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I don't think dying at 83 after a relatively short illness, and a lifetime being involved in the sport you loved is all that sad. David McKay had a great life. He was an opinionated person, and someone who didn't suffer fools gladly (I hate that expression, but in Sir Mal's case, it was true), - but there was no doubt about his love of motor sport, and Australian motor sport in particular. I grew up reading his 'Behind the Wheel' column in the Daily Telegraph every Wednesday. Back in the '60s and '70s, apart from the specialised motor sport publications (but due to slow publication times were always reporting well after the event), it was one of the few ways to keep up with what was happening in motor sport.
As Sol said, David was influential as a team owner and mentor over the years. From his efforts with his own Australian land speed record effort in the '50s at Carathool, to the formation of his Scuderia Veloce team, and through to the present day, he was one of the driving forces in Australian motor sport. He took a young Spencer Martin out the BP Boomerang 48/215 Holden and into some very classy machinery. At around the same time, he had Norm Beechey and his black 48/215 Holden as a team member. Strange.
David's support of Australian motor sport was terrific. He raised the bar continuously. I'm sure many here remember the Ferrari 250LM. I remember waking up one Sunday morning to see that car parked outside my house, but that's another story. I mentioned it in the Road Car forum.
My condolences to his family and friends. I know little about his family life, or his interests away from cars. I'm sure he had a very full life, and cars were but a part of it, but as a supporter of Australian motor sport, he is right up there.
The passing of an era. David McKay was a man of the twentieth century. This new century belongs to different people, but every sport and every century needs strong, opinionated people like David McKay.
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