Tate named APAC Australian of the Year

After more than six decades in the motor racing industry, Ian Tate is touched by being a deserving winner of the Australian Performance Automotive Council Australian of the Year award.

Tate received the award after decades as a mechanic working for the likes of Harry Firth, Peter Brock and Peter Janson through the sixties and seventies, plus his tireless efforts for the Victorian Historic Racing Association over the last 40 years.

It is a special reward recognising outstanding achievements and sacrifices made by an individual in the industry across a lifetime.

Last year Ron Harrop was the Australian of 2024, following the likes of Larry Perkins, Kees Weel, Paul Gover, Rob Herrod and John Crennan.

Tate was honoured in a special event at the VHRR clubrooms at Cooldrive in Blackburn, Melbourne on Friday and was taken by complete surprise.

Ian Tate with the Australian Performance Automotive Council Australian of the Year award.

“It is a great honour,” Tate told Auto Action hours after being honoured.

“There has been a very elite group of people who have had this awarded to them like Ron Harrop, Rob Herrod, Larry Perkins, icons of the sport. To be part of that is incredible.

“I had no idea at all and everyone kept it very quiet!

“I am extremely privileged to be thought of in this way.”

Fittingly the presentation was conducted by CEO of Cooldrive and the Blanchard Racing Team, John Blanchard, who has a close lifelong association with Tate, while the likes of Penrite’s Marg Dymond, Harrop and Herrod were in attendance.

Australian Performance Automotive Council co chairman Graeme Rutgers said it was a special occasion to honour Tate.

“Ian walked it in and fitted all the criteria. He is just so good with the youngsters and has done so much,” he told Auto Action.

Ian Tate (centre) joins Ron Harrop and Rob Herrod as Australians of the Year.

“Ian had a great day and we were proud to put it on, but it is not about us, it was about representing the entire motor industry community.

“It was a celebration of his life and achievements. The award pays homage to someone who has given their life to the industry and still does.

“He still works on the event at Phillip Island and is still very sharp.”

Tate has loved cars his entire life and his motor racing journey started at just 14 when his curiosity and interested saw him invited into Harry Firth’s Ford workshop.

From there he went on to work on the Fords, including the XR Falcon GT that won the 1967 Bathurst 500 with Firth and Fred Gibson.

He followed Firth to the Holden Dealer Team where he worked with Brock, highlighted by the King’s first Great Race glory in 1972.

Tate also worked with Janson and Perkins, but by the late seventies his main focus was his own business.

In 1976 it was Tate-Phillip Automotive before it became Tate-Phillip-Dew Automotive and eventually Tate Engines.

Ian Tate with family at the event.

Despite being happily retired, Tate has not slowed down at all, being an integral part of the Victorian Historic Racing Register where he was president for an extraordinary 24 years.

Having only recently stepped down, Tate still spearheads the planning for the significant annual Phillip Island Classic event held each March.

The award was also timely after Tate lost his wife Dorothy recently.

With the pair being such a strong union for almost the entirety of Tate’s life in motorsport, he dedicated the award to her.

“We lost Dorothy just before Christmas and I just wish she had been there to see it, but I have been very lucky to have her support,” Tate said.

“When it is your job, life and passion, motor racing can be very selfish because she brought the three kids up and the boys love it now as well.

“They race and restore cars so I am lucky to have a family supporting my habit.

“If I had not had Dorothy I would not have been able to do what I did.

“It is an award for all of us and she was always extremely supportive.”

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