Neville Crichton
Neville Crichton Australian | |
---|---|
Occupation | Entrepreneur |
Spouse |
Nadi Hasandedic (m. 2017) |
Australian Touring Car Championship | |
Years active | 1985–1990 |
Teams | JPS Team BMW (1985) Volvo Dealer Team (1986) Dick Johnson Racing (1987–88) Tony Longhurst Racing (1989–90) |
Best finish | 4th in 1985 |
Neville Alexander Crichton
Early life and background
Born on a dairy farm in Otago, New Zealand, Crichton developed a skill for selling bicycles and left Rotorua Boys' High School,[1] aged 14 years, to start selling tractors and hay balers, door-to-door.[2][3]
Career
Automotive industry
Crichton entered the automotive industry in his local Ford dealership, where he was promoted to sales manager. A short time later, he became general manager of a General Motors dealership. In 1972, he acquired an ailing used car operation;[4][5] and in 1977 he acquired the Mazda distributorship for the state of Hawaii.[4][3] Crichton sold his Hawaiian interests in 1982 and moved back to New Zealand where he acquired a group of Ford dealerships that were in difficulty. Under his stewardship, he turned them into the country's largest Ford dealership.[4]
In the early-1980s Crichton immigrated to Australia and acquired, RAM Trucks, and Vauxhall).
Competitive touring car racing
In the 1980s, Crichton was a regular competitor in
Australian Touring Car Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | DC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | JPS Team BMW | BMW 635 CSi
|
WIN 2 |
SAN 5 |
SYM 3 |
WAN 4 |
AIR 4 |
CAL 3 |
SUR 5 |
LAK 6 |
AMA 9 |
ORA Ret |
4th | 149 |
1987 | John Andrew Motorsport | Ford Sierra XR4Ti | CAL 10 |
SYM | LAK | WAN
|
AIR | SUR Ret |
SAN | AMA | ORA | 31st | 1 | |
1989 | Benson & Hedges Racing | Ford Sierra RS500
|
AMA 12 |
SYM 9 |
LAK 8 |
WAN 8 |
MAL 7 |
SAN 9 |
WIN DNS |
ORA Ret |
12th | 12.5 | ||
1990 | Benson & Hedges Racing | Ford Sierra RS500
|
AMA | SYM | PHI | WIN | LAK | MAL | WAN 9 |
ORA | 18th | 2 |
World Touring Car Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | DC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1987
|
HDT Racing P/L | Holden VL Commodore SS Group A
|
MNZ | JAR | DIJ | NUR | SPA Ret |
BNO | SIL
|
NC | 0 | ||||
Shell Ultra-Hi Tech Racing Team | Ford Sierra RS500
|
BAT Ret |
CLD ovr:13 cls:9 |
WEL Ret |
FJI |
† Not registered for series & points
Bathurst 1000
Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | JPS Team BMW | George Fury | BMW 635 CSi
|
C | 68 | DNF | DNF |
1986 | Volvo Dealer Team | Graham McRae John Bowe |
Volvo 240T
|
B | 156 | 11th | 4th |
1987 | Shell Ultra-Hi Tech Racing Team | Charlie O'Brien | Ford Sierra RS500
|
1 | 2 | DNF | DNF |
1988 | Shell Ultra-Hi Tech Racing | John Bowe Robb Gravett |
Ford Sierra RS500
|
A | 26 | DNF | DNF |
1989 | Benson & Hedges Racing | Tony Longhurst | Ford Sierra RS500
|
A | 27 | DNF | DNF |
Sandown endurance
Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | JPS Team BMW | George Fury | BMW 635 CSi
|
A | 129 | 2nd | 2nd |
1987 | Shell Ultra-Hi Tech Racing Team | Dick Johnson Gregg Hansford Charlie O'Brien |
Ford Sierra RS500
|
B | 86 | DNF | DNF |
1989 | Benson & Hedges Racing | Tony Longhurst | Ford Sierra RS500
|
A | 87 | DNF | DNF |
Spa 24 Hours
Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | TWR – South Pacific Racing | Ron Dickson Dave McMillan |
Rover Vitesse | Div.3 | 31 | DNF | DNF |
1987 | HDT Racing P/L | David Parsons
|
Holden VL Commodore SS Group A
|
Div.3 | 206 | DNF | DNF |
Bathurst 12 Hour
Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | BMW Australia Pty Ltd | Alan Jones Tony Longhurst |
BMW M5
|
C | 251 | 2nd | 1st |
1994 | Neville Crichton | Alan Jones John Bowe |
BMW M3
|
X | 120 | DNF | DNF |
Ocean-race sailing
Crichton also had a distinguished sailing career, having owned ocean-racing maxi yachts Alfa Romeo I, Alfa Romeo II and Alfa Romeo III. Crichton skipped the line honours winning yachts in the 2002 and 2009 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races.[15][16]
He was also the founder of
Personal life
In 1978, aged 29 years, Crichton was diagnosed with throat cancer. He underwent 30 operations and eventually had his voice-box and oesophagus removed. Doctors told him it was unlikely he would ever speak again, however he was one of the first people in the world to receive an artificial voice box during experimental surgery in Indianapolis.[5] This would lead to his nickname of "Croaky".[7]
Aged 71 years, in 2017 Crichton married his fourth wife,
Net worth
Crichton appeared in the
Year | Financial Review Rich List |
Australia's 50 Richest
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | $A )
|
Rank | US$ )
| |
2022 | 163 | $798 million | ||
2023[8] | 137 | $1.06 billion |
Legend | |
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Icon | Description |
Has not changed from the previous year | |
Has increased from the previous year | |
Has decreased from the previous year |
Awards and honours
In the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours, Crichton was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to yachting and business.[5] In 2015, he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.[24]
References
- ^ New Zealand Herald.
- ^ Stahl, Michael (30 December 2018). "Robb Reader: Neville Crichton". Robb Report. Australia and New Zealand. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ a b Corby, Stephen (24 July 2016). "Neville Crichton interview". Which Car. Wheels. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Popular drivers from NZ: Neville Crichton". Historic Racing. 4 June 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ New Zealand Herald. 4 June 2012.
- ^ "About us". Ateco Group. n.d. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Bailey, Michael; Sprague, Julie-anne (26 May 2023). "The 200 richest people in Australia revealed". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Brand partners". Ateco Group. n.d. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ISSN 1031-6124.
- ISSN 1031-6124.
- ISSN 1031-6124.
- ISSN 1031-6124.
- ISSN 1031-6124.
- ^ "No race record but Crichton still delighted". Sydney to Hobart. 28 December 2002.
- ^ "Jubilant Crichton glad its all over". Sydney to Hobart. 29 December 2009.
- ^ "Alloy Yachts". Boat International. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "Skipper trims waist as well as sails". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 December 2002. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ Hornery, Andrew (13 May 2017). "$6 billion guest stable as millionaire car importer Neville Crichton ties knot". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- NZ Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ Macken, Lucy (14 December 2017). "Neville Crichton buys $45m Point Piper mansion next door to Malcolm Turnbull". domain.com.au. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ Macken, Lucy (3 April 2022). "Medical entrepreneur makes $60m return to Sydney's trophy home market". Domain; The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "Past laureates". Business Hall of Fame. Retrieved 19 February 2023.