VALE John French

Australian motorsport has lost one its most underappreciated stars in John French, who passed away on 12 March, aged 94. Best known for partnering Dick Johnson to victory at the 1981 Bathurst 1000, French had an impressive motorsport resume before that, including success in GT racing and as a Ford factory driver in touring cars.

Born in the north Queensland town of Millaa Millaa in 1930, French cut his teeth racing a homebuilt Humpy Holden (with a custom bonnet and Repco head), then made a mark in GT competition, winning the 1962 Australian GT Championship in a Holden-powered Centaur Waggott.

In touring car racing, French was active from the 1960s to the 1980s and steered a truly diverse range of machinery – from Ford Anglias and Mini Coopers to Alfa Romeos and Nissan Bluebirds. His choice of wheels often reflected the multi-franchise car dealership he ran in South Brisbane, with Alfas being a particular favourite.

French competed in the first Armstrong 500 and would be a regular at Bathurst throughout the 1960s and ‘70s, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that he finally tasted success at Mount Panorama. He did come close, though, with a fourth in class in 1964, third in class in 1967 and overall runner-up in 1972 behind Peter Brock. 

French’s co-drivers from this period read like a who’s who of Australian motorsport – Norm Beechey, Frank Gardner, Doug Chivas, Colin Bond, Fred Gibson, Ron Hodgson and Timo Makinen. 

French’s first partnership with Dick Johnson came in 1974 when they shared an Alfa 2000 GTV. The Queenslanders re-united for the nascent Dick Johnson Racing, but the result at Bathurst in 1980 was infamously heartbreaking. Redemption came a year later when French and Johnson won in the now iconic ‘Tru Blu’ XD Falcon. The pair would tackle Bathurst again in 1982 and 1984.

French’s last Bathurst start was in 1986 alongside Alf Grant in a VK Commodore, although he did qualify a Mitsubishi Starion in 1987. A year later, French retired from motorsport to focus on his dealership, where he remained at work until 2006.

JUST CARS extends its sympathies to John’s son Geoff, his family and friends.