Automotive and motorsport luminaries Ian Tate, Campbell Bolwell and Daniel Ricciardo were recognised in the 2022 Honours List
Tate and Bolwell were honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) and Ricciardo was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.
While suggestions Tate’s honour was for services to the Holden red motor, given how successful he made it, it was his for services to historic motorsport.
He has been the Victorian Historic Racing Register President since 2000 and involved in motorsport for six decades. Tate (above) was Harry Firth’s right-hand man in the Holden Dealer Team early days playing a vital role in developing a young knockabout named Peter Brock achieve phenomenal success.
After John Sheppard took over the HDT, Tate remained at the existing Queens Ave, Auburn workshop, establishing an automotive engineering business preparing race cars for the flamboyant Captain Peter Janson among others.
Campbell Bolwell (above, pic by Andrew Britten), the sportscar builder who failed high school, has received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), for services to mechanical engineering.
He started the Bolwell Corporation in 1962, turning his hobby into a thriving business, the pinnacle being the V8 Nagari of the 1970s.
These days Bolwell runs a successful composites business with customers around the world.
Eight time Grand Prix winner, Daniel Ricciardo (above) was also named in the honours list. His Member (AM) of the Order of Australia was for services to motorsport as a competitor, ambassador, and his string of charitable affiliations, including the grassroots Ricciardo’s Racers program. He joins fellow honoured Australian F1 drivers Alan Jones (MBE), Mark Webber (AO) and Sir Jack Brabham.