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Adrian Ryan

THE Australian motor industry farewelled one of its genuine all-rounders when hundreds of mourners turned out for the funeral of Adrian Ryan in Melbourne on Friday.

Mr Ryan, 77, who died after a short battle with cancer, had a career spanning more than four decades in the industry, most notably with Ford Australia, the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) and Repco.

Mr Ryan added his public relations pizzazz and writing skills to numerous motoring events, from major Ford car launches to the 1979 Repco Around Australia Rally and the Melbourne International Motor Show.

His enthusiasm for motor racing was probably only exceeded by his love for all things Ford, starting with his beloved restored red Ford Mustang convertible and 1965 Falcon Squire ‘woodie’ wagon – one of fewer than 100 ever made.

When he wasn’t working at his various day jobs in the motor industry, he was immersed in numerous other motoring activities, including writing for Racing Car News and many other publications in Australia and overseas, broadcasting weekly motoring programs on Radio Bay FM (Geelong) and 3SR (Shepparton) and getting involved at various car club and historic car events.

For many years, Mr Ryan was the voice of motorsport at Victorian race circuits, providing knowledgeable trackside commentary for race fans at Sandown, Calder, Phillip Island and Winton, as well as Bathurst. He even lent his talents behind the microphone to TV broadcasters at various networks over the years.

In the 1950s, he ventured on to the other side of the safety fence to race, forming a race team, Ecurie Shepparton, with racing driver Bryan Thomson, who went on to become one of the stars of Australian motor sport from the 1960s to the 1980s.

At Bathurst in the 1960s, a Ford Cortina driven by Mr Ryan crashed over the old wooden fence on top of Mount Panorama – an event that helped to convince him that he might be better suited to the commentary box.

His work career included a couple of stints at the VACC, first as advertising and PR director from 1973 to 1978 – a job that included editing the VACC Journal – and more recently as a consultant publicist for the Melbourne International Motor Show through his Park Road Media agency, from 1996 to 2004.

He also spent 14 years with Ford Public Affairs, where he helped to launch important new models such as the EA Falcon.

In latter years, Mr Ryan’s encyclopedic knowledge of the motor industry and Ford in particular was put to good use in running the Ford Australia Archive – reputed to be the best such library of company records and images in the Australian motor industry.

Ford Australia communications manager Sinead McAlary said Mr Ryan would be missed by all who knew him at Ford.

“Apart from running our archives and being a huge help to the current PR team in almost any way we could ever ask of him – including doing his most recent TV interview for us only three weeks before he died – Adrian was a lovely man to work with and we’ll miss him dearly,” she said.

Among the 500-plus mourners at his funeral at St Dominic’s Church in East Camberwell were many former work colleagues, rivals and members of the media, along with family and friends, including many former motor racing and historic car colleagues.

Among former Ford representatives were retired directors Ian Vaughan and Mike Jarvis.

Eulogies were given by his son Richard, older brother Barry and racing colleague and friend Bryan Thomson.

Mr Ryan is survived by his wife of 52 years, Claudine, children Andrea, Richard, Stephen and Michelle, and 10 grandchildren.

By Ron Hammerton

Farewell: Adrian Ryan's contribution to the Australian motor industry and motorsport was recognised at his funeral last week.

Farewell: Adrian Ryan’s contribution to the Australian motor industry and motorsport was recognised at his funeral last week.

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