Ove Andersson dies in car crash

Former Toyota team principal Ove Andersson has been killed in a car accident during the George leg of this year’s Milligan Vintage Trial

Andersson, whose involvement in motorsport covered European and World Rally Championships, Formula 1 and Le Mans, was killed when his classic car suffered a head-on collision with another vehicle on a blind corner on the Outeniqua Pass outside George in the Western Cape today.

Born in Sweden on January 3, 1938, Andersson came from a humble upbringing in a rural community outside Stockholm and gained his first rally drive in a works Saab in the early 1960’s. He eventually went on to compete in a number of prestigious rally events behind the wheel of such iconic marques as Alpine-Renault, Lancia, Ford, Peugeot and Toyota.

Andersson’s efforts with the Andersson Motorsport squad were instrumental in the formation of Toyota Team Europe. During Andersson’s leadership of Toyota’s European Motorsports operation, the team won four drivers’ and three manufacturers’ championships in the WRC and scored a second place finish at the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours.

He led Panasonic Toyota Racing into Formula 1 in 2002 before retiring as Team Principal in 2003 to work as a consultant for the team before leaving Toyota in 2007 to relocate to South Africa, a country to which he felt a very close affinity.

Toyota Motorsport GmbH Chairman, Tadashi Yamashina spoke on behalf of the company in expressing its condolences to Ove’s family:

“The thoughts of everyone at Toyota Motorsport are with Ove’s family at this difficult time.”

All here at CAR extend their deepest sympathies to Andersson’s partner Ronel, and the rest of the his family.