Vale John Sheppard

John Sheppard was a master racing car builder/engineer. Over a long career he was responsible for some of Australia’s most famous competition cars, and also for the success of some of our biggest name drivers.

Story: Staff Writer

John Sheppard-built or prepared cars won some of the biggest races and championships in Australian motorsport over a long period. Sheppard's many successes include multiple Australian Touring Car Championship and Bathurst 1000 wins.

After serving his apprenticeship at one of Stan Jones’ (father of future F1 world champion, Alan Jones), Sheppard went on to prepare Peter Manton’s Elfin Streamliner sportscar and later his touring car racing Minis.

Sheppard moved to Sydney to work for the Geoghegan brothers in 1963. It was a highly successful partnership that in the end delivered a then-record five Australian Touring Car Championship wins for Ian Geoghegan.

He returned to Melbourne to run Norm Beechey’s Monaro HK GTS 327 touring car for a brief spell before joining the Bob Jane racing team. There Sheppard was responsible for legendary machines like Jane’s Camaro ZL1, the McLaren M6 in which John Harvey won the 1972 Australian Sports Car Championship, and the Bowin P8 Formula 5000. Sheppard also built Bob Jane’s Torana XU-1 Sports Sedan (powered by the McLaren’s Repco-Brabham V8 engine) and Jane’s HQ Monaro GTS 350 Improved Production car.

When Jane wound up his racing team, Sheppard returned to the Geoghegans to build the Craven-Mild HJ/HQ Monaro GTS 350 Sports Sedan.

In 1978 Sheppard took over the Holden Dealer Team from the retiring Harry Firth. Sheppard's engineering nous and his trademark meticulous presentation had an immediate rejuvenating effect as the HDT returned to the winner’s circle, now with Peter Brock back in the factory Holden team.

Sheppard only ran the HDT for two years but in that time enjoyed enormous success: one ATCC for Brock, and consecutive Bathurst 1000 wins – the latter, in 1979, being the famous six-lap victory.

He was team manager of the Volvo Group A team in 1986 until Volvo’s foray into Australian touring car racing imploded at the end of the year; later that decade Sheppard returned to the Jane fold to build NASCARS for Jane’s newly opened Thunderdome trioval.

In 1998 Sheppard served for a brief spell as technical director for V8 Supercars.

In 1994 he was given the CAMS Service Award, and in 2000 was awarded the Australian Sports Medal by the Governor-General of Australia, Sir William Deane, in recognition of his contribution to the sport.