brock spent his "retirement" with charity fund-raising and targa-style tarmac racing.

He also supported road safety initiatives and created the Peter Brock Foundation, which has a focus on helping disadvantaged youth.

For a time, Brock was also on the Australian Grand Prix board, which he joined in 1998, and was sought for his skills as a motivational speaker.