VALE: ROD BARRETT 1960-2020

Vale: Rod Barrett 1960-2020

Few industry executives were as passionate about motor racing and cars than Rod Barrett, who has died after a long battle with cancer.

By MARK FOGARTY

Barrett was 59, too young to be taken by an insidious illness against which he fought hard for many years with typical optimism.

Well known and liked in the motor sport and motoring industries, he was a passionate enthusiast and, above all, a true gentleman.

Even in his last days, while resigned to his fate, he retained his positive outlook despite the ever-increasing difficulty of communication.

Hobart-born Barrett was an accomplished amateur racer who gave up his professional aspirations as a driver, despite showing promise in UK sedan racing in the 1980s, to embark on a distinguished commercial career.

His marketing and promotional flair propelled him to senior executive positions with major global brands like Coca-Cola and BP.

Racing was his passion/obsession and he excelled as Ford Performance Racing’s commercial director in the mid-2000s.

So much so that he was appointed general manager of Ford Performance Vehicles in 2007, guiding the Prodrive-owned fast Falcon division through arguably its peak until 2012.

Barrett understood Ford Australia’s back catalogue of performance car and racing heritage, and he used that long-neglected DNA to establish FPV as a credible rival to HSV.

He believed in the link between racing and high-performance Aussie muscle cars, and leveraged that association.

Among his achievements was bringing legend Allan Moffat back into the Ford fold as an FPV ambassador.

Unfortunately, Barrett’s vision was cut short by the changing dynamics of the car industry in Australia and Prodrive’s impending withdrawal from the joint venture with Broadmeadows.

High on his agenda was a modern Phase 5 reincarnation of the iconic Falcon GT-HO, which even his boundless enthusiasm and drive couldn’t achieve.

I spoke with Rod at length about his still-born Phase 5 plan for our GT-HO 50th anniversary tribute issue last year and his passion for the project was palpable.

In all my years of dealing with him, I found him to be unusually honest, perpetually upbeat and always enthusiastic. He loved racing and was never happier than when he competed – and regaled about his adventures – in historic racing.

Former AUTO ACTION editor and long-time close associate David Segal, whose PR agency consulted with Barrett during his time running FPV, paid tribute to his fallen friend.

“Rod was just plain and simple, a good bloke,” said Segal, echoing the thoughts of so many. “He was passionate, he was loyal and he loved motor sport.

“He was a true enthusiast for all things motor racing and the automotive industry, strongly opinionated at times and an insightful observer. Rod had an absolute passion for everything he did, and his knowledge of Australian motor sport and our performance car heritage was ridiculous – encyclopaedic, in fact.

“Rod understood the FPV buyer like no other boss before or since, and the products produced under his reign stand as the best ever produced by the brand. FPV’s success in that period stands as his legacy.”

Barrett was formerly married to Mark Webber’s partner Ann Neal and their son Luke, as far as he was concerned, was his greatest achievement.

All at AUTO ACTION offer their condolences to Rod’s family and his closest friends.

RIP Rod Barrett, enthusiast, racer and industry leader. He will be sorely missed.