Cheers Rob, a sad day indeed, this obituary I wrote for Auto Action quickly yesterday afternoon does no more than skim the surface…
Vale ‘Sambo’ : Brian Sampson Dies : June 17, 1935 - November 17, 2023
When Sambo died peacefully yesterday one of the very few remaining racers of the 1950s Albert Park era left us..
Sampson was a racer to his very core, so competitive as a successful businessman, in the workshop and in the cockpit.
Sambo hated flying! The sight of his distinctive International truck and big-rig only disappeared from historic paddocks across the nation in the early 2000s after a bad road accident caused by a reaction to prescribed medication.
After a few hillclimbs he convinced his Dad to allow him to race family Austin Healey 100 at Albert Park in 1956. Before too long he bought a Morris Special from Bob Jane which was followed by a quick Austin A30.
His endurance career commenced with a class win at Phillip Island in a shared Renault Gordini in 1961, a performance repeated in another Gordini ’62 and in an Australian Motor Industries (AMI) Toyota Corolla at Bathurst in 1969.
Harry Firth invited Sambo to partner Peter Brock in an HDT L34 Torana in 1974, the pair famously brought-home-the-bacon in ’75 as privateers aboard another L34 prepared by Norm Gown and Bruce Hindhaugh.
He won the 1977 Rothmans 500 at Oran Park sharing Warren Cullen’s L34 and co-drove a large variety of cars in the enduros until his final run at Bathurst with Bill O’Brien in a VL Commodore Group A in 1990 (eighth).
Sambo’s Motor Improvements became one of the go-too tuners and machine shops for Victorian racers. This St Kilda business and his Speco Thomas import/retail enterprise created considerable wealth.
Sampson raced a Triumph Spitfire and various Toyotas for AMI. When they saw the speed of Brian’s Elfin 600 Toyota Corolla F3 car – the engine built by Motor Improvements – they provided sponsorship of a series of F3 and F2 Cheetah’s built by Sambo’s great-mate Brian Shead. The Two Brians dominated the class(es) for the better part the 1970s.
The AMI sponsored Celica sports-sedan was a crowd-pleasing giant-killer fondly remembered by many in the mid-1970s and is part of Sambo’s large collection of racing cars.
Despite being past his peak – perennial single-seater man as he was – Sambo contested several Formula Pacific Australian Grands Prix for a best of ninth in his Cheetah Mk8 Ford BDA in 1984.
Brian Sampson has been a friend and supporter of Auto Action since our birth in 1971. He’s been a close buddy and confidant of our publisher Bruce Williams for forty years, Sambo’s passing is a death in our extended family.
We salute you Brian, and offer our condolences to his daughters, grandchildren, Brendan, Lily and Sambo’s loved ones and associates.
Both shots taken at Speco Thomas HQ In Moorabbin on July 6, 2021.
The occasion was a photo shoot for an Auto Action piece on the Cheetah Mk6, the car is Sambo’s 1.6 MI prepared Celica machine. I knew Brian from our historic FF days. The day was a riot as the two old buddies - Bruce Williams and Brian - hung-**** on one another for hours.
RIP to a great driver, businessman and person
Mark
What a wonderful life both as a person,business and racing ..
Sambo was a true gentleman ,always great to be around at the track ,be it in the garage or on the track in historics .
His race stories were always well worth listening to and correct . My favourite the one with the Moffat Mustang .
RIP Sambo .-A race well won.
