BRIAN CULCHETH
3RD AUGUST 1938 – 11TH SEPTEMBER 2022
British motorsport lost another of its legends this month when rally driver Brian Culcheth passed away peacefully after a short illness on 11th September.
Brian's first significant contact with motorsport had been when he was inspired by a picture in Autocar of Paddy Hopkirk dragging a TR3A up the Stelvio Pass on three wheels. Brian joined the Harrow Car Club in 1959, at which point he didn't even have a car of his own – his first event with them was a Sunday social outing in the family Austin A50 with his mum and dad in the back! Beginning by force of circumstance as a navigator, he also drove a hired Ford 100E in autotests, and then bought an
Austin-Healey Sprite in 1961.
In 1962 he bagged a seat with Mercedes on the RAC Rally, and competed in a Mini Cooper for BMC in the 1963 Monte Carlo rally. His first drive for Triumph – a marque with which he would become most closely associated – was later that year in a Works TR4. It was not an exclusive arrangement though, and he rallied his own Cooper S and enjoyed Works co-drives in a Rover 2000 and Hillman Imp – Brian always was the most versatile of drivers.
His first contract as main driver for a Works team was with BMC in 1967 driving the Austin 1800, but from 19691977 it was a case of Triumphs to the fore as he campaigned everything from a 4WD 1300 in Rallycross to the 2.5PI on such legendary events as the LondonMexico World Cup Rally, and from the new Dolomite Sprint to the TR7/ TR8. Somehow, Brian also found time to compete with some success in a Morris Marina along the way, and from 19771979 he drove Opel Kadetts for Dealer Team Opel, with whom he won Group One of the British Championship.
Brian retired in 1979, but never left the scene and continued to write columns and books about his rally days. He was also a regular and very welcome guest at events up and down the country and a tireless supporter of organisations such as the Historic Marathon
Rally Group and others. Always courteous, down to earth and extremely entertaining, Brian was a skilled, versatile and particularly tenacious driver. He was fortunate to have been at the centre of rallying in its glory years and able to live the rally dream, and we are fortunate that he was ever willing to share the experience with us.
Thanks for all the great memories, Brian –