Peter Briggs

22/1/1946

Record updated 22-Jan-19

In 1962 Peter bought his first real car - an MG TF. His interest in the MG marque soon included an MGA 1600 and he formed the MG Car Club in Perth with a couple of friends. 'With the exuberance of youth I began racing at the old Caversham circuit. I got a little more serious and I reveled in the adventure of motor racing with a hot MGB,' he said. 'I began to enjoy racing success, sitting a comfortable third in the Caversham Six-hour Race behind a 250LM Ferrari and a Shelby Cobra for all but the last hour of the event.' 

'My first taste of pure power was driving my ex Norm Beechey 500bhp Monaro on skinny tyres around the newly constructed Wanneroo raceway,' he said. This Australian muscle car took Peter to the winner's podium in the WA Touring Car Championship in 1971. 

In 1978 he bought a 4 1/2 litre low chassis Invicta similar to the car which won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1931. With this car, he was invited to his first international rally in France. 'The rally introduced me to a wonderful world of fabulous motor cars and people even madder than me. Fantastic!' he said. 'Since then, Robin and I have competed in the Historic Monte Carlo Rallies, in the New Zealand Pan Pacific Rally driving our famous MG K, in the Mille Miglia driving our 1950 Ferrari, the Spanish Hispano Suizo Rally and the Centenary Rally for 100 Years of Motoring in the United Kingdom. 

Our regular London to Brighton runs have been great experiences. We entered all the Adelaide Grand Prix rallies from 1985 to 1996.' Peter's motor car collection has been lauded around the world. He was invited to enter his Napier Land Speed Record car in the world's greatest concours d'elegance, Pebble Beach in California, and brought the Most Historic Car award back to Western Australia. 

While Peter enjoyed years of pleasure with motor cars, his powerful Maybach III very nearly ended his life at Phillip Island in 1994. He crashed while racing at more than 160kmh. The surgeons debated whether to remove his leg, but after 10 hours of surgery, screws and bolts they managed to piece him back together. The crash spelt the end of his daring racing adventures and now he is limited to more sedate events.