Ron Harrop named 2024 APAC Australian of the Year
The brains behind some of Holden’s angriest Bathurst cars snares top industry awardRon Harrop has been named the 2024 Australian Performance Automotive Council (APAC) Australian of the Year in honour of his legendary contribution to the local and international motorsport and performance car industry.
Harrop has been building, racing and enhancing cars for well over 50 years and served as the Holden Racing Team’s chief engineer for five years, having been approached by the team the year prior to help enhance the race cars of the time.
This was after a healthy stint racing for HDT at Bathurst and other signature touring car events before he stepped away from racing in 1986 to concentrate on providing world-class engineering services to a diverse customer base – hence the HRT call-up – which eventually led to supplier contracts with Holden, HSV, Ford, FPV, Toyota and Lotus.
Harrop Engineering has long had a vast catalogue of aftermarket performance parts on offer for an equally wide array of vehicles, including everything from superchargers, intakes, fuel systems and camshafts through to braking systems, differentials, wheels and bearing kits on the table.
“Whilst he no longer presides over the famous entity that he and his esteemed father Len and mother Elsa created decades ago for us to enjoy and honour on this day, his son Tim continues the Harrop tradition of excellence at Harrop Engineering going forward,” judges said.
“He still continues as an historian and preserver of our Australian performance automotive heritage until this day.
“Ron Harrop has made the Australian performance automotive industry a respected world leader and we congratulate and thank him for his foresight and sheer dedication to our country’s automotive industry and acknowledge his achievements with the Australian Performance Automotive Council ‘Australian of the Year’ Award 2024.”
To be eligible for the award candidates need to have been an Australian citizen for at least 90 per cent their life, worked in the auto industry for at least 75 per cent of their working life, been a mentor to the young, prospered through or after difficult times, been involved in motorsport at any level and have been a supplier of goods and/or services to the industry.
The APAC Australian of the Year award is now in its seventh year and previous winners include John Crennan (2018), Rob Herrod (2019), Paul Gover (2020), Kees Weel (2022) and Larry Perkins (2023).
Pictured here is Harrop receiving his award from Dunlop Motorsport’s Kevin Fitzsimons, a co-chairman of the Council.
Related: Bathurst 1000 - The Superstar '70s
Related: TRD launches twin hotties
Join the conversation at
Or email us at
Or email us at
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
