Porsche distributor, racing car driver, businessman, entrepreneur and team owner, Alan Hamilton, has passed away age 82.
Hamilton was only nine years of age when his father, Norman, introduced Porsche to his life and Australia.
It was 1951, three years after the birth of Porsche. Norman Hamilton who owned a pump manufacturing business in Australia, was in Europe investigating the latest in pump technology for Australia’s Snowy Hydro project. While travelling from Austria to Switzerland a low-slung sports car whizzed past him.
Sometime later he spotted the car outside a café and went inside to find the owner. After introducing himself to Richard von Frankenberg, a German racer and Porsche test driver, Hamilton convinced von Frankenberg to let him follow him to the Porsche factory to meet his boss, Ferry Porsche.
After formal introductions, a short tour of the factory and a handshake, Hamilton acquired the Porsche distribution rights for Australia and New Zealand. He immediately ordered two cars: A red coupe and green cabriolet. At the time the coffers were so low at Porsche, Hamilton had to stump up funds to pay for the tooling to make the cars right-hand drive.
After studying mechanical engineering and securing a job at William Adams, highlighted by once driving a grader from Benalla to Clayton for service – in reverse (because it was faster) – Alan joined the family Porsche business in late 1962, at age 23.
He began by establishing the marque’s service division in Melbourne and later moved to retail sales.
In 1965 Alan was sent to Porsche HQ in Stuttgart for nine months to meet the people he would be dealing with as an importer, and while there worked across several departments to get a thorough understanding of the business. Shortly after arriving he struck up a close friendship with Wolfgang and Peter Porsche.
Later that year Norman Hamilton flew on the inaugural flight from Australia to Austria and Alan met his father at Vienna airport. Together they drove back to Stuttgart in the first ever right-hand drive Porsche 911 produced.
Alan paved the way for the growth and expansion of Porsche in Australia for 41 years and today the marque has become one of the longest continuously represented makes in the Australian motor industry. Another highlight of Alan’s was the creation of his landmark Melbourne dealership in Church Street, Richmond.
Alan was also one of Australia’s best racing drivers. In fact, he showed so much talent Porsche offered him a works drive and a life as a professional racing driver. Reluctantly Alan declined, instead racing very successfully in Australia, but as a pastime, while running Porsche Cars Australia. In 1992 Porsche bought the business from Hamilton.
Hamilton’s motor-sport career is remembered for his second place at Bathurst in 1977 with Colin Bond in the Falcon 1-2, missing out on the 1969 Australian Touring Car title by one point, due to the bizarre point scoring system, and for a fearful crash that nearly claimed his life at Sandown in 1978 driving a Lola T430 F5000, while running second in the 50th Australian Grand Prix. That crash left him with ongoing health issues.
After starting out in club-level racing, Hamilton came home with a Porsche 906 sports car after his nine-month stint at head office.
Hamilton was a multiple Australian Hillclimb champion and competed against the likes of Frank Matich, Fred Gibson, Bob Jane and Neil Allen in his 906. He also won the 1977 Australian Sportscar Championship.
In the late 1960s Hamilton got his mitts on a Porsche 911 T/R and caused as much of a stir in the touring car ranks as Allan Moffat did with his Trans-Am Mustang. After losing the title by a single point, Hamilton turned his attention to Formula 5000 and first up was a McLaren M10B, in which he finished equal second with Kevin Bartlett in the Gold Star Series.
With his race driving career over following his Sandown crash, Hamilton turned to team ownership and set a benchmark for presentation and success, mainly in openwheelers. Alfie Costanzo drove a McLaren M26 F1 car modified for F5000 and to several Gold Star championships for Hamilton’s team, and recorded the only sub one-minute lap of Sandown. When Formula Pacific became the premier openwheeler category, Costanzo and Hamilton continued their winning ways.
Hamilton put together a deal to run a Porsche 924 Carrera GT at Le Mans for Peter Brock, Jim Richards and Colin Bond, and when Alan Jones pulled the pin on F1 and returned home, he successfully drove a 935 Porsche for Hamilton in 1980, and Allan Moffat raced Hamilton’s Porsche 934 to win the Australia Sportscar championship.
After selling the Porsche business to head office in 1992 Hamilton turned his attention to the historic racing scene, entering cars for Alfie Costanzo once more for several years.
Later in life Hamilton built a winery business at Dromana on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the cellar door being the ideal garage for his collection of race cars. Alan was a brilliant driver, great company, a successful businessman, and a mentor to many drivers whose careers he helped.
Unique Cars offers our deep condolences to Alan Hamilton’s family and friends.