Bryan Thomson was adored by the motorsport public throughout a mammoth driving career of just under half a century. With his trademark cheeky grin and sense of fun, ‘Thommo’ was a crowd favourite in the 1970s and early ‘80s. But just as he was a loveable larrikin off the track, on the track he was a fierce, frontline competitor.
He is best known for his exploits in Sports Sedans – which were usually innovative, sometimes unusual, but always brilliantly conceived and engineered machines he concocted with his motor racing partner in crime (and engineering genius) Peter Fowler from their regional Victorian base at Shepparton.
Among the numerous cars which Thommo raced was the ex-Norm Beechey Mustang, the ’68 model LS7 Camaro which started out with 396cid V8 power before being stretched to 427, the Torana XU-1 with V8 Chev power and, of course, the legendary McLaren Formula 5000-based Chev V8-powered Type 3 VW, affectionately known as ‘Volksrolet’.
Thomson retired from racing at the end of 1975 after a heartbreak engine failure in the VW that denied him victory in the rich Calder Sports Sedan Series, only to return a few years later with a new Sports Sedan, the incredible Chev quad-cam V8 Mercedes 450 SLC. A little later the ex-Bob Jane Monza was added to the Thomson/Fowler racing stable; the Monza would be rebodied as a Chev V8-powered Toyota Supra.
In an early-career stint in the UK, Thomson was highest-placed privateer in the 1967 British Saloon Car Championship, won the inaugural Toby Lee Sports Sedan Series at Oran Park, was 1985 Australian GT Champion, won three unofficial national Sports Sedan series and, in the twilight years of his career, won the 1996 Gold Cup for historic F5000s and scored a second in class in Targa Tasmania.
When AMC spoke to Thomson recently for a feature story on his career, he was in good health at the age of 89 despite a recent operation on his back. Only a few weeks ago, however, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
He told AMC’s David Hassall that his one regret in motorsport was turning down an opportunity to drive for the Holden Dealer Team. He rejected the offer because it was in rallycross, and he wanted to race at Bathurst – and he couldn’t see the likely path put in front of him by Harry Firth. Instead, Firth ended up with versatile road and rally ace Colin Bond, and a young novice Sports Sedan driver called Peter Brock.
AMC extends it sympathy to Bryan Thomson’s family and close friends.
Images: Chevron Archive, Thomson Family Collection
.jpg&q=70&h=226&w=176&c=1&s=1)
