The outspoken Aucklander was best known for his 1986 ATCC triumph aboard a Volvo 240T.
A then 44-year-old Francevic became the oldest driver to win the ATCC, as well as the first non-Australian resident to do so.
However, it was the car that stole much of the spotlight, with the boxy ‘Swedish taxi’ an unlikely star of the early Group A era.
Francevic had been roped into the program by car owner and patron Mark Petch, putting rivals on notice with victory against a stacked international field at the 1985 Wellington 500.
He won two races in the 1985 ATCC and finished fifth overall in that rookie season, before returning to score three more victories and the title the following year.
Changes in management at the Volvo squad during 1986 resulted in Francevic dramatically splitting from the team immediately after the Sandown 500.
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Francevic contested just three more ATCC rounds in the following years – all aboard Ford Sierras – leaving him with only 22 career starts.
His Bathurst 1000 history is almost as brief, recording six starts from his 1985 debut in the Volvo to his last in 1990.
Four of those came in Sierras, while his best result of sixth was recorded in 1987 in a cameo appearance for Frank Gardner’s JPS Team BMW.
Petch paid tribute to Francevic in a Facebook post that said the legend had passed after several weeks in hospital.
“I am very sad to lose Robbie after all those years together,” he wrote.
“We shared so many memories, it’s just such a shame we didn’t get to reminisce over the last few years.
“Bobi’s and my fondest thoughts are with Robbie’s wife, Darling Rosita, with whom we shared so many happy memories.”
Francevic had begun racing in New Zealand in the 1960s, gaining local notoriety while campaigning a Ford Anglia nicknamed ‘Powerful Percy’.
That was followed by the ‘Custaxie’ – a wild contraption based on a Ford Customline, fitted with a seven-litre Ford Galaxie V8 engine and featuring the words ‘Colour Me Gone’ across the rear.
The 1960s included a brief stint in stock cars in the US, while the following decade brought a move into open-wheel racing including Formula 5000.
Then came trans Tasman fame in touring cars in the 1980s and a relatively rapid withdrawal from top level competition.
Francevic was among the inaugural inductees into the Motorsport New Zealand Wall of Fame in 1994.
Motorsport New Zealand president Deborah Day paid tribute to Francevic and his considerable legacy.
“Robbie Francevic was one of the true legends of New Zealand motorsport,” she said.
“He was an exceptional driver, a fierce competitor, and someone who showed that New Zealanders could take on the very best and win.
“His achievements here and across the Tasman inspired generations of Kiwi drivers, and his place in our sport’s history is absolutely secure.
“On behalf of MotorSport New Zealand, our thoughts are with Robbie’s family, friends, and all those who knew and loved him.
“He leaves behind a legacy we will continue to be proud of.”
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